Bridging Finance
There can be, but it depends on two things: how quickly your mother expects to sell her flat, and whether she needs the full £175,000 upfront on day one to complete the purchase.
Bridging is often used in exactly this “buy before you sell” scenario, but it is usually the most expensive way to solve it. Typical bridging costs are quoted in monthly rates and can be materially higher than a standard mortgage, so it’s worth checking whether a cheaper short-term structure works first.
First, a key point on regulation
If the loan is secured on a property your mother will live in (or a close family member will live in), it is typically treated as a regulated mortgage contract, which brings it under FCA mortgage rules.
So rather than thinking “regulated vs unregulated lender” in the old sense, the practical point is that the loan type and occupancy drive the regulatory treatment, and you want the right structure for a residential move.
The simplest alternative is to reduce the gap, not borrow it
If there is any flexibility on the purchase timing, the cleanest solution is often to align the sale and purchase dates, or negotiate a delayed completion. That avoids short-term finance altogether.
Where that isn’t possible, some buyers also agree a short-term seller concession such as a longer completion, but you have to be careful with anything that looks like an incentive, as it needs to be disclosed to the mortgage lender and solicitor.
A cheaper “bridge” can be borrowing against the flat instead
If your mother owns a flat worth around £175,000 and is selling it, the most natural place to raise short-term funds is often the flat itself.
That might be done via additional borrowing on the flat (if there is a mortgage to extend), or a second charge secured on the flat, with the clear plan to repay it when the flat sale completes. It is still specialist borrowing, but it can be cheaper than a bridge secured purely on the onward purchase, and it can be simpler because the “exit” is the sale you already expect.
Whether this is feasible depends on whether the flat is mortgaged, how quickly it can be sold, and whether the lender is comfortable with the timing and saleability.
A mainstream residential mortgage with a plan to repay can also work
In some cases, your mother may be able to take a larger residential mortgage for the purchase, then reduce the balance once the flat sells.
This can be a good route if affordability stacks up and the mortgage product allows meaningful overpayments without punitive early repayment charges. If the product is tight on overpayments, you can end up paying for flexibility you don’t have.
Family support can sometimes avoid bridging, but it must be structured properly
If your wife is lending the £175,000, the way it is documented matters.
If it is a repayable loan, lenders will usually want it declared and may treat it as a commitment. If it is a gift, lenders will want a gifted deposit letter confirming it is non-refundable. Either way, your solicitor should record it correctly, and if your wife wants the money protected, that is usually done with a formal loan agreement and sometimes a legal charge.
This is one of those areas where “we’ll just write something down between ourselves” can create problems later, particularly when the lender and solicitor ask direct questions about where the funds came from and whether they are repayable.
When bridging is still the right answer
Bridging tends to be most appropriate when timing is critical and you need certainty of funds quickly, especially if there is a chain risk and the purchase would otherwise be lost.
If you do go down that route, the pricing will usually depend on loan-to-value, whether the flat sale is already under offer or exchanged, and how strong and realistic the exit plan is. Market guides commonly quote bridging costs in a broad range of monthly rates, which underlines why comparing total cost is more useful than comparing a headline rate.
What I would do next
I would run the decision in this order.
First, confirm whether the mother’s flat is already on the market, whether there is an offer, and what the realistic sale timeline is. Then check whether borrowing against the flat, or using a larger residential mortgage with planned repayment, gets you to the same place at a lower total cost than bridging.
We can help you and that you would benefit from speaking to one of our independent mortgage advisers. Please call 023 8235 2300 one of our consultants will then be able to help you find the right mortgage for your situation.
