Single and multi-unit housing
From one detached house to a terrace of ten, the most commonly funded scheme type in the UK market.
New build schemes
Ground-up development finance
Ground-up development finance funds the purchase of a site with planning consent and the construction of the scheme on it, released in stages against progress on site. Lenders size the facility against the gross development value, and price it against your track record and the strength of the appraisal.
Whole case packaged for you
Fees disclosed upfront
Brokers, not a lender
Get an indicative quote
Step 2 of 7What kind of scheme?
Lenders price ground-up and conversion work differently.
How many schemes have you completed?
When it is used
Situations we see most often
Small apartment blocks
Blocks of flats where the units will be sold individually or retained and let after completion.
Mixed-use schemes
Commercial at ground floor with residential above, where the two elements are valued differently.
Who it suits
- Developers with a site under offer and planning consent granted
- Landowners with consent who want to build out rather than sell the land
- Contractors moving from building for others to developing on their own account
- Developers running several schemes who need a facility placed to a deadline
| Typical terms | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Land advance | Typically up to 60% to 70% of site value |
| Build funding | Often up to 100% of costs, in arrears |
| Loan to GDV | Usually capped around 65% to 70% |
| Term | Matched to the programme, commonly 12 to 24 months |
| Drawdowns | Monthly, against monitoring surveyor sign-off |
| Exit | Unit sales, or a development exit facility while selling |
Indicative ranges based on typical specialist market terms. Your actual terms depend on the property, your circumstances and the lender the case is placed with.
How Amram handles it
What we actually do for you
We are brokers. We do not lend our own money — we package your case and place it with the lender most likely to fund it, then manage it to completion.
The conversation
We look at the site, the consent, the programme and your experience, and tell you early if the appraisal does not stack.
Packaging the appraisal
We build the lender pack: costs, contingency, professional team, GDV comparables and a cash flow showing the drawdown profile.
Lender sourcing
We approach lenders whose appetite matches scheme size, location and your track record, and negotiate the arrangement and exit fees.
Valuation, monitoring and legals
We coordinate the valuation and the monitoring surveyor, and push the legal work alongside any planning conditions.
Drawdown and exit
Drawdowns run monthly against certified progress. We arrange the exit before practical completion, not after it.
What you’ll need
Have these ready and it moves faster
The single biggest cause of delay is a case assembled as it goes. We will ask for these at the start so the file is lender-ready before it is submitted.
- Planning consent, approved drawings and the schedule of conditions
- A full development appraisal with costs, contingency and programme
- Comparable sales evidence supporting your gross development value
- Your development CV with photographs and outcomes of previous schemes
- Contractor details, their accounts, and the form of building contract
- Warranty provider and the professional team’s professional indemnity cover
Situations
Does one of these sound like you?
Illustrative situations rather than client case studies — the kinds of enquiry this market sees, and what usually works in each.
“This is my first development and lenders keep asking about my track record”
You have the site and the planning, but no completed schemes to point at.
What usually works“I have a site under offer and planning is not granted yet”
The site is available now but the consent that makes it viable has not been granted.
What usually works“My scheme is finished but the units are not selling and the loan is due”
Practical completion is done, some units are sold, and the development facility is approaching term.
What usually worksQuestions
Frequently asked
Can I include the land purchase in the facility?
Yes. A typical structure funds a percentage of the site value on day one, then releases build costs in arrears. You will need to fund the balance of the land cost and the early works from your own resources.
How much cash do I need to put in?
Enough to cover the gap between the land advance and the purchase price, plus professional fees and the first stage of works before the first drawdown arrives. On most schemes that is a meaningful sum, and lenders will want to see where it came from.
What contingency should I allow?
Lenders typically expect between 5% and 10% of build costs, depending on the scheme and how firm the costings are. An appraisal with no contingency reads as inexperience and will be questioned.
Do I need a fixed-price building contract?
Not always, but it strengthens the case considerably. Where the contract is not fixed price, lenders look harder at the contingency, the quantity surveyor’s role and your ability to absorb overruns.
How are drawdowns actually released?
You submit a drawdown request, the monitoring surveyor inspects and certifies the works completed, and the lender releases the funds — normally within a few days of certification. Because it is in arrears, you fund each stage first.
What if I want to keep the units rather than sell?
That is a valid exit, but the lender will want evidence that a buy-to-let or commercial lender will refinance them. We arrange the term facility in parallel so the two complete together.
Keep reading
Related pages and guides
Development finance
Staged funding for ground-up builds, conversions and heavy refurbishment.
View pageDevelopment exit
Refinance a finished scheme onto cheaper, calmer funding.
View pageConversions
Commercial to residential, HMOs and permitted development.
View pageBridging vs Development Finance: Which Do You Need?
The real dividing line between a bridge and a development facility, how each is drawn down and priced, and which one your scheme needs.
Read the guideBridging loan calculator
Work out the gross loan, LTV, interest and every fee before you speak to anyone.
Open the calculatorTalk the deal through
Free deal review by a specialist. We will tell you what is achievable, what it is likely to cost and what the lender will want to see.
Amram Finance Ltd is a credit broker, not a lender. We do not lend our own money and we do not approve or issue loan offers.
Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan secured on it. Some forms of bridging finance and buy-to-let lending are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.