Finish and Exit Development Finance
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“We know that time is precious for you, we can work around your availability while searching for the most competitive mortgage products and overseeing your mortgage application from start to finish”.
Jonathan Smith – (CeMAP, BA Hons, Aff SWW, CeRER)
Have you run into issues that have delayed your development project? Is your development finance loan nearing the end of its term? Refinance your current facility using finish and exit development finance to benefit from continued access to funds. Once your project has been completed, you then have time to sell your development before the loan term ends.
At Trinity Finance, we can arrange your finish and exit loan facility to ensure that your development project is finished. We have formed good relationships with specialist lenders and private banks, providing flexibility with the funding solutions available. Here, we’ll detail what finish and exit development finance is, when to use it, how it works and the eligibility criteria.
What is finish and exit development finance?
Finish and exit development finance allows you to continue with your development project when you’ve either run out of time or funds. As a short-term loan, it typically runs for up to 12 months. This gives you enough time to not only finish your development project but to sell it too. Shorter terms are available if you prefer, such as 3 months, or you can opt for a longer term, such as 18 months. The loan sizes vary between lenders but generally start at £500,000 and can extend to over £100 million.
This type of funding is provided for part-completed development projects. This means it’s the best lending solution when you’ve run out of funds to complete your project. That’s because your development has to have reached practical completion for the lender to release funds when applying for development exit finance.
When to use finish and exit development finance
Development projects don’t always go to plan. The contractor’s firm may go out of business halfway through the construction phase, for example. This means you can either be left with a part-completed project and no funds to continue or your development finance term is nearing its end and you’re facing expensive penalty fees. In either scenario, finish and exit development finance offers a solution that other forms of lending don’t. It can be used when:
- The project has gone over budget and the current lender won’t provide additional funds.
- The development hasn’t reached practical completion and you cannot apply for development exit finance.
- You wish to arrange a cheaper loan than your existing development finance now that your project is nearing completion.
The term is about to run out for your current development finance loan.
How does finish and exit development finance work?
With finish and exit development finance, you can repay your current development finance loan, draw more funds and gain extra time to complete and sell your development. The loan is arranged on an interest-only basis and the interest is usually rolled up. The facility remains active until you complete your development and either refinance to a mortgage or sell all of the units. Once the exit strategy has been put in place, the loan has to be repaid in full along with the interest and fees.
Eligibility criteria for finish and exit development finance
You can apply for finish and exit development finance as an individual, a partnership, a limited company, a limited liability partnership (LLP), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) or a pension fund. Lenders’ criteria vary but they generally provide loans for up to 75% of the gross development value (GDV) and up to 90% of the total costs. They’ll take your experience, the amount you want to borrow, the development type and its location into account. You generally need to provide:
- Details of why you need finish and exit development finance
- Information relating to the project, such as planning permission and the valuation
- Evidence of the gross development value
The build schedule
The benefits of finish and exit development finance
Finish and exit development finance offers benefits that other funding types can’t when you’ve run out of time or money. These include:
- It allows you to secure extra funding to finish your development.
- You have a time extension to market your development when it’s finished and proceed with your exit strategy.
- You can refinance your original development finance loan to lower the costs of borrowing.
- When your development finance loan is nearing its end, refinancing ensures that you avoid paying expensive penalty fees.
Continue with your project using finish and exit development finance
As a property developer, you need access to flexible funding. We can help you to finance your project at different stages to suit your needs. Applications for funding for development projects are handled on a case-by-case basis. Our mortgage brokers – located in Kent, London and Edinburgh – will assess your situation and loan requirements before presenting your application to the most suitable lender.
At Trinity Finance, we work closely with specialist lenders and private banks to arrange funding for development projects. Their flexibility allows them to approve funding for complex projects and situations. This means you can secure a loan whether you have an adverse credit history, are a first-time developer, need funding for multiple projects, have a part-completed project, don’t have a deposit, want to refinance to reduce your costs or your project is running behind schedule.
Whatever your needs, just call us on 01322 907 000 for expert help from one of our development finance specialists. If you prefer, send an email to us at info@trinityfinance.co.uk or an enquiry via our contact form. One of our brokers will reply to you as quickly as possible with details of the property development finance options that you can take advantage of.
FAQs
Can you secure 100% finish and exit development finance?
Yes. Private banks and specialist lenders offer more flexibility with their lending criteria. This means that 100% funding is available for your finish and exit development finance.
Does the development need to be wind and watertight?
No, lenders don’t require your project to be wind and watertight to arrange finish and exit development finance. However, it does need to be at a late stage in its construction.
Can you use finish and exit development finance to reduce your borrowing costs?
With a part-completed project, you can refinance your development finance loan and benefit from a lower rate. The lender for your initial loan took on a higher level of risk and so the interest rate was higher. For a project that’s nearing completion, however, there is less risk for the new lender. Therefore, they can offer a lower interest rate.
By refinancing, you not only benefit from a lower rate but have more time to finish and sell your development. You also don’t need to worry about paying penalty fees when the development finance facility is nearing the end of its term.
Do you have to sell the units when the development is finished?
No, rather than selling the units, you can refinance to a mortgage. That way, you benefit from keeping the units as investment properties. The finish and exit development finance loan needs to be repaid in full at the point you refinance.