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Ashley Ilsen

Apr 26
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development-finance-fees

A Guide: What are the typical costs involved in development finance?

By Blog, Development Finance

Unsure as to what sort of fees you should expect if you are applying for development finance? No problem at all. In this guide, we take you through everything you need to know about the other potential costs you could incur so that you can make an informed decision.

Arrangement fees

When getting a development finance loan, it is usually the case that the chosen lender will charge you the customer an arrangement fee. This refers to organising the loan itself and covers the cost of the work done by solicitors as well as their administration. The exact cost of this will be clearly declared upfront.

Surveyor costs

You will also need to take into consideration the cost of valuation fees when taking out this kind of loan. A surveyor you use, (or otherwise allocated to you by the lender) will cost you anywhere between £1,500 +VAT and £3,000 +VAT for an initial site inspection.

Remember all the costs that will need to be factored in when getting this kind of loan.

Stamp duty

Another fee you will need to remember to think about is stamp duty. Stamp Duty Land Tax is a lump-sum tax that is charged on all property and land that is bought across the UK. The exact amount you will pay for this will depend on certain variables, such as the purchase price of the building, and whether it will be used for residential or non-residential use.

Construction costs

Of course, when taking out a property development finance loan, you also need to factor in the costs of construction costs for carrying out your project to completion. Always make sure you have made a plan before carrying out constructing work and make a budget that you are comfortable that you will be able to stick to.

Mar 28
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ashley-ilsen

Development opportunities created by Brexit

By Opinion No Comments

Given all the pessimism surrounding the current fractured state of politics in the UK, the underlying fact is that the Government needs to boost the supply of housing, not least affordable and social housing. In fact, all three, or is it now four, of the leading parties put increasing the stock of housing at the top of their agenda. There is a structural shortage of houses being built. The target is 300,000 plus and only 130,000 were build last year so at the more affordable end of the market there will always be demand. I am out at least once a week around the country visiting our clients and introducer partners and outside of London there is plenty of building taking place of the type of affordable houses that is so badly required. So there are significant opportunities for those brokers and lenders who have the experience and grey hairs to lend sensibly in an uncertain climate.

Magnet Capital’s focus is about how we infuse our traditional lending model, which is based on the premise that people do business with people with the efficiencies that modern technology can bring to the underwriting and administrative process. This ensures we deliver funds as seamlessly and as quickly as possible. We have put our money where our mouth is by having a dedicated inhouse resource, who focuses on proprietary systems to ensure we are automating the process where possible, without detracting from what Magnet Capital does best, personal lending. However, nothing beats pulling on the wellies and going to visit our clients on site.

Jan 05
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ashley-ilsen

New style lending, with old fashioned principles

By Opinion No Comments

I’m getting asked a lot these days what it’s like to start a new lender in such a testing, saturated market. My response is that I don’t see us as a new market entrant. Ultimately people do business people. The Magnet Capital team is obviously a relaunch of a previous business, but it’s great to be able to bring something fresh and innovative to the table. In my opinion the key to succeeding in today’s marketplace is innovation. As a lender, do we dare to do things a little differently?

The beauty of development finance is that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Our approach is deeply rooted in decades of ‘old fashioned’ lending principles, however, we are twinning this with a new style of doing things including technology that allows us to be as efficient and streamlined as ever.

My main concern about introducing too much tech as a core part of a lending business is that you run the risk of depersonalising the borrowing experience. As I mentioned, people do business with people, and I think when you’re borrowing money to support the growth of your business it should be done face to face with individuals you can trust, and not a computer screen. At Magnet Capital we place a big emphasis on meeting every single person we lend to, in our office before the loan starts and then on the development site whilst the building project is ongoing. Aside from being great for building relationships, as a lender I think it’s vital to go and look at what you’re lending on. It’s not rocket science, it’s a bit old fashioned, but it’s amazing how many lenders aren’t too interested in looking at what they’re lending on, and meeting the people they’re lending to.