We understand Development Finance.
As a well-established specialist UK bank, we have been supporting the activities of SME house builders, developers and property investors for over 65 years. Our flexible development funding solutions are reliable and competitive and delivered by knowledgeable professionals with many years of experience financing a wide variety of developments through the ups and downs of the economic cycle.
We can fund all stages of a project’s lifecycle from site acquisition through planning, construction and developer exit to release capital from completed or part completed schemes to invest in new projects.
Thinking of a development loan with us?
We understand the property market and have supported customers through several significant economic challenges including the 2008 Credit Crisis and, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. We know how much our customers value certainty, consistency, reliability, and a high level of personal attention and service.
We work with government agencies including the British Business Bank, Homes England and Housing Growth Partnership to ensure SME housebuilders have access to competitive funding. Find out more about this here.
We work closely with our customers, getting to know their businesses and their ambitions for the future. We arrange to meet our customers on site very early in the proposal process and establish a deep understanding of what they wish to build and where they wish to build it. This enables us to carry out a detailed assessment of the proposal quickly and provide customers with a prompt credit decision. If successful, our team of experts will quickly and efficiently manage the process to ensure a swift completion and drawdown.
Our aim is to build a strong, long term relationship over many successful developments, with UTB supporting and enabling your business growth.
Is a development loan right for you?
We provide development funding to support the building activities of small and medium sized house builders, developers and investors on residential and residential led mixed-use projects across England and Wales including those enabled by permitted development rights.
As well as providing funding for site acquisition and construction, we can also provide sales period funding giving customers the best chance of achieving maximum sale prices by extending the time required to properly market and sell their properties. This has been especially useful to house builders whose projects have been delayed through no fault of their own. We can also release capital from completed and part completed developments for investment in future projects.
We understand the importance of certainty and reliability when arranging funding for developments many months or even years in advance. With our support you can make important decisions with confidence, knowing that we are as committed to the project as you are.
Key terms
- Maximum Loan to Value 70%
- Loans from £1,000,000 up to £30,000,000
- Loan Term up to 12 months
- Regions England & Wales
Already have a development loan with UTB?
Speak to us about an existing loan here or email us [email protected]
How can we help?
FAQs
Why should I choose United Trust Bank for development finance?
We are a leading specialist bank and have a proven track record of financing residential developments.
We offer experience, flexibility, diligence and relationships.
Experience. We have a long history of involvement with residential development and so do our business development managers. Each manager has over 20 years’ property lending experience and they spend all their time speaking to developers and evaluating projects.
Flexibility. We tailor loans to the circumstances of each borrower and project. If something unforeseen emerges during a project we won’t turn it into a drama but react professionally and commercially.
Diligence. Development is an exacting business requiring considerable attention to detail at every step. We understand development and our due diligence adds value to the work done by our customers.
Relationships. We build relationships that last with our customers, based on open and knowledgeable communications and the experience of working together over several projects.
Do you have any preferred areas or locations to lend in?
We will lend anywhere there is proven demand, provided a reasonably active market exists for the finished dwellings. Most of our recent lending has been in the South East. However, in the last year we have also done transactions in the North West, West Midlands and South West.
Do you require personal guarantees?
Yes. Often our lending is to special purpose vehicles undertaking a single development, so we require personal guarantees from the key promoters of the transaction. This is a measure of their confidence in the project and ensures that they remain interested if things start to go wrong. Potential guarantors will need to demonstrate that they have sufficient net worth to pay a personal guarantee if it is called.
How long does it take to get a decision in principle?
Initially we ask for an overview of the transaction, the key numbers (site cost, construction cost and gross development value), and details of the borrowers’ experience and net worth. From this, our experienced business development managers will provide an indication of interest and a rough pricing guide. If the borrowers are happy with this, we can usually arrange a site visit within a week and, subject to being provided with any required information, we should be able to provide a credit approved offer within a week of the site visit.
Will you use the borrower’s solicitor or QS in order to keep costs down?
We are very conscious that our professional team is a cost that is passed on to the borrower and do all we can to keep these costs down. However, it is important that we have independent professional advice. Over the years there have been numerous occasions when our professional team has picked up issues missed by the borrower’s team. Ultimately, our due diligence has saved the borrowers time and money further down the track.
Awards
Development Lender of the Year 2020
United Trust Bank wins ‘Development Lender of the Year’ at the NACFB Awards 2020
Development Lender of the Year 2019
United Trust Bank wins Development Lender of the Year Award at the 2019 SFI Awards
Development Lender of the Year 2018
United Trust Bank (UTB) has added two more awards to its 2018 trophy haul at the SFI Awards
Testimonials
Our commitment to tomorrow
Although our activities have limited direct impact on the environment, we are aware of the important role businesses can play in society and protecting our planet.