UK Bridging Market, May 2026: Prices, Pace, What Changed

Bridging rates start from 0.50% a month (standard bridging: first charge, under 50% loan-to-value, straightforward cases), as at 29 October 2026.

You are weighing a bridge. One lender says one thing, a forum says another, and May's headlines already feel a long way back. This page keeps the May 2026 reading, then adds what has been published since.

The 30-second version

• The May reading: with more specialist lenders competing, the same case can come back on very different terms.
• Where it stands now: standard bridging (first charge, under 50% LTV, straightforward cases) starts from 0.50% a month (as at 29 October 2026). Contributor average for Q2 2026: 0.81% a month.
• What it costs: an illustrative £200,000 for 12 months at 0.50% comes to £16,000, before valuation and legal fees.
• How long: typically 5 to 7 working days; some deals take longer, up to around 14, with the valuation usually the slowest step.

What the May reading said

The May post looked at lender choice. In my experience, a lender that really wants your deal gets it through; a half-hearted one makes hard work of it.

What has changed since May

• 25 August 2026, Bridging Trends: the contributors' average was 0.81% a month in Q2 2026, at an average LTV of 55%. These are completions reported by about a dozen specialist finance packagers, not the whole market.
• Our own deals, 12 months to October 2026: around 0.85% a month on average, most of them complex cases.
• Rates rise with leverage: the more you borrow against the value, the more it usually costs.

Which number applies to you?

A worked example

Illustrative, not a quote: £200,000 for 12 months at 0.50% a month, simple interest.

Lender fees are typically 1-2%; 1% is used here.

Valuation and legal fees come on top, plus VAT. An application fee is possible on complex cases, agreed in writing first. At 0.85%, the average on our deals (mostly complex cases), the same loan comes to £24,400 before those costs. The full breakdown is in our guide to bridging loan costs.

Before you compare quotes

1. Is the rate quoted monthly or yearly, and is it simple interest?
2. What are the arrangement and exit fees, and the minimum interest period?
3. What does the total cost come to, with valuation and legal fees?
4. Does the lender want this kind of property and this kind of borrower?
5. What is your exit, and is there time in hand if it slips?

Next step

Tell us about your deal and we will cost it, with every fee in. It is a confidential, no-obligation chat.

Sources: Bridging Trends, Q2 2026 (published 25 August 2026, via Mortgage Solutions, MPA and a contributor release); bridging.fund lender data, 25 October 2026.