Can I get a bridging loan if I am self-employed?

Yes, it is possible to get a bridging loan if you are self-employed. However, most lenders are reluctant due to the difficulty of proving their form of income. Fortunately, there are specialist lenders, like Mercantile Trust that cater towards the needs of self-employed individuals.

What can a self-employed bridging loan be used for?

You can use a self-employed bridging loan for:

Buying a property at speed

If you need to raise cash quickly to buy a house, bridging loans could be a great solution, especially in a busy market.

Property refurbishment

You may be looking for funds for home improvements, or building on a property to increase the property’s value before selling it. Our light and heavy refurbishment loans could be an ideal solution for your needs.

Growing your business

Bridging loans can be used to help your self-employed business grow, like expanding your workspace or purchasing more equipment. We offer business loans, which start at £25,000.

Debt consolidation

Consolidating your debts by putting them together into one loan.

Managing cash flow

Managing gaps in cash flow or covering day-to-day costs when your income fluctuates.

Purchasing a property at auction

Bridging loans can be used to secure property at auction, as the transaction process for bridging loans is usually quick. At Mercantile Trust, it is possible to get a bridging loan in only a few days.

What are the challenges of getting a bridging loan as someone who is self-employed?

Getting a bridging loan when you're self-employed can be difficult for a few reasons:

Proving your income

When you’re self-employed, showing a stable income can be more challenging. Lenders often request to see regular pay checks, making it harder to prove a consistent flow of income for a self-employed individual.

It can be higher risk

Some lenders may see self-employed individuals as riskier borrowers to lend to because their income can fluctuate, and business can be uncertain. As a result, some lenders may charge a higher interest rate to reflect the risk of lending.

The amount of paperwork

Usually, self-employed individuals often need to provide a lot of paperwork to prove their income and financial stability. This process can be more complicated and time consuming than those who have regular jobs.

Credit history

Lenders will check your credit history, and if you've had credit issues in the past, it could make it harder to get a loan. This being said, there are specialist bridging lenders, like us that consider all credit profiles. So, if you have a less than perfect credit score, we still may be able to help.

How Mercantile Trust could help

Whether you are self-employed or have a history of poor credit, we could help. At Mercantile Trust, we assess our applications holistically meaning that where some lenders say ‘no’ we often say ‘yes’.

Start your bridging loan application today with Mercantile Trust. Simply enquire below by clicking the button, or call our freephone number above.

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You'll deal with the same experienced advisor throughout your enquiry.

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You could get a lending decision in just one call.

Our flexible approach

Speed

We are proud to be a lender who can deliver loans at a fast approach, to consumers. We make this possible by carrying out our own legal checks, in house for loans under 100k, within hours. We can offer automated valuations, which are available to produce financial solutions in an instant.

Mercantile Trust regularly help their customers carry out renovations with heavy refurbishment loans, by providing finance fast.

No minimum income

At Mercantile Trust, we put our customers at the forefront of what we do.

We offer top slicing, where we can use your personal income when carrying out affordability calculations. If your rental income does not cover your mortgage repayments, we will top up the remaining amount that you cannot cover so you are able to get the loan you require.

No Exit Fees

We want you to be in control of your finance.
With no early repayment or exit fees, Mercantile Trust will strive to find a loan to meet your financial requirements.

Our bridging loan criteria

We aim to help absolutely everyone, however there are certain criteria that must be met in order to make a successful application:

  • Unregulated bridging applications only
  • Rates from 0.99%
  • Up to 75% loan to value
  • Most property constructions accepted
  • No personal income requirement
  • No exit fees
  • Minimum property value £75k
  • Minimum advance £25k max £500k
  • Confirmation of exit required
  • Minimum of one buy to let or residential property required
  • Serviced and rolled interest available
  • No ERC (Early Repayment Charge)
  • First and second charge available