Development finance in Southampton
CoreFi arranges development finance for Southampton property projects, from residential and mixed-use schemes to conversions and refurbishments. We are a broker working across a whole-of-market panel, not a lender. The lender decides, prices and releases funds in stages, and all figures we quote are indicative only.
Development finance funds a Southampton scheme through build, stage by stage. From flats and mixed-use blocks around the city centre and Ocean Village to conversions of older commercial buildings, waterside regeneration near the Itchen, and residential schemes across the suburbs towards Bitterne, Portswood and Shirley, developers need money that draws down as the build progresses rather than all on day one. CoreFi arranges that funding as a broker, not a lender.
These deals turn on the numbers: land or purchase cost, build cost, gross development value and the experience behind the scheme. Lenders look at loan to cost, loan to gross development value and the exit, whether that is sale or refinance onto a term facility. We help Southampton developers present those figures cleanly and take the case to a whole-of-market panel. The lender sets the terms and releases funds; anything we quote is indicative only.
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Share the scheme
Send us the outline: site and location within Southampton, purchase or land cost, build cost, expected gross development value, planning status and your track record.
- 2
We structure and take it to market
We help frame loan to cost, loan to gross development value and the exit, then take the case to a whole-of-market panel and compare indicative terms.
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Progress to facility and drawdown
Once you pick an option, we help manage the application through valuation and legals. The lender sets the terms and releases funds in stages against the build.
City-centre and waterfront schemes
Southampton's regeneration has concentrated around the waterfront and city core, with residential and mixed-use development around Ocean Village, the West Quay area and the fringes of the city centre. These schemes can be complex: constrained sites, section 106 obligations, higher build specifications for waterside plots and phased delivery. Development finance that draws down against certified stages fits this kind of project far better than a lump-sum loan. As a broker we can compare lenders who are comfortable with urban Southampton schemes rather than pushing every deal to the same funder.
Conversions and refurbishment across the suburbs
Not every Southampton project is a ground-up block. There is steady activity converting older commercial and mixed-use buildings, and refurbishing tired stock, across Portswood, Bitterne, Shirley, Woolston and Freemantle, often to residential or HMO use serving the student and rental market around the universities. These schemes have their own funding shape, sometimes a shorter refurbishment facility, sometimes light or heavy refurbishment terms with a refinance exit. We help match the right structure to the works and take it to a whole-of-market panel so the developer sees genuine options.
Getting the numbers and the exit right
Development lending is decided on evidence. A Southampton lender will want a credible build cost, a defensible gross development value backed by local comparables, a realistic programme and a clear exit. Where a scheme relies on selling units, sales rates in that part of Southampton matter; where it relies on refinancing onto a buy-to-let or term facility, that exit needs to stack up too. We help developers pull this together into a clean case, then compare across the market. The lender makes the final call on advance, staging and price, and every figure we discuss beforehand is indicative only.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of Southampton projects can you fund?
Ground-up residential and mixed-use schemes, conversions of commercial buildings, HMO and student-focused refurbishments, and phased developments. Suitability depends on the numbers and the site, which the lender assesses.
How is development finance released?
Typically in stages against certified build progress, rather than as a single lump sum, with the lender's monitoring surveyor involved. The exact drawdown mechanics are set by the lender.
How much of the cost can be funded?
Lenders look at loan to cost and loan to gross development value, and the split varies by scheme and experience. Any percentages we mention at the outset are indicative only; the lender decides.
Do I need planning permission first?
It depends on the lender and the deal. Some will look at a scheme before full permission, others will want it in place. We can talk through where a specific Southampton project realistically sits.
Is CoreFi a lender for development finance?
No. We are a broker. We arrange development finance across a whole-of-market panel and help present the case, but the lender assesses, decides, prices and funds the scheme.
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