Commercial mortgages and bridging, explained before you borrow
Fourteen plain-English guides to buying, refinancing and improving business property, plus a simple payment calculator. When you are ready, a Sorbus broker can look across our panel of 150+ lenders for options that may fit.
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Commercial mortgage or bridging loan
| Commercial mortgage | Bridging loan | |
|---|---|---|
| Repaid from | Trading profit or rent over time | A sale or refinance at the end |
| Lender focus | Ongoing affordability, lease or trade, property | Security value and credibility of exit |
| Interest | Usually paid monthly | Serviced, retained or rolled up |
| Suits | Stable, mortgageable property held long term | Deadlines, vacancy, condition or timing gaps |
| Main risk | Affordability strain over the term | Exit fails and the debt falls due |
The property finance library
Long-term lending
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Decisions and planning
Costs and readiness
Test a monthly payment
Enter your own figures. The rate starts blank because we do not suggest one; the starting loan and term are hypothetical examples only.
- Enter an annual interest rate to see a result.
Arithmetic illustration only. Uses the annual nominal rate you enter with monthly compounding. Excludes all fees, charges and tax. Not a quote, offer, bridging illustration or indication of eligibility. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments.
Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan secured on it. Sorbus Finance is a broker, not a lender. Finance is subject to lender criteria, status, valuation and affordability. We work with a panel of lenders, not the whole market, and do not promise a rate, fee level or outcome.
About working with Sorbus
Is Sorbus Finance a lender?
No. Sorbus Finance is a broker and appointed representative. We present your case to lenders on our panel of 150+ lenders that you agree we should approach. Lenders make every decision.
Do you search the whole market?
No. We work with a panel of lenders, which is extensive but not every lender in the UK.
Are commercial property loans regulated?
It depends on the borrower, the security and who occupies it, not on calling the loan commercial. Where you or family live in part of the property, regulation may apply. We confirm the position for each case.
Can you tell me the rate I will get?
Not before a lender has assessed your case. Rates depend on the property, your finances and lender criteria. The calculator lets you test any rate you choose.
Do you charge fees?
Any broker fee is explained and agreed in writing before you commit, and we may receive commission from lenders. We do not promise a fee level in advance of understanding the case.
What happens if I cannot repay?
Commercial mortgages and bridges are secured. If repayments fail or a bridge is not repaid, the lender can repossess and sell the property, and guarantees may be called.
Research checked 21 October 2026. Third-party references for context only.
- FCA Handbook PERG 4.4: regulated mortgage contractsFCA perimeter guidance on when a mortgage is regulated, including the role of borrower type, security and occupation by the borrower or related persons.
- FCA Handbook glossary: regulated bridging loanThe regulatory definition of a bridging loan within regulated mortgage activity. It does not make every commercial bridge regulated or unregulated.
- RICS: Buying and selling property at auction (consumer guide)Explains that auction contracts and special conditions set the obligations, including completion arrangements, for each lot.
- GOV.UK: Stamp Duty Land Tax, non-residential and mixed-use ratesApplies to England and Northern Ireland only. Scotland and Wales operate separate land taxes. Check current rules with an adviser.
- GOV.UK: Opting to tax land and buildings (VAT Notice 742A)HMRC guidance on the option to tax, including exemptions and exceptions. Take accountancy advice on any specific purchase.
- Allica Bank: A guide to commercial mortgages (PDF)A lender guide used only for general context on how borrowers, properties and rental income are assessed. Not a statement of Sorbus terms or lender access.
Who you could speak to
- STEP 1
A conversation with a broker
You talk to a real Sorbus broker about the business, the purpose and what is affordable. No application at this stage.
- STEP 2
Credit placement
If you choose to go further, we prepare the case and decide which lenders on our panel of 150+ are worth approaching.
- STEP 3
Lender assessment
The lender, not Sorbus, underwrites and makes the credit decision. Approval is never guaranteed.
- STEP 4
Documentation
If a lender offers terms and you accept, we help coordinate agreements and payout paperwork with you.
Every step after the first is optional. You can stop after the conversation. Sorbus is a broker, not a lender.
Client journey
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Read how real businesses approached a funding goal, what Sorbus arranged and what happened next.
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Tell us a little about what you need and who you would like to speak to. No obligation, no credit check at this stage. We aim to respond within one business day, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.
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01246 383500Free call. No obligation.
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