EAS Finance — Kent
Development Finance Kent
Property development finance for Kent developers. Ground-up builds, conversions, refurbishments and development exits. Structured around your project and your exit.
Discuss your projectAbout this service
Development finance for Kent projects
EAS Finance arranges development finance for property developers working across Kent — from single-unit refurbishments to multi-unit ground-up schemes, commercial conversions, and development exit facilities. EAS Finance arranges development finance for projects in Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway, Folkestone, Ashford, Thanet, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford, Sevenoaks and throughout the county.
Kent’s development market has specific characteristics that affect how finance is structured and which lenders are appropriate. Planning complexity, nutrient neutrality constraints in east Kent, regeneration activity in coastal towns, high land values in the commuter belt, and a varied mix of project types from coastal refurbishments to commuter-belt new builds all shape the lending landscape.
We are a broker, not a lender. Our role is to assess the project economics honestly, structure the deal correctly, and place it with the lender most likely to deliver on the terms your project requires. Development finance is more complex than bridging — the wrong lender, or a poorly packaged application, can cost months and material money. Getting the structure right at the outset matters.
Indicative figures. Terms depend on project specifics, GDV, borrower track record and lender appetite. Speak to us for a deal assessment.
Project types
Development finance for every stage and project type
Development finance is not a single product. The right structure depends on what is being built, what stage you are at, the planning position, your track record, and your exit. The options below cover the main project types we arrange finance for in Kent.
Ground-up residential
New-build houses and apartment schemes on cleared or previously developed land. Senior debt typically advances up to 65% of GDV with staged drawdowns tied to build progress. A construction contingency — usually 5% of build costs for cleared sites — is standard. Lenders assess the planning consent, unit mix, build cost schedule and exit comparables.
Commercial to residential conversion
Converting offices, retail units and commercial buildings to residential use. Permitted development rights (Class MA) apply in some Kent locations, though Article 4 Directions have removed them in certain town centre areas. Where full planning is required the timeline is longer and lenders factor in the planning risk. Build cost contingencies for conversions typically run to 7.5–10% given the risk of unforeseen structural issues.
Heavy refurbishment
Structural works, change of layout, extension and significant improvement to existing properties. The boundary between heavy refurbishment and development finance varies by lender. Projects involving structural walls, change of use, or works exceeding a certain percentage of property value will require development finance rather than a refurbishment bridging product.
Mixed-use developments
Schemes combining residential units with commercial ground floors — retail, office or leisure — are common in Kent’s market towns and regeneration areas. Mixed-use underwriting is more complex than pure residential because the commercial element has different yield assumptions and a different exit. Lender appetite varies significantly.
Land purchase with or without planning
Acquiring land ahead of planning consent is possible with specialist lenders, though LTVs are lower and lender appetite more restricted than for consented sites. Land with planning permission attracts stronger terms. Land without planning — or with conditional consent only — needs a credible and realistic planning timeline before a lender will commit.
Development exits
When a scheme is near completion but the development loan term is running short and sales or refinance have not yet completed, a development exit facility repays the senior lender and gives the developer time to achieve the right outcome. Exit facilities in Kent are an active product given the number of residential schemes at various stages across the county.
Barn conversions and rural projects
Kent has significant rural and agricultural stock. Barn conversions, agricultural building conversions and rural renovation projects require specialist lenders with appetite for non-standard construction and rural planning. Class Q permitted development rights apply to some agricultural buildings, though the position needs checking for each site.
Coastal and regeneration area projects
Folkestone, Margate, Ramsgate, Whitstable and other coastal towns have active development markets driven by regeneration investment, creative-sector migration and London buyers seeking coastal value. Period and non-standard coastal stock, and properties in conservation areas, require lenders who understand the local market and the constraints that come with it.
The Kent market
What makes Kent development finance distinctive
Kent is not a uniform development market. The conditions and constraints in a Maidstone town centre scheme are different from a coastal refurbishment in Thanet or a commuter-belt new build near Sevenoaks. Understanding the county’s specific issues helps explain both the opportunities and the obstacles.
Nutrient neutrality in east Kent. Development in parts of Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Thanet and Maidstone has been affected by nutrient neutrality requirements linked to the Stodmarsh nature reserve and the River Stour catchment. Projects providing overnight accommodation — including new housing — within the affected catchment area must demonstrate nutrient neutrality before building can commence. A mitigation credit scheme operated by Stour Environmental Credits is now active and beginning to unlock previously stalled projects. If your scheme is in east Kent, the nutrient neutrality position needs to be confirmed and documented before finance is structured. Lenders will want evidence that the mitigation route is in place, not merely anticipated.
High land values and viability pressure. The Kent Property Market Report 2025/26 found that nearly seven in ten property professionals surveyed identified high land values as the biggest challenge facing Kent developers. Land costs near commuter stations and in the commuter belt have been driven up by London buyer demand, squeezing development margins when build costs are also elevated. A scheme that pencils at a strong GDV in normal conditions can become marginal when land was acquired at peak and build costs have moved. Lenders assess viability carefully, and a realistic appraisal is a stronger application than an optimistic one.
Regeneration creating active opportunity. Several Kent towns are in significant regeneration phases backed by public funding. Coastal towns in Thanet — Margate and Ramsgate — have received substantial government investment through Town Deal, Levelling Up and Plan for Neighbourhoods programmes. Gravesend, Dartford, Maidstone and Medway all have major development schemes progressing. Regeneration areas produce bridging and development finance demand — commercial-to-residential conversions, refurbishment of period stock, mixed-use schemes, and development exits on projects completing into an improving local market.
Planning constraints — AONB and Green Belt. The Kent Downs National Landscape (formerly AONB) and Metropolitan Green Belt cover significant parts of the county, particularly in west and north Kent. Biodiversity net gain requirements add a further layer to planning applications. These are not reasons to avoid affected areas, but they affect planning timelines, development scope and lender appetite. A project where the exit depends on a planning consent that the designation makes uncertain is a weaker case than one with consent already in place.
Commuter belt and coastal — two different markets. West Kent commuter towns — Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells — have high land values, strong demand from London buyers and a premium family housing market. East Kent coastal towns — Folkestone, Margate, Ramsgate, Whitstable — have lower entry values, regeneration momentum and a different buyer profile. The finance structures, lender appetite and exit assumptions for each are different. A broker who treats Kent as a single market is not useful to either type of developer.
Underwriting perspective
What lenders assess on a Kent development case
-
1
The project appraisal — GDV, costs and margin
Development lenders assess gross development value, total costs (land, build, professional fees, finance costs, contingency) and the resulting profit margin. Most lenders require a minimum profit on GDV of around 20% before they will consider a scheme, though this varies. In Kent, GDV needs to be supported by recent comparable sales in the specific area — not the county average. A scheme in Margate and a scheme in Sevenoaks are underwritten against completely different comparable evidence.
-
2
Planning status
Full planning consent with no onerous conditions gives the strongest position. Reserved matters consent, outline permission and conditional consent are all workable but attract greater scrutiny and sometimes lower LTV. Land without planning carries the highest risk and the most limited lender pool. In Kent, where nutrient neutrality affects parts of Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Thanet and Maidstone, and AONB restrictions affect rural areas, the planning position needs to be presented clearly and honestly — conditions or restrictions that are discovered at legal stage rather than disclosed at application stage cause delays and sometimes deal failures.
-
3
Developer track record
First-time developers can access development finance, but available terms reflect the additional risk. A first-timer on a complex conversion will face more limited lender choice, lower LTV and more monitoring than an experienced developer with completed schemes. For first-time developers, the professional team — architect, project manager, structural engineer, QS — carries significant weight. A strong team can partially compensate for limited personal track record. Experienced developers with clean completed schemes will access a wider lender pool and stronger terms.
-
4
Exit strategy and evidence
An exit based on sale needs comparable evidence and a realistic sales period. An exit based on refinance onto buy-to-let or commercial mortgages needs the completed scheme to meet those lenders’ criteria. In Kent’s coastal towns, where the buyer profile can include holiday let purchasers, second-home buyers and London movers, the sales evidence needs to reflect who the actual buyers will be. Lenders will stress-test the exit — applying a discount to GDV to assess whether the senior debt is protected even if sales come in below expectations.
-
5
Build cost schedule and contingency
Lenders want a detailed and credible build cost schedule, ideally prepared or reviewed by a quantity surveyor. Most lenders will fund 100% of the build costs within the facility — the developer’s equity is applied to the land, not the build. Ground-up schemes typically require a 5% contingency within the cost plan. Conversion projects — where unforeseen structural issues are more likely — typically require 7.5 to 10%. A cost schedule that looks thin on contingency will be challenged. One that is padded unrealistically will reduce the available facility. The right number is an honest one.
-
6
Monitoring and staged drawdowns
Development finance is drawn down in stages as build progresses, not as a single advance. Each drawdown is triggered by a monitoring surveyor’s inspection confirming works have reached the relevant stage. Understanding the drawdown mechanism — and timing cash flow against it — is important for developers managing contractor payments. A lender who monitors closely and releases funds efficiently is often worth more than one offering a marginally cheaper rate who is slow at drawdown stage.
Senior debt and stretched senior — what they mean in practice. Most development lenders will fund up to 100% of build costs within the facility, with the developer’s equity going into the land purchase rather than the build. The overall facility is then capped at 60–65% of GDV — whichever constraint is more restrictive determines the total advance. On a well-margined scheme where GDV is comfortably above total costs, a developer can contribute as little as 15–20% of total project costs as equity, with the lender covering the remainder including the full build. Stretched senior debt — a first-charge facility from a specialist lender — extends the GDV cap to 70–75%, reducing the equity contribution further. The right structure depends on the project economics. Higher leverage is not always the right answer — the cost of the additional debt needs to sit within the project margin.
Coverage
Kent towns and areas we cover
We work with developers across Kent. The areas below reflect where we see the most development finance activity, though we cover the whole county and assess cases on their merits regardless of location.
East Kent — nutrient neutrality check required. If your project is in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Thanet or parts of Maidstone district, confirm whether the site falls within the Stour catchment nutrient neutrality area before progressing to finance. Dover District Council confirmed in 2022 that its area is no longer affected following hydrological modelling. Stour Environmental Credits operates the mitigation credit scheme for affected areas. Lenders will require confirmation of the nutrient neutrality position before issuing a formal offer on affected sites.
EAS Finance
How we work with Kent developers
EAS Finance is an independent commercial and property finance brokerage covering development finance, bridging, commercial mortgages, buy-to-let, auction finance and business finance. We cover Kent, London, Surrey and the South East.
For development finance, our starting point is always the appraisal. Before a lender sees any case, we want to understand the GDV assumptions, the cost schedule, the planning position and the exit. If the numbers are tight, or the planning position has complications, it is better to identify that before approaching lenders. A well-structured, honest application produces faster decisions and better terms than one that asks a lender to work things out for themselves.
As an independent broker we are not tied to any lender or panel. We access the full range of development finance providers — challenger banks, specialist development lenders, debt funds and private lenders — and match each case to the lender with genuine appetite for that specific project type, location and borrower profile.
“The appraisal first, the lender second.”
Development finance cases that fail do so for predictable reasons — GDV overestimated, costs underestimated, planning risk not disclosed, exit not credible. A broker who challenges the numbers before the application stage saves the developer far more than the fee costs.
We work with:
- ✓ First-time developers
- ✓ Experienced and serial developers
- ✓ SPV and limited company borrowers
- ✓ Joint venture and partnership structures
- ✓ Professional introducers — solicitors, surveyors, agents
- ✓ Cases that require honest appraisal before lender approach
Frequently asked
Questions about development finance in Kent
How much can I borrow for a Kent development project?
Most development lenders will fund up to 100% of build costs within the facility, with the developer’s equity contribution going into the land purchase. The total facility is then capped at 60–65% of GDV — whichever constraint produces the lower figure is the binding one. On a well-margined Kent scheme, a developer can contribute as little as 15–20% of total project costs as equity, with the lender covering the build in full. Stretched senior debt from specialist lenders can extend the GDV cap to 70–75%, reducing equity requirements further, from a single first-charge lender. The right structure depends on the project economics and the equity available. We work through the appraisal before recommending a structure.
Can I get development finance as a first-time developer in Kent?
Yes, though the terms available to first-time developers reflect the additional risk. Lenders will look closely at the professional team — architect, project manager, quantity surveyor — as a partial substitute for personal track record. A straightforward first scheme — a single new-build house or a light conversion — is more accessible to a first-timer than a complex multi-unit scheme. Our role is to give an honest assessment of what is achievable and structure the case correctly before approaching lenders.
Does nutrient neutrality affect development finance in east Kent?
Yes, indirectly. Lenders will not offer a formal facility on a site within the Stour catchment nutrient neutrality area unless the mitigation position is confirmed. If your site requires nutrient neutrality compliance, you need to have either purchased mitigation credits through Stour Environmental Credits or have a clear route to doing so before the finance application is complete. The nutrient neutrality issue has been affecting projects in parts of Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone, Thanet and Maidstone. The mitigation credit scheme is now operational and beginning to unlock previously stalled sites.
What is the difference between development finance and a bridging loan?
Bridging finance is typically used to acquire a property quickly, with a defined exit within 12 to 24 months. Development finance is specifically structured for construction or conversion projects — it advances funds in staged drawdowns as build progresses, with interest rolled up and repaid at exit through sales or refinance. For projects involving significant works, structural changes or new build, development finance is the appropriate product. For straightforward acquisitions with a quick exit, bridging may be sufficient. Some projects use both — a bridge to acquire quickly, then a development facility for the build phase.
How long does it take to arrange development finance in Kent?
A straightforward case with good planning, a credible appraisal and an experienced developer can move from application to offer in two to four weeks. More complex cases — first-time developers, unusual project types, planning conditions to be resolved, or nutrient neutrality to be confirmed — take longer. We give realistic timelines at the start rather than quoting best-case speeds. Development finance is not the same speed as bridging.
Can you arrange development finance for a conversion in a Kent conservation area?
Yes, with the right lender. Conservation area designation affects what can be done with the property, not whether it can be funded. The planning consent and any conditions attached to it need to be clear. If the scheme involves works that require conservation area consent — or if there are listed building implications — the consent needs to be in place and documented. A project with conservation area consent and a clean planning position is straightforward to fund. One where the consent is uncertain or where the works exceed what the consent covers is a different case.
Do you work with Kent-based professional introducers?
Yes. We work with solicitors, accountants, surveyors, architects and estate agents who encounter clients requiring development finance. Kent’s professional community regularly handles transactions where a client has a development project but no established finance relationship. We handle referrals professionally, protect the client relationship, and operate on a transparent commission basis.
Get in touch
Discuss a Kent development project
Tell us about your scheme. We will give you an honest assessment of the finance options, the likely structure and whether we can help.
Enquire now Call us directly