Bridging loans by their very nature are not one size fits all finance, they have multiple use cases and sometimes are the perfect solution for a cash flow issue. Bridging finance is a great solution for borrowers who need finance temporarily and quickly to support growing business and property portfolios. The team at West One are experts in creating bespoke lending solutions for a variety of different scenarios.
The borrowers were a HNW, family-run Ltd Co with extensive experience in property and commercial investment.
The borrowers required funding to redevelop a boutique hotel in Suffolk, they needed £6m of finance to complete the project which required refurbishment. Within their existing property portfolio, they owned large commercial premises in East London totalling over 115,000 sq ft. The facility had been owned by the family for nearly 20 years, across 4 titles and was in a prime London location for residential development (subject to PP) making the site very attractive.
The site was up for sale, and this was in negotiation at the time of application. Despite the appeal, the sale of the commercial estate was slow, creating a cash flow issue for financing the hotel development works.
On the surface, the case seemed quite straightforward, however large loans always required additional experience and knowledge. The borrower was a limited company that was owned itself by a parent company, whose majority shares were in trust - this added additional legal complexities that our underwriters had to navigate. The finance was taken over a 24-month term to allow additional time for the negotiations and legal DD for selling a site of this scale.
Our experience in dealing with larger, more complex transactions ensured a smooth and speedy completion in just 28 days.
Large loans often carry complex requirements; however, this is where a common-sense approach to underwriting, coupled with a strong lender/ broker relationship can ensure a positive outcome. Our flexible approach to underwriting, close relationship with solicitors and legal teams and years of experience means that we can create a solution for most cases.
The introducing broker was extremely impressed with how the case was handled, and experience from application through to completion. The client was extremely happy, and has been able to proceed with their project.
We have since developed a deeper, long-term relationship with the broker due to the way this case was handled which has led them to entrust us with further complex funding requirements for their clients.
Matthew Watson, BDM, West One Loans:
“This is a great example of how clear communication from Scott (City Finance Brokers) from the outset allowed us to tailor a facility over a complex security package to meet the needs of the borrower. The main challenge for the client was managing cashflow across various business interests in multiple industries, our short-term facility eased this problem whilst waiting for other elements to fall into place.”
Scott West:
“There are often complications when dealing with large commercial premises – particularly when involving a trust. West One were immediately able to see the commercial strengths to the case and take a pragmatic view; they moved swiftly to enable completion within 4 weeks from instruction, allowing the client to commence refurbishment works considerably sooner than freeing up equity from elsewhere.”
James Chisnall, Director:
"It was a pleasure to see the collaboration between our newest team member, Scott West, and Matt Watson of West One. While the deal was complex, the way Scott and Matt handled it was seamless and resulted in a great gain to the client.”