Bridging finance in Edinburgh
CoreFi is a commercial finance broker arranging bridging finance for Edinburgh property deals. We introduce auction purchases, chain breaks, refurbishments and quick completions to short-term lenders across a whole-of-market panel. We do not lend; the lender sets the loan-to-value, rate and exit terms and makes the decision.
CoreFi is a commercial finance broker arranging bridging finance for property transactions across Edinburgh that need to move faster than a normal mortgage allows. Bridging is short-term, property-secured lending, usually running from a few months to a couple of years, used to complete a purchase quickly, break a chain, fund a refurbishment or hold a site before a longer-term facility or a sale. We are not a lender; we introduce your case to bridging lenders on our whole-of-market panel, who assess the security and the exit and decide the terms.
Edinburgh's property market moves quickly and prices high, which is exactly the environment where bridging comes into play. Auction lots come up through the city's residential and commercial auction houses with tight completion deadlines, offers-over pricing under the Scottish system can force fast decisions, and heritage stock in the New Town and Old Town often needs refurbishment before it will support a standard mortgage. Every loan-to-value, rate and timeline mentioned here is indicative only; the lender makes the final decision on both approval and pricing.
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Tell us about the deal and the deadline
Share the property, what you are trying to do, whether that is an auction purchase, a chain break or a refurbishment, the timescale and how you plan to repay. A clear exit is what makes a bridge work.
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We match short-term lenders
We approach bridging lenders on our whole-of-market panel with appetite for your security type and exit, and prepare the case quickly for their assessment, because bridging deals are usually time-sensitive.
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You review terms and complete
We bring back offers and explain the loan-to-value, interest treatment and exit conditions in plain terms. The lender sets the final terms and decision; nothing is guaranteed until they are issued.
When Edinburgh buyers use bridging
Bridging tends to show up in a handful of recognisable Edinburgh situations. Auction purchases are the clearest: buy a residential or commercial lot at a city auction and you typically have a short, fixed window to complete, which a mainstream mortgage cannot always meet, so a bridge covers the purchase while longer-term finance is arranged. Chain breaks are another, and the Scottish system, where a concluded missive is binding, can leave a buyer needing to complete on a New Town flat or a suburban house before their own sale settles. Refurbishment is a big one in a city this old: a tenement flat in Marchmont or Bruntsfield, a Georgian townhouse in the New Town or a tired commercial unit near the Royal Mile may be unmortgageable until works are done, so a bridge funds the purchase and the refurbishment before a refinance or sale. Investors and developers also use bridging to secure a site quickly at Leith or Granton before a full development facility is in place, or to release equity from one property to move on another. Each of these is about speed and a clear exit, which is what bridging is built for.
How bridging is structured and priced
Bridging is short-term and secured against property, and it is judged differently from a term mortgage. The lender looks first at the security, usually the property being bought or an asset you already own, and at the loan-to-value they are being asked to lend against. Just as important is the exit: how the bridge will be repaid, whether that is a sale, a refinance onto a buy-to-let or commercial mortgage, or the sale of refurbished units. Interest is commonly rolled up or retained and settled on exit rather than paid monthly, which suits a project with no income during the works. Terms are typically months rather than years, and pricing reflects the short horizon and the speed involved. First and second charges are both possible depending on what sits on the property already. Edinburgh's heritage constraints matter here too, because a lender assessing a listed New Town building or a tenement conversion will weigh planning and buildability into the exit. The loan-to-value, interest treatment and term are always set by the lender on the specific deal, not by us.
How CoreFi helps
As a broker, our job is to match your Edinburgh deal to bridging lenders with genuine appetite for that type of security and exit, and to move quickly, because speed is usually the whole point. Bridging is a specialist market: some lenders prefer residential, some commercial, some are comfortable with heavy refurbishment or auction timelines while others are not. Because we work across a whole-of-market panel rather than one funder, we can take an auction purchase in the city centre, a chain-break on a suburban house and a Leith refurbishment to different lenders in parallel and compare what comes back. We help you present the security, the works if any and the exit route clearly, since a credible exit is what gets a bridge approved. We do not lend and we do not make the credit decision; the bridging lender assesses the deal and sets the loan-to-value, rate and term. If the facility completes, the lender pays us a commission, so the introduction usually carries no separate cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
What can bridging finance be used for in Edinburgh?
Auction purchases with tight completion deadlines, chain breaks under the Scottish missives system, refurbishing unmortgageable tenement or period property, and securing sites at Leith or Granton before a full facility. It is short-term, property-secured funding for situations that need speed.
How quickly can a bridge complete?
Bridging is designed to be faster than a mainstream mortgage, which is why it suits auction and chain-break deadlines. The exact timescale depends on the property, the legal work and the lender's assessment, so we cannot guarantee a date; a clear exit and clean paperwork help.
Does CoreFi lend the bridging money itself?
No. CoreFi is a broker. We introduce your case to bridging lenders on our whole-of-market panel. The lender assesses the security and the exit, then decides the loan-to-value, rate and term.
How is a bridging loan repaid?
Through a clear exit, usually the sale of the property, a refinance onto a longer-term mortgage, or the sale of refurbished units. Lenders assess the exit closely before agreeing a bridge, and interest is often rolled up and settled at that point.
Do Edinburgh's heritage rules affect bridging?
They can. On listed buildings or conversions in the New Town and Old Town, a lender will weigh planning status and buildability into the exit, because that affects how easily the loan gets repaid. A clear planning and works position strengthens the case, but the lender decides.
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