Case Study: Urgent £5.8m Bridging Solution Unlocks Prime Central London Portfolio

 This case involved a highly time-sensitive refinance of a distressed Prime Central London portfolio, where multiple urgent financial pressures needed to be resolved simultaneously. Despite the complexity, we were able to structure and complete a large bridging facility at pace, unlocking equity and stabilising the borrowers’ position within two weeks.

Introduction:

• Three prime Central London properties, previously used as a care home, had been vacant since October 2023

• Borrowers faced urgent court action due to overdue tax liabilities and multiple CCJs

• Existing lender needed to be refinanced and removed quickly

• Facility arranged to consolidate debt, clear CCJs, refinance existing lending, and release equity for planning works
• Case completed in just two weeks despite legal delays

• Planning permission imminent, with exit strategy into development finance and eventual resale of converted flats

The Client:

A family-owned portfolio holder with long-standing ownership of three prime Central London properties, which were previously operated as a care home business. The assets had been retained within the family for many years but had become financially distressed following vacancy and the cessation of operations.

The Situation:

Following the closure of the care home in October 2023, the properties remained vacant and generated no income, creating increasing financial strain. Over time, this led to mounting liabilities, including overdue tax obligations and multiple CCJs, some of which were not fully understood by the borrowers. Their existing lender relationship had deteriorated to the point where an exit was urgently required, and legal proceedings were imminent. The situation was further complicated by the need to progress planning permission already in motion, which was essential to unlocking the next stage of value from the portfolio.

Our Solution:

We structured a £5.9m specialist bridging finance facility designed to resolve multiple urgent and interlinked issues in a single transaction. This included refinancing and fully exiting the existing lender, consolidating outstanding debts, and clearing CCJs to stabilise the borrowers’ financial position. In addition, we were able to release £300,000 in equity to fund the progression of planning permission, ensuring the development strategy could continue without delay.

Despite the complexity of the case and external legal delays, the funding was packaged and secured extremely quickly, with the lender fully prepared to proceed. The transaction could have completed in approximately one week, with the overall timeline extending slightly to two weeks due solely to legal processes.

Benefits & Results: 

The transaction successfully brought all secured and unsecured pressures under one structured facility, immediately relieving the borrowers of significant financial and legal stress. The existing lender was fully redeemed, CCJs were cleared, and overdue debts were consolidated into a single manageable solution. The release of £300,000 provided the necessary funding to progress planning permission, which is now expected to land imminently.

Most importantly, the borrowers were removed from the threat of court action and given the breathing space required to move forward with their strategy. With planning approval close, the next stage will involve converting the properties into flats and transitioning the facility into development finance. Ultimately, this positions the borrowers for a profitable exit via sale and supports their long-term goal of retirement.

This outcome was only possible due to Aria Finance’s ability to navigate complexity at speed, structuring a tailored solution and accessing the right lender appetite quickly. Our expertise in handling distressed, high-value, multi-layered transactions ensured the case progressed efficiently from initial urgency through to successful completion, demonstrating the value of experienced brokerage in delivering results under pressure.