Development finance in Leicester
CoreFi arranges development finance for Leicester limited companies building or converting property, covering residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes. As a broker we match your project to lenders on a whole-of-market panel. We do not lend, and all figures are indicative until a lender assesses the scheme.
Development finance funds the build or conversion of property, releasing money in stages as a Leicester scheme progresses. CoreFi arranges it as a broker, whether you are converting an old factory unit near Frog Island into apartments, building out a residential plot in the suburbs, or funding a commercial scheme on the city's edge.
Leicester has a steady pipeline of conversion and infill work, from the loft-style regeneration of its historic industrial buildings to new housing across areas such as Hamilton, Beaumont Leys and the growth corridors beyond the ring road. We take your scheme to lenders on a whole-of-market panel and help you present it well. The lender decides whether to fund it and on what terms; anything we quote on loan to value, loan to cost or timing is indicative and illustrative only.
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Share the scheme details
Tell us about the site, the planning position, your build costs, the expected end value and your exit plan. Clear numbers help us find lenders whose appetite fits your Leicester project.
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We match lenders to the project
We approach lenders on a whole-of-market panel who fund the type of scheme you have, whether conversion, residential or mixed-use, and explain the indicative loan to cost and loan to value structure.
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We package and progress the application
We help present your appraisal and documents to lender standards and manage the process through valuation and legals. The lender assesses the scheme, decides whether to fund and sets the terms.
Converting Leicester's industrial buildings
One of Leicester's defining opportunities is the reuse of its former hosiery and manufacturing stock. The multi-storey factories around Frog Island, Woodgate and the St George's Cultural Quarter lend themselves to residential and mixed-use conversion, and permitted development has made office and light industrial to residential schemes common across the city. These projects carry particular risks that lenders weigh carefully, from the condition of old fabric to phasing and planning conditions. Development finance suits them because funds are drawn down in stages against surveyor-verified progress rather than all at once. We help Leicester developers present a conversion clearly, including costs, programme and exit, and take it to lenders whose appetite fits heritage and conversion risk. The lender assesses the scheme and decides.
Residential development across the suburbs and edge
New residential development in and around Leicester tends to concentrate in the growth areas: Hamilton and the north-east, the Beaumont Leys and Glenfield side, and the wider county growth zones beyond the A46 and A47. Small and medium developers building anything from a handful of houses to a modest apartment block need funding that covers land and build in the right proportions. Development finance typically advances a share of land cost with the build funded in stages, and lenders will look closely at the gross development value and your route to exit, whether that is sale or refinance onto a term facility. We arrange these facilities across a whole-of-market panel and explain the likely loan to cost and loan to value structure, all indicative, before the lender makes its own assessment.
Commercial and mixed-use schemes
Alongside housing, Leicester sees commercial and mixed-use development, from small industrial and trade units serving the logistics and manufacturing base to ground-floor retail with flats above in district centres such as Belgrave and along the arterial roads. These schemes often need finance that reflects a longer letting or sale timeline and a different risk profile from pure residential. As a broker, we match the project to lenders comfortable with commercial and mixed-use development, and we help structure the request so the drawdown schedule matches the build programme. Loan sizing, interest treatment and terms are all decided by the lender; the figures we discuss beforehand are indicative and no guarantee of funding.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my Leicester development can be funded?
Development finance is usually sized against build cost and gross development value, and lenders vary in appetite. Any loan to cost or loan to value figure we mention is indicative and illustrative only; the lender assesses your scheme and decides how much to advance.
Can you fund conversions of old factory buildings?
Often yes. Converting Leicester's historic industrial buildings is common, and some lenders on our whole-of-market panel are comfortable with conversion and heritage risk. The lender reviews the specific building, costs and planning before deciding.
How is development finance paid out?
It is typically released in stages as the build progresses, with drawdowns verified by a monitoring surveyor. This suits Leicester schemes because you draw funds as you need them rather than borrowing the full amount from day one. The lender sets the drawdown structure.
What exit do lenders expect?
Lenders want to see how the loan will be repaid, usually through sale of the finished units or refinance onto a longer-term facility. A credible exit strengthens a Leicester application, but the lender makes the final judgement.
Does CoreFi lend for development itself?
No. We are a broker. We match your Leicester scheme to development finance lenders and manage the process, but the lender provides the funding and decides on approval, sizing and terms.
Get matched with lenders for your Leicester business
Tell us what your business needs and we will match you with lenders whose criteria fit. No obligation, no cost to start the conversation, and a straight answer about what is realistic for your situation.
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