The LTV You Get Is Not Fixed. It Is Negotiated – Before You Apply.
A £500,000 residential investment property will typically support £375,000 of bridging finance at 75% LTV. Move that same property to a weaker postcode, or attach a softer exit, and the lender may cap the deal at £300,000 – 60% LTV. Same lender. Same borrower. Different deal shape.
75% LTV is the ceiling most specialist bridging lenders will write on a clean residential case. The headline rate sits at 0.55-0.65% per month. The real question is not whether 75% exists – it does – it is whether the deal qualifies and how the case lands on the lender’s desk.
Three things decide the answer: what the property is and what condition it is in, how credible the exit looks, and which lender ends up underwriting it. Get those three right and 75% is on the table. Get any one of them wrong and the lender either trims the LTV, widens the pricing, or walks away.
This page covers when 75% LTV is genuinely available, when lenders pull back to 60-70%, and what separates a 75% offer from a 60% one on the same deal – including on auction bridging finance where the 28-day deadline adds an extra layer of lender selection.
Talking to a broker before you submit anywhere is the single biggest move you can make to hold the LTV at 75%. Commercial Finance Network is a whole-of-market broker working with property investors and developers across the UK and internationally. We will run your deal across the full specialist bridging panel and tell you exactly what LTV and rate it will hit before you commit to a lender.
Formal completion of a 75% LTV bridging loan agreement with specialist UK lenders.
When 75% LTV Is Achievable
Bridging loans at 75% LTV are not reserved for premium deals or institutional borrowers. It is the standard maximum for any specialist bridging lender writing a clean residential case where the asset, the exit, and the borrower all stand up to underwriting. The four cases below land at 75% LTV across most specialist lenders in the market.
Residential investment property (BTL or HMO)
A standalone buy-to-let house or flat held as an investment is the most common 75% LTV bridging case in the UK. The asset is standard. The market for it is deep. The lender knows that if the deal fails, the property sells inside 90 days at auction or via an estate agent without a significant haircut to value.
Typical rates: 0.55-0.70% per month at 75% LTV. Typical loan size: £150,000 to £2 million. Sweet spot: properties in postcodes with strong rental demand and recent comparable sales within 5% of the valuation.
HMOs sit at the same LTV when the property already has the article 4 / sui generis position settled and the rental income covers the bridging interest comfortably. Where the HMO is mid-conversion, lenders trim back to 65-70% until the conversion is signed off.
Light refurbishment with a clear exit
Cosmetic work does not change the asset risk. Kitchens, bathrooms, redecoration, flooring – the property is the same property at the start and end of the bridge. The LTV is calculated on as-is value at purchase and 75% is available.
Typical rates: 0.60-0.75% per month. Conditions: non-structural works only, completion inside 6 months, exit clearly evidenced.
Where the works move into structural territory – new roof, extension, layout reconfiguration – LTV drops to 65-70% and the lender will often run a 65% as-is and 65% of GDV (gross development value) test, taking the lower of the two figures.
Auction purchases on residential stock
Specialist auction bridging is written at 75% LTV on standard residential lots with a clean legal pack and a credible exit. The 28-day completion timeline does not change the LTV ceiling – it changes which lenders can move fast enough to fund inside the deadline.
Typical rates: 0.65-0.75% per month. Conditions: lot must be residential, legal pack reviewed before bidding, exit identified at offer stage.
The trap that catches buyers is the 10% deposit on the fall of the hammer plus the assumption that the lender will fund 75% of the purchase price. The lender funds 75% of the lower of purchase price or open market value. If the lot was bought below market – which is common at auction – this works in the buyer’s favour. If the property was bought at the top end of value, the borrower covers the gap. For a full breakdown of how auction bridging works and how to set it up before you bid, see our auction bridging finance page.
Refinance with a mainstream exit lined up
If the bridging exit is a residential mortgage with a mainstream lender, the bridging side will sit at 75% LTV against the property. The exit lender has already underwritten the property – the bridging lender is taking a short-term position against an asset that has already passed mainstream checks.
Typical rates: 0.55-0.70% per month. Conditions: exit lender’s DIP issued, applicant meets the exit lender’s affordability tests, exit timeline inside 6 months.
Of the four cases above, this is the cleanest from the lender’s perspective. The risk is low. The pricing reflects it. For a full breakdown of what each asset class currently costs, see our current UK bridging loan rates.
When 75% LTV Is Not Available
75% LTV is the ceiling, not the floor. Lenders do not start at 75% and work down – they assess the deal and land where the asset, the borrower, and the exit justify. The cases below consistently come back below 75%, and knowing why is the more useful thing to understand.
Pure commercial property
A commercial unit with no residential element – retail, office, industrial, warehouse – is a different underwriting conversation. The lender cannot assume a liquid resale market at short notice. Voids, tenant risk, and restricted buyer pools all push the LTV down.
Typical LTV: 60-65% on standard commercial. Typical LTV: 55-60% on specialist commercial (leisure, automotive, hospitality).
At 65% LTV on a £500,000 commercial unit, the borrower is working with £325,000 against a property that might have supported £375,000 at 75% as residential. The shortfall is £50,000 and pricing runs 0.10-0.15% per month wider. Both figures need to be in the plan before the deal is committed. For a direct comparison of how commercial bridging and long-term finance sit against each other, see commercial mortgage vs bridging finance.
Semi-commercial and mixed-use
A property with ground floor retail and residential above sits between two underwriting frameworks. Most bridging lenders cap semi-commercial at 65-70% LTV, depending on the income split. Where the commercial element makes up more than 40% of the income or floor area, the lender treats the asset as predominantly commercial and LTV drops accordingly.
The valuation on mixed-use is also wider than on pure residential. A 10-15% variance between valuers on the same semi-commercial asset is not unusual. Lenders know this and price the uncertainty into both the LTV and the rate.
Non-standard construction
Timber frame, steel frame, concrete panel, prefabricated post-war construction, thatched properties, properties above a certain acreage threshold – lenders pull back on anything outside standard brick and block.
Typical LTV: 60-70% depending on construction type and surveyor sign-off.
The issue is not always that the lender will not lend – it is that the pool of lenders who will is far smaller, which shrinks competition and pushes rates up as well as LTV down.
Adverse credit on the borrower
Clean credit is not a dealbreaker on bridging – most specialist lenders will look past minor blips. CCJs, IVAs, missed mortgage payments, and previous repossessions are a different matter. Where the borrower’s credit profile raises questions about exit capability, lenders trim LTV to reduce their recovery risk.
Typical LTV: 60-70% based on how recent and serious the credit issue is.
Satisfied CCJs over three years old with a strong exit will usually support 70%. Undischarged IVAs or recent mortgage arrears rarely get above 65%.
Heavy refurbishment and development
Where the works are structural – extensions, new build elements, full conversion – the lender is underwriting a project, not a property. Development finance has its own LTV framework. Bridging into a heavy refurb will land at 65-70% of as-is value and typically 60-65% of GDV, taking the lower. Some lenders will not write heavy refurb through the bridging product at all.
Weak or unproven exit
The exit is underwritten as hard as the asset. A vague exit – “planning to refinance” without a DIP, or “planning to sell” without evidence of demand – gives the lender no confidence in recovery. Where the exit is thin, the LTV is thin.
A borrower with a track record of completing similar exits will hold a higher LTV than one on their first deal with no comparable exit history. The lender’s view of exit risk feeds directly into the LTV decision. For a deeper look at how lenders assess exit credibility, see how lenders assess exit risk. For common reasons applications fail and how to restructure before reapplying, see our page on why bridging loans get declined.
LTV Quick Reference by Scenario
| Scenario | Typical LTV | vs 75% max |
| Standard BTL / HMO (clean case) | 75% | – |
| Light refurb, residential | 75% | – |
| Auction purchase, residential | 75% | – |
| Semi-commercial / mixed-use | 65-70% | -5 to -10% |
| Pure commercial | 60-65% | -10 to -15% |
| Non-standard construction | 60-70% | -5 to -15% |
| Adverse credit borrower | 60-70% | -5 to -15% |
| Heavy refurb / development | 60-65% GDV | -10 to -15% |
| Weak or unproven exit | 60-65% | -10 to -15% |
The LTV you are quoted is not fixed. As a whole-of-market broker, where a direct lender approach comes back at 65%, we often hold the deal at 70% or above by matching the case to the right lender from the outset. For a practical breakdown of what these LTV thresholds mean for maximum borrowing capacity, see our page on how much you can borrow on a UK bridging loan.
How to Structure Deals to Maximise LTV
The difference between a 65% offer and a 75% offer on the same property is not always the property. It is often the way the case was put together and where it was sent. The three worked deals below put numbers on the difference. For a full checklist of what lenders need to see before writing at 75%, see our page on UK bridging loan requirements.
Deal 1 – Residential BTL purchase, clean case
The deal: A £400,000 terraced house in a commuter belt town, purchased as a buy-to-let investment. Borrower has a clean credit profile, an existing BTL portfolio of four properties, and a confirmed exit via a buy-to-let remortgage with a mainstream lender. DIP issued before the bridging application went in.
What the lender sees: Standard residential asset in a liquid market. Clean borrower. Exit already underwritten by a mainstream lender. No structural complexity.
Outcome: 75% LTV – £300,000 bridging loan against £400,000 purchase price. Rate: 0.58% per month. Term: 6 months.
| Purchase price | £400,000 |
| LTV | 75% |
| Bridging loan | £300,000 |
| Borrower deposit | £100,000 |
| Monthly interest | £1,740 |
| Total interest (6 months) | £10,440 |
| Exit | BTL remortgage (DIP confirmed) |
Why it hit 75%: The DIP from the exit lender was the decisive factor. It removed the lender’s biggest concern – whether the borrower can actually get out. Portfolio experience confirmed the borrower understood the asset class. Clean credit meant no recovery risk adjustment.
Deal 2 – Same property, weaker presentation
The scenario: Same property. Same borrower. Same purchase price. But this time the borrower approached two lenders directly – one on the panel, one off it – without a DIP in place and without disclosing the full portfolio position upfront.
What the lender sees: Unconfirmed exit. Incomplete borrower profile. One lender on panel, one off panel. The case reads as less prepared than it is.
Outcome – Lender A (panel): 70% LTV – £280,000. Rate: 0.68% per month.
Outcome – Lender B (off panel): 65% LTV – £260,000. Rate: 0.74% per month.
| Lender A | Lender B | |
| LTV | 70% | 65% |
| Loan | £280,000 | £260,000 |
| vs Deal 1 loan | -£20,000 | -£40,000 |
| Rate | 0.68%/month | 0.74%/month |
| Monthly interest | £1,904 | £1,924 |
| Total interest (6 months) | £11,424 | £11,544 |
| Extra cost vs Deal 1 | +£984 | +£1,104 |
What changed: Nothing about the property or the borrower changed. The presentation changed. No DIP meant the lender could not validate the exit. Going off panel meant the lender had no existing relationship with the exit lender to cross-reference. The £40,000 swing between Deal 1 and Lender B – on the same asset, same borrower – is entirely a function of how the case was prepared before submission.
Deal 3 – Semi-commercial, LTV recovered through lender selection
The deal: A £520,000 mixed-use property – ground floor retail unit, two residential flats above. Borrower is buying at auction with 28 days to complete. Commercial element is 35% of floor area. Exit is via a commercial mortgage with a specialist lender, heads of terms agreed.
First approach – general bridging lender: 65% LTV – £338,000. Rate: 0.79% per month. Reason: lender’s semi-commercial policy defaults to 65% regardless of income split.
Second approach – specialist mixed-use lender (via broker): 73% LTV – £379,600. Rate: 0.72% per month. Reason: lender underwrites the residential and commercial elements separately, applies 75% to the residential floors and 65% to the retail unit, blends to 73%.
| General lender | Specialist lender | |
| LTV | 65% | 73% |
| Loan | £338,000 | £379,600 |
| Difference | +£41,600 | |
| Rate | 0.79%/month | 0.72%/month |
| Monthly interest | £2,670 | £2,733 |
| Total interest (4 months) | £10,680 | £10,932 |
| Extra monthly cost | +£63/month |
The lender selection point: The borrower paid £63 per month more with the specialist lender but borrowed £41,600 more. On an auction purchase with a 28-day deadline and a gap to fund, the extra £41,600 was the difference between completing and not completing. The general lender’s policy was not wrong – it just was not the right lender for this deal shape. Before committing to any bridging deal, use our bridging loan calculator to run the numbers on your own case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get 75% LTV on a bridging loan in the UK?
Yes – 75% LTV is available from specialist lenders on residential investment property, HMOs, and light refurbishment cases with a credible exit. Whether your deal qualifies depends on the property type, exit strategy, and credit profile.
What property types qualify for 75% LTV bridging finance?
Standard buy-to-let houses, flats, and HMOs with planning settled give you the strongest case for 75% LTV. Auction purchases and light refurbishment cases qualify too. Semi-commercial typically lands at 65-70%. Pure commercial rarely gets above 65%.
What rate should I expect at 75% LTV on a bridging loan?
On a clean residential case, rates run at 0.55-0.65% per month at 75% LTV with the strongest specialist lenders. Light refurb sits at 0.60-0.75% per month. Auction bridging runs slightly higher at 0.65-0.75% per month.
Does adverse credit stop me getting 75% LTV on a bridging loan?
Minor blips will not necessarily stop a 75% LTV offer – CCJs, IVAs, and recent mortgage arrears are a different matter. Lenders trim back to 60-70% where the credit profile raises questions about exit capability.
How does the exit strategy affect the LTV on a bridging loan?
A confirmed exit – DIP from a remortgage lender, heads of terms, or solicitors already instructed – holds the LTV at the maximum. A vague exit with no evidence does the opposite. The same deal came back at 70% without a DIP versus 75% with one.
Can I get 75% LTV bridging on an auction purchase?
Yes – auction bridging is written at 75% LTV on standard residential lots with a clean legal pack and credible exit. The 28-day window narrows the lender field rather than the LTV ceiling. Have your exit identified before you bid.
What is the maximum LTV available on a UK bridging loan?
75% LTV is the standard ceiling on residential cases across the specialist bridging market. Some lenders go to 80% in limited circumstances but it is rare and priced accordingly. Commercial and semi-commercial cases typically cap at 60-70%.
Speak to a Bridging Loan Specialist
75% LTV bridging is achievable on the right property with the right exit behind it. The gap between a 65% offer and a 75% offer on the same deal is rarely the property itself – it is lender selection, exit evidence, and how the case was packaged before it went anywhere.
Commercial Finance Network is a whole-of-market FCA authorised broker working with property investors, developers, and businesses across the UK and internationally. We work across the full specialist bridging panel and will tell you exactly what LTV your deal will support, which lenders will consider it, and what rate to expect before you are committed to anything.
Call us on +44 1494 622 111 or email info@cfnuk.com to speak to a specialist directly.
Commercial Finance Network is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA firm reference 796413.
Related Pages
- Bridging Loan Exit Strategies – which exit routes lenders will accept and what evidence is required for each one
- Bridging Finance Rejected Due to Title Issues – what to do when a legal or title problem has already caused a decline
- When Bridging Is Used Too Early – how to tell when a bridge is the wrong tool and a cheaper structure fits better
- Auction Finance – whole-of-market auction finance service covering all property types and deal sizes across the UK
- Refurbishment Loans – bridging and short-term finance for light and heavy refurbishment projects