Specialist lender structures a country house refinance and a Kensington HMO refurbishment for the same broker inside five weeks
Specialist lender TAB has completed almost £2.9 million in bridging finance across two unrelated transactions introduced by the same broker, Prism Private Finance, with both deals reaching completion within five weeks of initial enquiry.
The dual completion lands as the wider bridging sector continues to show strong volumes despite tighter institutional funding conditions. Quarterly data from the Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) recorded £1.8 billion in completions across the market in the first quarter of 2026, down from £2.5 billion in the previous quarter but still well ahead of pre-2025 levels.
The first loan was a £1.855 million first-charge bridging facility secured against a five-bedroom country house near Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, set within more than 14 acres. The borrower had originally bought the property with their own funds and needed short-term finance to refinance the asset while it was prepared for sale. TAB structured a 12-month facility at 70% loan-to-value (LTV), giving the borrower room to market the property properly rather than accept a rushed sale – a consideration the lender said reflected how long country houses typically take to find the right buyer.
The second loan involved a £1.031 million second-charge bridging facility secured against a period townhouse in Kensington, London, currently arranged as 20 self-contained residential units across five floors. Rather than refinancing the existing senior debt, TAB structured a 24-month second-charge facility at 60.86% LTV, allowing the borrower to keep their first-charge lending in place while releasing capital for an extensive refurbishment programme ahead of a future sale. TAB said it was comfortable with a historic planning query relating to the building's conversion, citing the property's long-established use, the strength of the security and the borrower's exit strategy.
Why did TAB structure the deals so differently?
Michael Grant (pictured top), head of sales at TAB, said the two cases illustrated the range of situations bridging finance is now being used to solve. "These transactions demonstrate the breadth of our bridging proposition and our ability to structure bespoke funding solutions around very different borrower requirements. One case involved refinancing a country house to provide time for an orderly sale, while the other used a second-charge structure to release capital for a refurbishment project without disturbing existing senior debt."
He added that the repeat business from the broker mattered as much as the structuring itself. "The repeat instructions from Prism Private Finance are particularly pleasing and reflect the importance of strong broker relationships. As TAB grows our specialist lending proposition, we remain focused on providing responsive decision-making and pragmatic underwriting for complex cases. We're always looking to bring momentum to lending."
Both cases were underwritten by TAB's Barry Richardson, with support from business development executive Becca Bradley – the same underwriting pairing behind a separate £5.85 million bridging loan TAB completed earlier this year, which the lender also framed around speed and certainty of execution. TAB, registered in England and Wales, is listed as a Lender Member of the BDLA's public register of member firms.
A broker relationship built on repeat business
Helmee Tekaya of Prism Private Finance said the service on both cases had been a factor in the deals completing to schedule. "TAB went above and beyond to ensure my deal completed. It was a pleasure working with the underwriter Barry. Michael and Becca were always available to assist in pushing the deal along to completion. Five-star service."
The completions come as underwriting flexibility takes on greater weight across the wider bridging sector. Lenders and brokers have described institutional capital becoming increasingly selective even as overall demand holds up, while brokers report that bridging is increasingly used as a strategic tool for developers managing complex exits rather than a last-resort option.
"I look forward to working with TAB again in the future," Tekaya said.
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