Bridging finance (also known as a bridging loan) is a short-term finance option where a sum of money is lent solely for the purpose of paying a debt until longer-term finance, such as a mortgage or funds from another source (the sale of a property or receipt of an inheritance perhaps) becomes available, thus ‘bridging a gap’.

Bridging loans are always secured on property or land and are widely used to facilitate property purchases which, without such funding, would not be possible. One of the most important factors in getting a bridging loan agreed is to make sure a solid repayment method is already in place when it is applied for.