Bridging loan completions up 17.6% to £4.94bn

The latest market analysis by bridging finance specialists, Apex Bridging, has shown that £4.94bn was lent via bridging loan completions in 2022, a 17.6% annual increase and a figure that is expected to rise further to £5.59bn annually by 2025. 

Apex Bridging analysed bridging market trends based on data from the Association of Short Term Lenders, looking at how the homebuyer reliance on bridging has grown since 2019 as well as forecasting how the bridging sector will fare over the next few years. 

The figures show that a total of £4.94bn was lent via bridging loans in 2022, a 17.6% annual increase when compared to the £4.2bn in bridging loans completed in 2021.

This figure also sits 24% higher than the pre-pandemic market in 2019 when £3.99bn was lent via bridging loans. 

Additional analysis of bridging trends data by Apex Bridging shows that investment purchases were the primary reason for bridging market activity, accounting for 23% of all loans issued. 

Chain breaks also accounted for a sizeable sum of lending, stated as the reason behind 20% of all bridging loans. 

Heavy refurbishment (13%), unregulated finance (11%) and business purposes (9%) also featured within the top 5 reasons behind bridging loan market activity in 2022. 

Common misconception

Based on current trends, Apex Bridging also forecasts that bridging market activity is expected to increase over the coming years, climbing by 2.4% this year, with total lending expected to hit £5.59bn annually by 2025. 

Managing Director of Apex Bridging, Chris Hodgkinson said: “With the exception of the market dip seen in 2020 due to initial pandemic market restrictions, the bridging sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we’re now seeing considerably more lent via bridging loans on an annual basis, even when compared to the pre-pandemic market in 2019.  

There’s a common misconception that bridging is really only utilised in times of crisis in order to save a transaction from collapse and while this is certainly the case to some extent, it’s far from the only reason that many buyers and investors utilise bridging loans. 

The sector is utilised by a range of buyers and investors for a myriad of reasons and as the traditional mortgage lending space becomes increasingly more difficult, not to mention expensive, we expect to see the reliance on bridging loans continue to increase over the next few years.”

Data tables

Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here.