Ask your current mortgage lender about alternatives to bridging loans first. Options include extra mortgage borrowing, let to buy, family help, selling first or agreeing to buy only once you sell.
Each option needs its own checks. Borrowing through a different mortgage can still be secured on your home, even if you are using the money to buy somewhere else.
What alternatives to bridging loans can my lender offer?
Tell your current mortgage lender whether you need a deposit, the purchase balance or a way to keep your existing mortgage product. These are different problems, and the same option will not solve them all.
Explain whether your home is on the market, under offer or back for sale after a buyer pulled out. The lender needs an accurate picture of your planned move.
Ask about additional borrowing, a further advance and porting. Ask what happens if you still own your current home when the purchase completes.
Can I port my mortgage and borrow more?
Porting means taking your existing mortgage product to a new property, subject to the lender's checks. You apply for a new mortgage. The existing loan does not simply move with you.
For: You may be able to keep existing product terms. If you need extra borrowing, the lender may offer that separately, with different terms.
Against: Porting alone does not turn equity in your unsold home into a deposit. Changes to your income or the new property can also affect the lender's decision.
Your own lender's rules may differ.
Can I remortgage or take a further advance?
Can remortgaging raise a deposit?
Remortgaging replaces your existing mortgage. If the lender accepts extra borrowing for the purpose, some of the money could help fund a deposit on your next home.
For: You may be able to raise money while you still own your current home. This can address a deposit shortfall before the sale completes.
Against: You may face early repayment charges, legal costs and valuation costs. If you plan to sell soon afterwards, check the charges for repaying the replacement mortgage too.
The lender needs to know about your intended sale and purchase. Any lender funding the new home must also accept the borrowed deposit and assess your other mortgage commitments.
How is a further advance different?
A further advance is extra borrowing from your current mortgage lender. You keep the existing mortgage and take additional borrowing alongside it, usually on separate terms.
For: You may be able to leave the existing mortgage product in place. Against: The lender must accept the purpose and check affordability, and the extra debt is secured on your home.
How does a bridging loan compare with a mortgage?
A remortgage normally involves ongoing payments. A bridging loan is short term and needs a clear way to repay the balance. If you plan to repay either from a sale, check how it handles early repayment.
Could a second charge mortgage fund the move?
A second charge mortgage is a separate loan secured on a home that already has a mortgage. It usually comes from a different lender, while your first mortgage stays in place.
For: It may allow you to raise money without replacing your main mortgage. That can matter if changing the main mortgage would trigger repayment charges.
Against: You have another secured debt to repay. There may be setup costs and repayment charges, and the lender must accept using the money for your move.
Ask whether your existing lender must consent. Check what happens to both loans when you sell, including the amount needed to repay them from the sale proceeds.
MoneyHelper explains second charge mortgages, including affordability checks and what moving home can mean for the loan.
Could let to buy help me move without selling?
Let to buy means keeping your current home to rent out while buying another home to live in. It often involves a mortgage for the rental property and a separate mortgage for your new home.
For: You do not depend on selling your current home to move. Subject to lending checks, borrowing against it may provide money towards the next purchase.
Against: You become a landlord and keep responsibility for both properties. Rent may stop, repairs still need paying for, and mortgage payments continue when the property is empty.
Ask your current lender about permission to let or changing the mortgage. Permission to rent out your home does not itself release money for a deposit.
The rental mortgage lender will assess expected rent and other requirements. The lender for your new home will make its own affordability checks. Neither decision settles the other.
Check landlord duties where the property is located, insurance and any lease restrictions. Letting can also affect tax on rental income and a later sale.
Keeping both homes can affect purchase tax. Read about tax when buying before selling and ask your solicitor which rules apply where you are buying.
Could I sell first and rent before buying?
Selling first releases your sale proceeds before you commit to the next purchase. You could rent or stay with family while looking for a home.
For: You know what your sale has actually produced. You can make an offer without needing another buyer to complete your own sale.
Against: You may pay rent, storage and removal costs twice. The home you want could sell while you are sorting out temporary accommodation.
Check the tenancy's end arrangements before signing. Finding a home to buy does not automatically let you leave a rental contract without further rent being due.
Also ask your mortgage lender how selling before buying affects any plan to port. A gap between transactions can change the conditions and charges.
The trade-offs are different from buying a house before selling your current one. Include temporary housing in the budget, alongside borrowing costs.
Can I delay completion or make an offer subject to sale?
You can ask the seller to agree a later completion date or explain that your purchase depends on selling your home. The seller does not have to accept either proposal.
For: Waiting may remove the need for extra borrowing. Against: The seller may choose another buyer, and other people in the chain may be unable to wait.
An offer subject to sale makes your purchase depend on selling. Borrowing to buy first leaves you responsible for the debt while you wait for your own sale to complete.
Be clear about your sale's position. A home advertised for sale is different from one with a buyer whose mortgage and legal work are progressing.
In England and Wales, an offer is not legally binding until contracts are exchanged, as GOV.UK explains. An accepted offer alone does not secure the purchase.
In Scotland, the contract becomes binding when missives are concluded. Ask your solicitor to address any sale condition before then. Mygov.scot explains missives.
If contracts are already binding, do not assume you can change completion. Ask your solicitor about the contract and the consequences before agreeing anything.
Can family help or savings replace extra borrowing?
Family help might be a gift or a loan. Make that distinction clear before money changes hands, and tell your mortgage lender and solicitor which it is.
For: A genuine gift creates no repayment obligation. Against: A family loan still needs repaying and may affect what a mortgage lender will accept.
The lender may require a gift declaration. Your solicitor will check the source of the money. Do not describe a repayable loan as a gift to meet a lender's conditions.
If family money is lent, record the repayment terms and what happens if your sale falls through. Ask a solicitor about documenting the agreement and whether separate legal advice is needed.
Using savings or buying a less expensive home may reduce the gap. The drawback is having less cash left for moving, repairs and unexpected bills.
An unsecured personal loan does not use your home as security. But repayments affect mortgage affordability, and the lender may reject a borrowed deposit.
What are the risks of alternatives to bridging finance?
If a loan is secured on your home, your home is at risk and could be repossessed if the loan is not repaid. Take advice from a mortgage adviser or bridging specialist before borrowing against your home.
Costs add up over time. Interest keeps adding to borrowing costs, while owning both homes can mean paying for insurance, utilities and maintenance on both.
A sale or a new mortgage may not happen as planned. Check how you would cover payments if a buyer withdraws, the sale price falls or the lender declines a mortgage application.
Enter the purchase price, buying costs including tax, and cash available before your sale completes. Use the Sale plan calculator separately to test a lower selling price, including all secured debts in the repayment figure.
Use the calculators to explore the funding gap. An estimate cannot confirm what the lender will offer or whether a mortgage application will succeed.
Ask for the total cost of each borrowing option, including setup charges, legal costs and charges for early repayment. Check the cost of keeping it longer than planned.
Read about planning how to repay a bridging loan if borrowing remains an option. A hoped-for sale needs a fallback plan.
For free guidance, visit MoneyHelper. Before committing, write down what you would do if your sale fell through again.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to bridging loans in the UK?
Ask your current mortgage lender about additional borrowing, a further advance or porting. Other options include remortgaging, a second charge mortgage, let to buy, family help, selling first or making your purchase depend on selling. Each has separate checks and drawbacks.
Can I remortgage to buy a house before selling?
Possibly, if the lender accepts your plans and you meet its checks. You must disclose the intended sale and purchase. Extra debt affects affordability, and any lender funding your next home must accept the borrowed deposit.
Is let to buy an alternative to a bridging loan?
Let to buy can support a move while you keep your existing home to rent out. It needs separate mortgage checks and permission to let. You also take on landlord duties, rental uncertainty and responsibility for both properties.
Can I make an offer on a house subject to selling mine?
You can ask, but the seller can decline. In England and Wales, an accepted offer is not binding until exchange. In Scotland, missives form the binding contract once concluded. Ask your solicitor to address any sale condition before you are committed.
Last updated 6 November 2026
