Mezzanine finance for Bedford developers
Second-charge development funding to 90 to 95 percent of cost, priced against Bedford's own evidence: 1,806 recorded sales in the last 12 months and 498 units in live planning applications. We lend from our own book and arrange whole of market where that serves you better.
The Bedford market, in numbers we underwrite from
A mezzanine loan is a view on whether a scheme will sell at the price its appraisal claims, so every Bedford deal starts with the local evidence. Over the last 12 months the town recorded 1,806 sales at a median of £335,000, down 1.5 percent year on year. New build stock commands a premium of about 14.9 percent over existing homes on 51 new build completions, which matters directly to how we read a developer's sales assumptions.
What Bedford stock actually sells for
| Property type | Median sold price, 12m |
|---|---|
| Detached | £480,000 |
| Semi-detached | £340,000 |
| Terraced | £285,000 |
| Flats | £176,000 |
HM Land Registry price paid data, trailing 12 months, refreshed 5 July 2026.
Live planning activity at Bedford Borough Council
Over the last 3 months our monitors logged 217 relevant applications, 63 approved and 143 awaiting decision, an approval rate of 86 percent on decided cases. Together the live residential applications propose 532 units with an estimated end value of £178m.
Schemes moving through planning now
| Proposal | Units | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Outline application for up to 330 dwellings, open space, drainage, footpath improvements and vehicular access with all matters reserved other than access | 330 | Awaiting decision |
| Outline application for up to 66 dwellings with all matters reserved except Access. | 66 | Awaiting decision |
| Outline planning application for the erection of up to 47 dwellings including affordable housing, with public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage system SuDS and vehicular access. All matters reserved except fo… | 47 | Awaiting decision |
| Reserved matters application relating to the details of the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of 25/02562/M73 for 40 dwellings (including affordable housing). | 40 | Awaiting decision |
Sourced from Bedford Borough Council public register. If one of these is your scheme, we already know the context.
Gap funding for Bedford schemes
The structure is the same one we write everywhere: your senior lender keeps first charge and funds the majority of cost, our mezzanine finance takes a second charge over the next slice, and your equity requirement falls, typically from around 35 percent of cost to 5 or 10. Terms run 6 to 36 months, pricing is indicatively from 12 percent a year, and a complete enquiry gets a term sheet inside 48 hours. Model a Bedford scheme with the leverage calculator, or see the wider county picture on our Bedfordshire page and the national view in the UK development pipeline tracker.
Indicative terms in Bedford
- Loan size£250k to £5m
- Combined leverageUp to 90 to 95% LTC
- Term6 to 36 months
- PricingFrom 12% a year
- SecuritySecond charge plus PGs
- DecisionTerm sheet in 48 hours
Indicative only; every loan is priced case by case.
Mezzanine in Bedford, answered
Do you fund developments in Bedford?
Yes. We lend second-charge mezzanine on residential and mixed-use schemes in Bedford and across Bedfordshire, typically taking combined leverage to 85 to 95 percent of cost alongside a senior facility. Where a case suits another funder better, we arrange it whole of market.
What does the Bedford market look like right now?
Over the last 12 months Bedford recorded 1,806 sales at a median of £335,000, down 1.5 percent year on year. The live planning pipeline holds 498 units with an estimated GDV of £167m. The figures on this page refresh as the underlying Land Registry and planning data updates.
Does new build stock sell at a premium in Bedford?
On the last 12 months of Land Registry data, the 51 new build sales in Bedford priced about 14.9 percent above comparable existing stock. That premium is one of the first numbers we check when we underwrite a Bedford appraisal.
How quickly can a Bedford scheme get terms?
A complete enquiry gets a considered credit view and term sheet inside 48 hours, and typical enquiry to drawdown is 4 to 6 weeks, run in parallel with your senior lender.
More Bedfordshire markets
Luton
478 pipeline units, £83.7m est. GDV
View Luton → BedfordshireBiggleswade
374 sales, median £355k
View Biggleswade → BedfordshireDunstable
796 sales, median £329k
View Dunstable → BedfordshireFlitwick
3,532 sales, median £355k
View Flitwick → BedfordshireLeighton Buzzard
713 sales, median £340k
View Leighton Buzzard →Building in Bedford?
Share the scheme and get a term sheet in 48 hours, underwritten with the same Bedford evidence on this page.