A bridging loan is a short-term financing solution designed to “bridge” the gap between buying a new property and selling your existing one. This type of loan provides you with the funds needed to purchase your new home before your current property has sold, allowing you to secure your dream home without the stress of timing both transactions perfectly. Bridging loans typically last between 6 and 12 months and are secured against both your existing property and the new property you’re purchasing.
Your lender assesses the combined value of both properties (your existing home and the new property you're buying) to determine how much you can borrow.
The lender approves a bridging loan that covers:
You settle on your new property using the bridging loan funds, while still owning your existing property.
You market and sell your existing property, typically within 3-6 months.
Once your existing property sells, you use the proceeds to:
Your loan converts to a standard home loan on your new property.
Example Scenario
Let’s look at how bridging finance works in practice:
Keep existing $300,000 loan (paid off when current home sells)
New bridging loan: $600,000 (to purchase new property)
Interest During Bridging Period: At 7.5% p.a. on $900,000 = approximately $5,625 per month (interest-only)
in this example, you’ve used your full equity
New property value: $900,000
Remaining loan: $900,000 (converts to standard home loan)
You have a confirmed sale contract on your existing property with a settlement date. This is lower risk for lenders and typically attracts better rates and terms.
You don't yet have a buyer for your existing property. This carries higher risk and usually has stricter lending criteria, higher interest rates, and shorter maximum terms.
The bridging loan is secured as a first mortgage against your properties, typically offering better rates.
The bridging finance sits behind your existing mortgage as a second-ranking security, usually with higher interest rates due to increased lender risk.
Lenders use different methods to assess bridging loans:
Assesses your ability to service both loans simultaneously at the "peak debt" moment, when you own both properties and owe both loans.
Assesses your ability to service the final loan amount once your existing property sells and you only owe on the new property.
Both properties secure the loan, with lenders typically requiring:
Bridging loans handle interest in different ways:
Interest is added to your loan balance during the bridging period rather than paid monthly. This preserves cash flow but increases your total debt.
You make monthly interest payments on the bridging loan, keeping the loan balance from growing but requiring monthly cash flow.
Some lenders set aside funds to cover interest during the bridging period, drawing from this reserve automatically each month.
Bridging loans offer flexibility but come with important considerations:
Most bridging loans have maximum terms of 6-12 months, creating pressure to sell your existing property within this timeframe.
During the bridging period, you’re servicing loans on both properties, which can be financially stressful.
You’re committing to a purchase without knowing exactly what your current property will sell for.
You’ll pay selling costs on your old property and buying costs on your new one in close succession.
Before committing to a bridging loan, consider these alternatives:
Make your new property purchase conditional on selling your existing home first. This eliminates bridging finance but makes your offer less attractive to sellers and you risk missing out if your property doesn't sell in time.
Sell your existing property first, then purchase your new one. This avoids bridging finance but may require temporary rental accommodation and you risk missing your ideal property.
Use a deposit bond or family guarantee to secure the new property while selling your existing one, potentially avoiding bridging finance altogether.
Negotiate a longer settlement period (90-120 days instead of 30-60 days) on your new purchase, giving you more time to sell your existing property.
If you have sufficient equity, draw on a line of credit for the new deposit and initial costs, then refinance once your existing property sells.
However, bridging finance probably isn’t suitable if:
Our experienced brokers specialize in bridging finance and can help you:
Get in touch today to discuss your situation and discover how we can help you bridge the gap between your current home and your dream property.
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