Bridging Loan Calculator
Short-term bridge loan total cost.
Calculate the total cost of a short-term bridging loan including monthly interest and arrangement fees over a chosen exit timeline.
What this tool does
Bridging loans charge monthly interest plus an upfront arrangement fee, making total cost heavily front-loaded. This calculator takes your loan amount, monthly interest rate, term length in months, and arrangement fee percentage to estimate the total amount required to repay at the end of the term. The result combines deferred interest (accrued monthly and paid on exit) with the upfront arrangement fee. Loan amount and monthly rate are the primary drivers of final cost. A typical scenario involves a property transaction where short-term funding bridges a timing gap between purchase and sale completion. The calculator assumes simple interest charged monthly and paid in full at exit rather than serviced during the term. Results are estimates for illustration only and don't account for early repayment, rate changes, or other fees that may apply.
Quick answer: with the default values, the result is $16,000.00 (Total Cost of Bridge). Adjust the values below for your own figures.
Enter Values
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Formula Used
Disclaimer
Results are estimates for educational purposes only. They do not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Bridging loans are short-term — typically up to around 12 months, sometimes longer — and priced monthly rather than annually. A 1% monthly rate annualises to about 12% on a simple basis; compounding would make the effective rate a little higher. Plus a 2% arrangement fee on day one. A 200,000 bridge at 1% per month for 6 months, 2% fee: roughly 12,000 interest and 4,000 fee — 16,000 total.
Run it with sensible defaults
Using loan amount of 200,000, monthly rate of 1%, term of 6, arrangement fee of 2%, the calculation works out to 16,000.00. These example values are a starting point, not a recommendation.
The levers in this calculation
The inputs — Loan Amount, Monthly Rate, Term, and Arrangement Fee — do not pull with equal force. Adjusting one input at a time toward extreme values shows which ones move the result most.
How the math works
Simple monthly interest (most bridge loans) plus arrangement fee. Interest accrues each month on the original loan amount and is paid at exit rather than serviced monthly; total cost is similar either way.
What the headline rate hides
Lenders quote a rate; what you pay is a blend of that rate, fees, insurance, and any early-repayment penalty built into the product. The figure here isolates the core interest cost so you can compare like-for-like across deals; fees, insurance, and other costs sit on top of that base.
What this doesn't capture
The figure shown reflects the core calculation; additional costs such as valuation, legal fees, insurance, and any early-repayment charges (where applicable) sit on top and can add materially to the total cost of borrowing. Rates and product terms can also change over the life of the loan, which can shift the picture relative to this fixed-snapshot estimate.
Worked example
Suppose you borrow 300,000 at 1.2% monthly for 9 months with a 2.5% arrangement fee:
- Arrangement fee: 300,000 × 2.5% = 7,500 (due upfront)
- Monthly interest over 9 months at 1.2% (simple) = 32,400
- Total repayment: 339,900
The arrangement fee hits your cash immediately. The interest accrues monthly on the original loan amount and is paid at exit.
When this metric matters
Bridging loans appear in property transactions where timing mismatches exist — for example, needing funds before a sale completes or before refinancing closes. The short, high-cost nature means total outlay varies sharply with term length and rate. Comparing two bridge offers requires both the headline monthly rate and the upfront fee structure.
What this illustrates and what it does not
This calculator models the core interest and fee arithmetic for a bridging loan under standard terms. It illustrates how simple monthly interest and upfront fees combine to form the total repayment amount. It does not predict actual lender pricing, model partial repayments, account for rate resets, include regulatory fees, or estimate cashflow timing. The result serves as an educational comparison tool to understand the mechanics, not as a binding quote.
A £200,000 bridging loan at 1% monthly rate over 6 months results in a total cost of $16,000.00.
Inputs
| Interest | $12,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Arrangement Fee | $4,000.00 |
| Simple Annualised Rate | 12.00% |
| Term (Months) | 6 |
This example uses typical values for illustration. Adjust the inputs above to match a specific situation and see how the result changes.
Sources & Methodology
Methodology
This calculator computes the total cost of a bridge loan by adding two components. First, it calculates interest charges by multiplying the loan amount by the monthly interest rate (expressed as a decimal) and the loan term in months. Second, it adds the arrangement fee by applying the stated fee percentage to the loan amount. The calculation assumes simple monthly interest on the original loan amount, deferred to the loan exit date rather than serviced during the term. It treats both interest and fees as payable at loan exit. The model does not account for early repayment discounts, redemption penalties, valuation fees, legal costs, or the impact of interest servicing during the term, though a serviced interest structure would typically produce a similar total cost. Bridging loan structures and pricing conventions vary by jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why not an APR figure?
Rolled-up vs serviced?
Why so expensive?
Typical use cases?
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