What Criteria is Needed To Get Development Finance?
Are you thinking of taking out a development finance loan to renovate or refurbish your property? You can make the process easier by understanding the basic development finance criteria.
While lenders evaluate applications on a case-to-case basis, there are baseline standards they go by that you need to know when applying for development loans.
General Finance Criteria For Development Finance In The UK
Here are the general development finance lending criteria to prepare for if you plan to apply for a development finance bridging loan.
- Loan Size
- Term of the Loan
- Type of Security Offered
- Loan to Value Percentage of GDV
- Experience of the Developer
- Location
- Permits and Other Pertinent Documents
- Project Feasibility
- Exit Strategy
Development Loan Size
Most development finance lenders offer loans amounting from £100,000 to as much as £1 billion. We, at Loan Corp, can help you secure loans from £10,000 without a ceiling. Our competent team of financial advisors can match you with the most suitable lender to finance a wide range of development projects, including:
- Apartment complexes
- Care homes
- Hotels
- Student dormitories
- Factories
- Large residential developments
Term Of The Loan
Your property development loans can run from 1 to 36 months. Usually, lenders are amenable to loan terms from 12 to 36 months. You won’t incur any early settlement penalties as well as you can with refurbishment loans, for example.
Type Of Security
The lender needs to see acceptable security offered for development finance, such as residential real estate or apartments.
Loan To Value Percentage Of GDV
The percentage of the completed project’s gross development value (GDV) is also an important consideration. Lenders can give borrowers a loan amounting to a maximum of 70% of the GDV, yet some can go as high as 75% to 80%.
Use our development finance calculator to give you an idea of the rates you can expect to pay.
Experience Of The Property Developer
The property developer’s experience and track record also have a bearing on the success of your loan application.
Credit History
Lenders generally do not discriminate against property developers or house builders who have a less-than-satisfactory credit history.
As long as you’re not bankrupt or have an extraordinarily bad credit history, you can still have a development finance loan approved but with certain restrictions and higher interest rates. If you’ve had any bridging loans, it may help with your application approval.
Location
Lenders also look at the location and usually have a list of preferred locations to fund development projects. However, they can still fund your development loan outside of their designated locations if they’re convinced of the completed project’s value.
Permits And Other Pertinent Documents
Did you obtain relevant permits and documents? A lender may need to see planning permission details on hand as part of their criteria.
Funding can still be approved without planning permits as long as you ensure that the project-related activities during the loan term comply with the pertinent local planning and building regulation laws.
Project Feasibility
You need to be ready to answer the lender’s questions and concerns about the project’s feasibility. Developing a feasibility study will make the process easier.
Exit Strategy
Lenders will want to sit with you and arrange a viable exit strategy.
Types Of Development Loans Borrowers
What type of property developers do lenders usually approve development finance applications? They consider the following:
- Partnerships
- Sole Proprietors
- Limited Companies
- Pension companies
What Do You Need To Prepare For A Development Finance Application?
- Development site details, including purchase price, location, and value
- Appraisal of the development project
- Costs associated with the project
- Planning permission details
- Gross Development Value – documentation/experts’ opinion of the expected value of the completed property development project
- Profile of the applicants of the property development finance loan, such as CVs of directors, details about previous developments within the past five years
- Documentation on the success of these developments, including a description of their development costs, sale price, and project profits
- For borrowers with a limited history of development projects, the following information is needed:
- Name of Project Manager, link to their CV/Website
- Details of the Main Contractor
- Company Structure
- Statement of Assets and Liabilities of Applicants/Company Directors
How To Ensure Your Development Loans Application Is Accepted
Getting together all your loan application requirements is one thing. Making sure that your application gets approved is another. Remember that a lender has a lot of applications to go through, so you must make them sit up and take notice.
Here are some things you can do to impress the lender and have your development financing application accepted:
Be Accurate
You need to hit the right numbers and present them well. A professional and well-prepared application that ticks the lending criteria boxes is more likely to be accepted.
Don’t Inflate Your Stats
As presented earlier, banks will look at figures, such as LTV, GDV, and other markers to evaluate whether your project is both viable and profitable for them. Inflating the end value of a property is a big no-no. Lenders will check for accuracy, so being dishonest about figures may discredit your entire application.
Own Your Application
Show confidence in your loan application. In other words, know the numbers by heart, identify pertinent information once asked, and describe specifics about your proposed project. When banks or lenders ask you about development costs, be prepared to answer them outright.
Be Honest
You’ll need to be impressive to get approved for a development loan. However, a good impression may wither quickly if you make false claims about your experience or your track record of projects.
Banks and lenders will appreciate honesty and dedication even if you’re new to the development scene. If your story does not check out, that will leave you with nothing but a bad reputation.
Development Finance Criteria – Final Overview
For your development finance needs, it’s best to err on caution and ask the experts. We are a dynamic team of financial advisors and brokers who provide guidance and assistance on all matters related to finance.