With or without planning permission
Development Finance for Land & Ready-to-Build Sites
Land can be one of the strongest property development opportunities, whether you are acquiring a site, working through planning, or ready to begin building.
At Hunter Finance, we work with property developers at different stages of the development process. This includes early-stage land opportunities, sites moving through planning, and projects where consent is already in place and the developer is ready to move quickly.
For more advanced sites, we can often move very quickly. Because we lend our own funds and make our own decisions, we can assess each project directly and give you an offer in principle quickly.
If your site does not yet have planning permission, we still want to hear from you. The lending terms may vary depending on the planning position, site value, project risk, exit strategy and business plan, but an early conversion with us can help you understand what is possible and what would strengthen your application.
Finance for Land, Planning & Development Opportunities
We provide development finance for a range of land-led residential projects across the South East, including:
- Developers acquiring land with planning permission already granted
- Landowners who have secured planning permission and want to develop rather than sell
- Developers who own a site and need funding to begin construction
- Borrowers who need to move quickly on a consented or near-consented site
- Earlier-stage land opportunities where the planning position is still being worked through
- Sites where planning conditions, build costs, GDV and exit strategy need to be assessed before funding can be agreed
Planning permission is an important factor in any development finance application, but it is not the only thing we consider. A site with full planning permission is usually in a stronger position for funding, but we are also happy to look at projects where the planning route is still developing.
How Hunter Finance Can Help
Development Finance
Development finance for private residential property developments in the South East UK.
Bridging Loans
Bridging loans for developers to provide short-term finance to ‘bridge the gap in projects.
Equity Finance
Equity finance for property developers in return for a share of the development’s profit.
Pre-completion Loans
Pre-completion finance loans for property developments that are very close to completion.
Exit Finance
Exit finance is used to repay outstanding development finance so that it's ready for sale.
How Funding Is Released
We structure and release our development finance in stages, based on your proposed schedule and cash flow requirements. This usually involves:
- An initial drawdown to fund or contribute towards the land purchase, if needed
- Subsequent drawdowns, released monthly or in line with budget requirements, construction progress and key milestones
- Furthers drawdowns as the project progresses towards completion
We will work closely with you to agree a drawdown schedule that suits your project, and then throughout the build to ensure everything’s on track. We understand that projects and timelines may change, so we’ll do all we can to be flexible in these situations.
For more information, read our Guide to Development Loan Drawdowns.
What We Need From You
Having planning permission in place can mean being able to move much more quickly on a project, but we still need to be confident in the proposal. When assessing any application for developing a site, we need to understand:
- Full project costs, including planning and professional fees, build budgets and contingency provision
- Estimated GDV on completion, supported by comparable sales in the area
- The build programme, including the start date, key milestones and expected completion
- Your experience and details of the intended contractor
- Exit strategy, such as the sale or refinancing of the property
- Site location
- Any planning permission details, including any conditions that need to be discharged
- The purchase price of the land or the current site value (if already owned or purchased)
Fast Decisions For Land-Led Development Projects
Fast Decisions
Most decisions are made within 7 days, and an agreement in principle as fast as 24 hours.
Up to 100% of build costs
Our loans can support up to 100% of the build costs, helping you keep work moving without tying up unnecessary capital.
No broker or upfront fees
No middleman, and an agreement in principle costs nothing.
Independent lender
We lend our own money, so there are no external committees or credit panels to wait on.
South East Experience
We’ve successfully worked with hundreds of development projects in the South East
Cases considered on merit
Your project is assessed on its strengths, not just a template.
Our Successful Projects
Hunter Finance has funded multiple projects across the South East. In one case in Southampton, Hampshire, a developer needed to act quickly to secure a consented site that had attracted several competing buyers.
The project involved an initial £345,000 loan to purchase the land, and a further £505,000 to build 7 properties. All were built and sold within 12 months, for a total of £1,840,000.
View our other case studies to find out how we’ve helped developers like you.
Land and Development Finance FAQs
Do I need full planning permission, or will an outline suffice?
Can I apply before I have exchanged on the land?
How are build cost drawdowns managed?
What is the typical loan term?
Ready to Discuss Your Project?
If you have acquired land or have found a great land opportunity and need development finance, contact Hunter Finance today. We can give you a clear indication quickly to capitalise on your opportunity.
What Our Developers Have To Say
Want to find out more about what our clients have to say about us?
