Ground Up Loans
We provide ground up loans for UK developers, connecting new build projects with fast, structured development finance.
What We Cover With Our Ground Up Loans for UK Developers
At ViaLend, we are leading providers of ground up loans designed to give you the momentum you need to take your site from a bare plot of land to a fully completed project. With our loans, we’re able to fund the entire construction process from start to finish, beginning with the land purchase.
Drawing on our extensive in-house expertise, we can examine your plans, costs and strategy, so that we can ensure your finance closely matches your delivery path. We can also provide in-depth guidance to help you manage each preparation stage and on-build requirement – ensuring that you can maintain tight control of budgets, timelines, and final outcomes throughout the duration of the project.
We support both emerging developers and seasoned operators. Whatever the nature or scale of your project, you can benefit from:
- Fast decisions that maintain the momentum of any acquisition
- Flexible loan structures that can be adapted to your strategy
- Direct communication with the people who approve your loan
- Clear funding stages tied to your build schedule
- Practical, actionable advice through every stage of the build
We do everything we can to make the entire process smooth and stress-free for you, and minimise any uncertainty. If you have any questions or need any further information on how our ground up loans work, feel free to ask a member of our team – we’ll always be happy to provide answers or advice in as much or as little detail as you need.
How We Can Help Prepare You for Your Development
Our ground-up loans are tailored to each client’s full construction pathway. That means when you choose us, we can start by looking at the plot of land in question, as well as your plans for it, the design intent, and expected timetable. We’ll then be able to structure a loan that effectively accounts for each step.
Our core support includes:
- Reviewing costings, programmes, and supporting documents where refinement is needed
- Identifying key development and cash-flow risks early, before they impact delivery
- Structuring funding to align with build stages, capital requirements, and resource planning
- Supporting acquisition, enabling works, utilities, main build, and completion phases
- Sequencing drawdowns to match contractor schedules, suppliers, and project oversight
Why Borrowers Choose ViaLend
At ViaLend, we draw on substantial in-house expertise to make everything as easy and efficient as we can for you. We’re proud to be the top choice for a wide variety of construction firms and related businesses all over the UK, providing ground up loans and bridging loans in a service that’s distinguished by our hallmarks of diligence, flexibility, and attention to detail.
We appreciate the distinct pressures that often come with tight timescales involved in construction projects, in addition to further general sector-specific challenges. Accordingly, we take care to provide a tailored service that reflects the realities of conditions at your site, including fast approval and steady, reliable drawdowns, so that you can effectively co-ordinate with specialists on your own team, as well as those of contractors or other partners.
Consistent, reliable communication is a cornerstone of our service, and if ever you have any questions or need additional clarification on anything, one of our team will always be happy to assist. In short – whatever the nature or scale of your project, we’ll always be able to provide a financial solution that’s perfect for you.
Risk Warning
Ground-up loans are short-term, stage-based financing products secured against land and the completed development. Borrowers are responsible for maintaining repayments – falling behind on payments may cause the assets used as security to be repossessed. Approval is subject to our credit and underwriting checks. This finance is intended for experienced developers who understand the risks of building from scratch, including construction, design, and project management complexities.
Ground Up Loan FAQs
What do ground up loans cover and how are they managed?
Ground up loans are designed to fund the entire build of a construction project, from bare plot to finished development. They can be used to support anything from land purchase, enabling works, utilities installation to structural construction, and final completion. Funds are released in stages (called drawdowns) as foundations, walls, roofing, and internal works progress.
Who is eligible to apply for a ground up loan?
Developers and construction professionals with prior experience in property development are eligible for ground-up loans. Eligibility depends on the extent of prior experience, as well as project design, build strategy, cost accuracy, exit plan, and financial structure. Ground-up loans carry higher exposure than standard mortgages, so at ViaLend we typically begin by reviewing any drawings, cost plans, site information, and proposed timelines to assess risk and ensure that the loan aligns with the project’s development goals.
What types of projects can ground up loans be used for?
Ground up loans can support the construction of residential homes, multi‑unit schemes, mixed‑use buildings, and commercial builds created from vacant land. They’re typically used in situations that could benefit the most from staged funding rather than a single lump sum. At ViaLend, we make sure to structure funding around the unique demands of each project type, so capital can flow smoothly as the work itself progresses.
How are funds released and what are the repayment conditions?
Funds are released in stages following progress checks and professional verification. Each “drawdown” can be accessed after the project reaches key milestones, which helps maintain workflow across trades and contractors. Ground up loans typically include higher interest rates and lower LTVs than standard mortgages because they support undeveloped land and full construction.
How do I get started with ground up loans?
Get in touch with our team, let us know the details of your situation, and we’ll look at the next steps with you. You can also use our loan calculator to estimate how much you might be eligible to borrow.