80% LTV Bridging Loans: maximum standard leverage, honestly explained
An 80% LTV bridging loan sits at the very top of the standard market: fewer lenders, sharper questions, and a gross-to-net gap you need to see before you commit. Here is how the maximum leverage bridge really works.
Talk to Ashley about your deal
What 80% LTV really means: gross vs net
Here is the trap. The 80% almost always describes the gross loan, the headline figure the lender approves. Retained interest and the arrangement fee come off that before the money lands, so the net amount in your hand on day one is meaningfully less, often somewhere around 70% to 73% of the property value depending on the term. Two lenders can both say 80% and put very different amounts in your account.
Run your own numbers through the bridging calculator: it shows the gross loan, the deductions, and the net advance side by side, so the gap is visible before anyone is committed to anything.
"The first question I ask anyone chasing 80% is: gross or net? Half the 80% deals advertised are nearer 72% in your hand. Know which number you're being quoted before you get excited."
Who lends at 80%, and at what price
Fewer lenders play at 80% than at 70% or 75%, and the ones that do price it at the top of the standard range, our rates page shows the current band. Two rules shape the market: secured on your own home the loan is regulated and most lenders cap nearer 75%, while 80% mostly lives in unregulated territory, investment and business purpose deals. And at maximum leverage the exit gets read hardest of all, because the lender has the least cushion if the plan slips.
Above 80%: how 90% and 100% happen
Headline LTV stops at 80%, but the deal doesn't have to. Lenders will go to 90% or even 100% of the purchase when the loan is secured on additional property as well, a second or third charge over something else you own. What actually matters then is the combined position across everything charged. It's a powerful structure and a bigger commitment, the same honest trade as portfolio bridging: more leverage, more of your assets on the line.
We're writing this one up: a high-leverage deal with the gross and net numbers shown honestly.
See the case studies we have published →Your questions
What is the maximum LTV for a bridging loan?
80% is the practical ceiling of the standard market, and 75% is the usual cap when the loan is secured on your own home. Beyond that, lenders go higher, up to 100% of the purchase, only when additional property secures the loan too.
Can I get an 80% LTV bridging loan?
Yes, from a smaller pool of lenders, mostly on investment and business purpose deals. Expect top-of-range pricing and the hardest look at your exit, because at maximum leverage the exit is doing all the work.
Is the 80% gross or net?
Almost always gross, and this is the question that catches people. After retained interest and fees, the net amount that lands is often nearer 70% to 73% of the property value. Always compare deals on the net figure, which is exactly what our calculator shows.
Can I borrow 100% of a property value with a bridging loan?
Yes, if the loan is also secured on another property you own. The lender is really looking at the combined loan to value across everything charged, so the more equity elsewhere, the further the funding stretches.
Are bridging rates higher at 80% LTV?
Yes. Less cushion means more risk, and the pricing follows. The current top-band ranges are on our rates page, and every deal is case by case.
Do regulated and unregulated bridging loans have different LTV limits?
Generally yes. Regulated deals, secured on your own home, usually cap around 75%. The 80% market is mostly unregulated lending on investment and business deals, which is also why it moves faster.
Can I get a 90% LTV bridging loan?
Not against one property alone in the standard market. 90% happens the same way 100% does: additional security over another property you own, so the lender is really working from the combined loan to value across everything charged. If you've equity elsewhere, 90% of the purchase is a very achievable structure.
Can I exit an 80% bridging loan onto an 80% buy to let mortgage?
That's the classic high-leverage play. Bridge the purchase at 80%, do the works, then refinance onto a buy to let mortgage, available up to around 80% LTV, against the improved value. The uplift you created closes the gap, and we line up the exit mortgage before the bridge completes, not after.
Got a deal like this on your desk?
Tell us the numbers and we'll tell you honestly what's achievable.
Prefer to put it in writing? Email support@bridgingfinancebroker.co.uk