Buying
Property Purchase Bridging Buy your new home before your current one settles. Auction Finance Pre-approved funds so you can bid with confidence.Timing & value
Settlement Gap Finance Cover the overlap when settlements don't align. Renovation Loans Fund improvements before refinancing to a bank.Commercial
Business Bridging Short-term capital for cash flow and stock. Development Finance Subdivisions and small developments, funded fast.Not sure which fits?
Tell us the timing problem in a five minute call and we'll give you an honest assessment on the spot.
Get a quote →The basics
What is a bridging loan? How bridging finance works Open vs closed bridging Bridging vs home loan Buy before you sellCosts & criteria
Interest rates & fees Eligibility & LVR Peak debt vs end debt Exit strategies explained Glossary of termsStart here
The complete bridging finance Knowledge Hub
Quick answers, costs, eligibility, peak debt vs end debt and a full glossary — in one place.
Read the hub →
Everything a Brisbane buyer, investor or business owner needs to understand short-term property finance: how a bridging loan works, what it costs, who qualifies, how peak debt becomes end debt, and how to pick an exit strategy that holds up.
A bridging loan is short-term finance secured against property that lets you buy before you sell. In Brisbane, facilities typically run $100K–$5M at up to 75–80% LVR, over 1–24 months, with a decision in 24–48 hours. Interest is usually capitalised, so you make no monthly repayments; the facility is cleared when your existing property settles.
Each answer is complete on its own — read only the ones you need, then follow the link for the detail.
Short-term finance secured against property that covers the gap between buying a new home and selling your existing one. Terms usually run 1–24 months, and the loan is repaid from your sale proceeds or by refinancing to a standard home loan.
How it works →Facilities generally run from $100,000 to $5 million, capped at roughly 75–80% of the combined value of the security offered. Adding a second property as security increases what is available.
See the parameters →A straightforward application is usually decided in 24–48 hours. Complex deals — multiple securities, commercial property, company borrowers — take three to five business days, and settlement can follow within days.
See the process →The highest total you owe while holding both properties: existing mortgage plus the new purchase, fees and capitalised interest. Once your old place settles, net proceeds reduce peak debt to your end debt.
Worked example →Usually not. Interest on the bridging portion is commonly capitalised — added to the balance and cleared at settlement — so you are not servicing two loans while both properties are held.
Cost breakdown →Closed means your existing property is already under an unconditional contract with a settlement date. Open means it is not sold yet, which carries more uncertainty and usually means a tighter LVR and higher pricing.
Compare both →Often yes. The security and the exit strategy are assessed first, so defaults, arrears and past credit events are considered case by case rather than being an automatic decline.
Eligibility criteria →Compare total cost over the same months. Bridging costs interest; selling first costs rent, two moves, storage and the risk of buying back into a rising market. For many Brisbane buyers the bridge is the cheaper path.
See the comparison →The parameters below reflect facilities we arrange across Greater Brisbane and South East Queensland. They are indicative ranges, not a quote — your own numbers depend on the security, the LVR and how certain your exit is.
Model your own scenario →Start where your question sits. Every path ends with a calculator or a call — those are the only two ways to get a real number.
You have heard the term and want to know whether it applies to your situation.
You want to know what it costs and what you would be left owing.
You are close to acting and need to know whether it will be approved in time.
You know the problem — auction, settlement gap, renovation, business cash flow.
Short answer: the lender takes security over both properties, funds your new purchase in full, and rolls your existing mortgage into one facility. You hold both homes for a period, then your sale proceeds pay the facility down to a normal home loan.
Mechanically it happens in four moves, and the language lenders use maps onto each one.
The lender values your existing home and the one you are buying, then takes a mortgage over both. That combined security is what sets your maximum facility, generally 75–80% of the total.
At settlement the facility pays out your existing mortgage and funds the new purchase plus costs. The total is your peak debt — the most you will owe at any point in the arrangement.
Rather than servicing two properties, interest is typically added to the balance for the bridging period. You keep your cash flow and settle the interest when the sale completes.
Your net sale proceeds are applied to the facility. What remains — the end debt — is refinanced to an ordinary home loan on the new property, and the bridge is over.
You own a Bulimba home worth $1.25M with $420K owing, and buy in Hawthorne for $1.6M. Peak debt lands near $2.05M including fees. Over six months at an indicative 9.5%, capitalised interest is roughly $97K. Your sale nets about $1.22M after selling costs, leaving an end debt near $925K — the loan you refinance to a standard home loan.
Change these numbers in the calculator →Short answer: expect a rate above a standard home loan, an establishment fee of roughly 1–2% of the facility, plus valuation and legal costs — and no upfront application fee. Interest is usually capitalised, so the real question is total cost over the months you need, not the headline rate.
Three variables move your pricing: how good the security is, how high the LVR sits, and how certain the exit is. A closed bridge with a signed unconditional contract prices sharper than an open bridge on an unlisted property, every time.
One comparison worth running: the cost of bridging for four months versus selling first and renting. Rent, two moves, storage and re-entering a rising Brisbane market often exceeds the interest bill — which is the honest reason most of our clients bridge.
Four ways to solve a timing problem, and what each one really costs you.
Short answer: if you hold real equity in Queensland property and can evidence how the loan gets repaid, you are likely eligible — as an individual, trust or company. Serviceability and credit history matter far less than they do at a bank.
The one thing that will stop an application is an exit that doesn't stand up — an optimistic price, no listing plan, or a refinance no lender would write. We test that first, on the phone, before anyone pays for a valuation.
Every one of these has walked through our door in the last twelve months.
An exit built on the highest appraisal, not comparable sales, is the fastest route to an extension you did not budget for.
Conditional pre-approval can take as little as a day. Bidding without it means either a conditional offer nobody accepts, or a deposit at risk — Queensland auction contracts carry no cooling-off period and no finance condition.
Interest accrues on the whole facility, not just the new purchase. Model peak debt, not the shortfall.
A three-month term on an unlisted property invites extension fees. Buy the months you realistically need.
The bridge is temporary; the end debt is not. Check you can service the ongoing home loan before you commit.
Local context
Queensland runs a heavy auction calendar in the inner east and north, and contracts here commonly carry short, firm settlement dates. That combination — an unconditional purchase before your own place is listed — is exactly the gap bridging finance was built for.
Local valuation knowledge matters too. An approval based on an optimistic appraisal falls over at valuation; one priced against genuine comparable sales in the same street holds up to settlement.
See auction finance →Fourteen terms that appear in every bridging conversation, in plain English.
Yes, and it is one of the most common uses. Arrange conditional pre-approval before auction day so you can bid and settle inside the contract deadline, typically 14 to 30 days. In Queensland an auction contract is unconditional on the fall of the hammer — there is no cooling-off period and no finance condition — so pre-approval is not optional, and final approval remains subject to valuation and lending criteria.
Your end debt is higher than modelled. That is why we stress-test the exit against genuine comparable sales rather than the top appraisal, and why a small buffer in the facility is worth having.
Usually. If the sale is progressing but slower than planned, extensions are commonly agreed. Tell us early — an extension arranged in advance costs far less than a facility in default.
No, but it helps. An unlisted property means an open bridge with a tighter LVR and firmer pricing. A signed sale contract moves you to closed bridging and better terms.
No. Bridging is normally written on a registered first mortgage over weeks to months. A caveat loan sits behind an existing mortgage, is faster to write, much shorter, and materially more expensive.
Yes. Companies, trusts and SMSF-adjacent structures are regularly considered, with directors’ guarantees where appropriate. Business purpose lending also sits outside consumer credit rules, which can simplify the process.
Frequently none in cash, because equity in your existing property acts as the contribution. Where combined LVR would exceed roughly 80%, a cash contribution or additional security bridges the difference.
Not inherently. Once the bridge is repaid and refinanced, mainstream lenders assess the end debt like any other home loan. A clean exit history helps rather than hurts.
Every figure here is an indicative range drawn from facilities we have arranged for Brisbane and South East Queensland clients — not a rate card, and not a credit quote. Ranges are reviewed quarterly and whenever funding conditions shift materially.
Where a number depends on your circumstances, we say so rather than publishing an average that misleads. Bridging finance is priced per deal; anyone quoting a single rate online is guessing.
Queensland practice is assumed throughout: the standard REIQ contract, a five-business-day statutory cooling-off period on residential contracts other than at auction, no cooling-off or finance condition on auction contracts, mortgages registered under the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld), and transfer duty administered by the Queensland Revenue Office.
Each guide answers one question in full. The Knowledge Hub ties them together.
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All applications are subject to assessment and lending criteria. Terms, conditions, fees and charges apply. Approval is not guaranteed.
Part of the guide
Every page below stands on its own. Start with the Knowledge Hub if you want the whole picture in one read.