There are a variety of things that can end up not going to plan when it comes to a property development project, even if you have planned the project well and manage things accordingly. For example, common issues that can cause construction site delays can be things such as extremely bad weather (for example, torrential rain) making it difficult for work to continue, an important supplier failing to deliver, or overbooked construction teams.
Unfortunately, these delays can lead to you incurring penalty fees if you have taken out development finance in order to fund the project. However, you could look at development exit finance to help you avoid potential charges. Wondering how it could help you? We take a closer look.
Should you consider refinancing your development project?
Before going ahead and making the final decision as to whether or not you should refinance your build, you should carefully consider the options available to you.
For example, what are the terms and conditions of your current project, and would you have to pay additional fees for deciding to refinance that could outweigh any advantages when it comes to changing?
What’s more, is there room for contingencies: a general rule of thumb is to consider nine months into the project as the benchmark for potentially considering refinancing as an option (if you have taken out a 12-month development finance loan).
At this stage, it would be expected you were confident you were going to meet the exit deadline promptly, with most work having already been carried out by this point. If you are not confident that this will be the case, this would be when most developers would look at refinancing options available to them.
Extending the borrowing term
In the majority of cases, property developers who decide to get development finance will have the term of this funding limited to just 12 months. This can make it very difficult timetable wise, should something go wrong with construction, or completing on sales.
This is why it is worth making sure you have arranged your development finance for the longest possible term either by doing it yourself or through an experienced broker. Furthermore, you should also find a provider who will not charge you fees for early repayment, in the event that you complete the project earlier than anticipated.
Reducing the cost of development finance
Exit finance rates can be cheaper than other kinds of development funding, meaning you can potentially save a considerable amount of money on the cost of lending if you are carrying out a construction project. In addition, interest that is accrued on exit finance is retained, which means that you can put all available capital on completing the construction project
Using refinancing to fund your next project
Not only can refinancing your development project reduce penalty fees should your project has delays, but it can also be useful for property developers looking to get their next project started, as refinancing can help fund this.
Many developers who are looking for cost-efficient ways to fund their project use refinancing in order to have site acquisition, design as well as planning all underway whilst currently finishing off a project. This means when the current project is finished, a property developer can immediately get started with the next construction build.
