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How To Get Bridging Finance In Scotland
Property finance in Scotland has several unique quirks that make it different from similar financing south of the border. Scottish property purchasing and investment has its own laws and traditions that can be both helpful and a hindrance.
Not only that, but it’s a country rich with rural locations and historic properties that invite investment.
At Clifton Private Finance, we have the knowledge and the reach to help you get the bridging finance you need to secure that perfect Scottish home.
Key Takeaways
- Bridging finance provides flexible short-term funding that can unlock opportunities that traditional mortgages cannot.
- With unique legal considerations, Scottish bridging finance requires specialist lenders and an experienced broker, like Clifton Private Finance.
- Applicable for purchasing property or land, as well as paying for renovation and construction work, bridging finance also offers a complete solution for Scottish property investment.
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What is Bridging Finance?
Ever more popular for speeding up property finance and ensuring opportunities don’t slip through your fingers, bridging finance is a flexible, short-term approach to property funding that works in tandem with mortgages and property sale to provide the capital you need when you need it.
Head over to our knowledge base to read our detailed Guide to Bridging Loans, alongside specific articles on the costs of a bridging loan, or an explanation of bridging finance criteria, among others.
Using Bridging Finance in Scotland
Bridging finance is perfectly positioned to facilitate funding when a mortgage isn’t viable. This can be because of timing reasons as a mortgage will take many weeks to put into place; or for suitability concerns, with properties often considered ‘unmortgageable’ when they are in need of renovation, made of non-standard materials, or otherwise potentially difficult to resell.
With a huge range of rural properties that are sought after for their unique locations, investment potential, and simple evocative desire as a home, bridging finance in Scotland can provide the extra reach needed to seize opportunities that traditional mortgages cannot meet.
Why Bridging Finance is Different in Scotland
Scotland has a different legal framework to the rest of the UK, with two key differences:
- The missives - Buying a property in Scotland is solicitor-led, with the offer and acceptance being conducted in a series of letters known as missives. This makes gazumping far less likely in Scotland, providing buyers with an extra layer of security that is missing in England and Wales.
- The home report - Scottish sellers must prepare a home report that truthfully presents the property in a clear light before it goes onto the market. This makes valuation and assessment a lot easier and quicker and can help greatly when securing funding.
Working with an established broker with relationships to the lenders who understand the Scottish property market is vital to secure funding - thankfully, Clifton Private Finance have the background and network you need to get the best bridging deal in Scotland.
Making the Most of Rare Opportunities
Bridging finance can give you the power to seize opportunities. It’s rapid application and approval process makes it far faster than a standard mortgage, while its focus on securities and an exit strategy over affordability and income testing provides a flexible outlook that facilitates investment.
Some examples of rare opportunities particular to Scotland include:
Achieving a truly remote working lifestyle
The Scottish Highlands offer a beautiful backdrop to those who can work completely remotely, reliant on only an internet connection and some power. With modern advances in infrastructure, the distance from a main hub becomes less of a concern and dream homes that were once considered impractical have become viable.
Yet, years of neglect in many homes makes them unmortgageable in a traditional way, with considerable renovation needed to bring potential properties up to a modern standard.
Once the home is brought to a habitable standard - typically with a working kitchen and bathroom - mortgage lenders will be willing to provide long-term funding, exiting the bridging finance.
Investment and rental opportunities in tourist hotspots
With many people keen to experience the wonders of Scotland as a holiday destination, short-term accommodation is always a worthwhile investment.
Refinancing with a buy-to-let mortgage can be put in place over a longer period once ownership has changed hands.
Converting large traditional buildings to luxury contemporary homes
Bridging finance can provide the cash needed to undergo a high-value and potentially complex renovation, perfect for converting existing structures that have been rundown over time into high-class modern homes with a fantastic vista.
These can be remortgaged once brought to a living standard, or ‘flipped’ and sold to buyers looking for a unique quality home.
Self-builds on expansive land
If you’ve ever wanted to design your own home, bridging finance in Scotland can provide the solution. Fast-access funds can be used from the very early stages of architectural design, through purchasing land, and into the construction process.
Then, once the home is completed, you can acquire an updated valuation and apply for a long-term mortgage as an exit strategy, clearing the bridging finance in full and settling into your perfect new home. You could even invite a herd of Highland cattle to graze on the land.
City bargains
Scotland isn’t all about the windswept countryside. Modern metropolitan areas such as Edinburgh and Glasgow have exceptional buildings to buy, for residential, commercial, or rental use.
Using the sale of your old house as an exit strategy, you can secure bridging to snap up a once-in-a-lifetime city property, giving yourself time to get the best offer on your old home. Once sold, the proceeds clear the bridging finance in a well-considered exit.
Using Clifton Private Finance as Your Bridging Finance Broker
Bridging finance opens a new world of opportunities for property purchase in Scotland, but it’s important to get it right. With the specific framework that forms Scottish property purchase law, it’s essential that you use a bridging finance broker that has experience in working with Scottish regulations and relationships with lenders who can offer the specialist support and underwriting needed.
At Clifton Private Finance, our dedicated bridging team are here to answer all your questions and help you decide whether bridging is right for you. As property specialists, we help throughout the processes. We will evaluate your individual situation to determine the viability of bridging when compared to more traditional finance, such as a mortgage, and help you with a pre-approval process that looks at your available security and exit strategy to advise on the best way forward.
Contact us now to discover the opportunities bridging finance can unlock and set yourself on the path to a perfect Scottish property.
