providing long-term financial stability

We were introduced to a roofing company with an urgent need to secure approximately £1.4 million to buy out an outgoing director.

Time was critical, as they had financial obligations to meet, and securing the funds quickly was essential.

Despite having resolved all liabilities from a previously wound-up company, their history made lenders hesitant, adding complexity to the funding process.

We acted quickly. Leveraging our strong relationship with Together Money, a lender known for its flexibility in handling complex cases, we secured a bridging loan against the business premises, allowing the company to access the £1.4 million they needed.

At the same time, we worked with NatWest Bank to explore a long-term exit loan. Despite initial concerns due to the company’s history, NatWest took a proactive approach, engaging with us to assess the full picture. Through a series of meetings, we gathered all necessary documentation and facilitated the loan process.

Thanks to close collaboration between Forecast Finance, NatWest, and the client, a formal funding application was submitted. Within a short timeframe, NatWest approved a 15-year loan with fixed interest payments, enough to fully repay the bridging loan and provide long-term financial stability.

This process, which took approximately eight months due to its complexity, ultimately delivered a successful outcome. The company transitioned from short-term funding to a sustainable financial solution, eliminating previous financial pressures.

With a solid banking relationship now in place, our client can focus on business growth with confidence.

This result highlights the value of strong lender relationships and the proactive approach we take at Forecast Finance to support our clients.

finance For A GP Practice Acquisition

Our client, referred by a long-standing contact of Forecast Finance, needed funding to purchase a GP practice under a tight deadline.

The urgency was driven by the vendor’s concern that the Autumn Budget 2024 would negatively impact the deal, pushing for completion within four weeks.

Recognising the importance of meeting this deadline, we quickly identified Lloyds Bank as a suitable lender and worked closely with key stakeholders to secure the financing.

The agreed purchase price of £955,000 fell between two valuations: £1,075,000 (2019, vendor-instructed) and £835,000 (2024, buyer-instructed). The loan covered 100% of the B&M purchase price, with any shortfall split equally among the three partners as an unsecured loan.

The practice was in good condition, requiring only minor cosmetic upgrades. The partners had set aside £150,000 for improvements but chose to defer spending until after the acquisition.

With 7,900 patients growing at 10% annually and a maximum capacity of 12,000, the practice showed strong growth potential. The notional rent was £65,000 per annum, and a rent increase application was intentionally deferred to maintain a lower B&M valuation pre-purchase.

To optimise tax efficiency, the partners secured confirmation from HMRC that Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) would not apply. They also sought the longest available loan term, ideally 25 years, and expressed flexibility in relocating their banking relationship if necessary to secure the best possible financing terms.

Despite an unforeseen legal delay, we successfully navigated the challenges, ensuring the client had access to competitive funding options. Our expertise in structuring the deal, combined with our strong lender relationships, allowed us to position the transaction favourably in the market.

Commercial Mortgage for a Scrap Yard

A client came to us directly to raise funds for the daily running costs of their business against a scrapyard site they owned in London. This site contained four separate titles which were to be formally merged at HM Land Registry, which was undertaken during the legal process.

We chose Together Money as the lender for this project due to the complexity of the site and the fact that it was mostly land with some temporary buildings. We worked closely with the lender to structure the deal in a way that suited all parties, ensuring that our client’s business was producing enough in profit to meet the affordability criteria.

We maintained clear and constant communication with the client to collect and sort their data while also speaking with their solicitor to ensure the Land Registry titles were pulled together as required.

We provided a commercial mortgage with a 49% LTV totalling £294,835 over a 10-year term. The whole transaction was completed within 12 weeks of contact and the client was thrilled with the outcome.

Securing a New Commercial Mortgage

We were introduced to a client who was looking to refinance a well located semi-commercial property, as the rate they held with their current lender was coming to an end. 

The client has owned the property since 2017 and has run a successful newsagents and off licence on the ground floor ever since. The three-bed flat above the retail unit was once the family home, but the client purchased a new home in 2021 and it is now on an assured shorthold tenancy agreement.

We identified Allica Bank as the perfect lender for the client’s needs, who offered a new like-for-like loan with a better interest rate than the other potential options the client had available. 

£2.35m Commercial Mortgage Refinance

An existing client of ours who ran his own business reached out to Forecast Finance directly for a commercial mortgage refinance worth £2,350,000. He banked with a high street bank who were not able to increase his lending due to insufficient affordability demonstrated within his financial accounts.

The client needed the loan for two key reasons. The first was to repay a previous loan worth £1,800,000 from the high street bank, while the remainder would be used for Corporation Tax payments which had become overdue and to repay other creditors within the business.

Our client’s financial complications had occurred due to some personal distractions over the previous few years, but his business remained strong. There were several factors impacting both our client and his business which had closed traditional routes of funding, and he needed expert help to get him on the right path.

Paul at Forecast Finance worked closely with the client to understand his situation and recognised the necessity of a stepping stone loan to help him out of a difficult spot. Having contacted several traditional commercial lenders, Paul devised a way of helping our client repair the business’s financial position.

Working alongside the client’s solicitor and accountant, both of whom Forecast Finance liaised with at length, and the forward thinking and flexibility of Together Money who were chosen as the funder, a loan worth £2,350,000 was agreed for the client quickly.