Buy or Build Now. Pay It Out When You Sell.
Bridging loans for WA families, investors and developers who need to move or get projects done without waiting for money to catch up.
A bridging loan is short-term funding that covers the gap between where you are now and where you're headed next – your new home, your downsize, or your next build. In many cases, you don't make regular repayments during the bridging period – interest is added to the loan and cleared when your sale or project settlements come through.
Pilbara Finance helps you work out the numbers, choose a lender and structure the bridge so it supports your move or project instead of stressing your cash flow.
What Is a Bridging Loan?
A bridging loan is a short-term loan that uses the value (equity) in your current property – and often the new one as well – to give you funds while you're in between.
It's most commonly used when you want to buy a new place before you've sold the old one, or when a project or site needs money now but your cash is tied up in property that hasn't settled yet.
- Designed to cover a gap in time, not to be a long-term loan
- Uses property equity as security
- Usually runs from 1 month up to around 12 months
- Cleared when your current place sells or project settlements land
How a Bridging Loan Works – Step by Step
Work out the gap
We add up what you need for the new property or project (purchase price, costs, build, finish) and look at what's tied up in your existing property or stock. This shows how big a gap the loan needs to cover and for roughly how long.
Secure the funds
The lender uses your property as security and puts a short-term loan in place. That loan covers all or part of the purchase/build until your sale or project settlements come through.
Clear the bridge
When your current home sells or your project settles, the bridging loan is paid down or paid out from those funds. You're then left with whatever long-term loan or cash position you planned to keep.
In many cases, there are no regular repayments on the bridging portion – interest is added to the balance and cleared at the end. We'll explain exactly how it works with the lender we recommend.
How Bridging Can Help WA Families and Homeowners
We use bridging for everyday people who just need a clean way to move house without turning life upside-down.
Buy before you sell
When the right place comes up, you can secure it now and sort the sale of your current home afterwards.
Upsize without renting twice
Move the family once – no storage sheds, no Airbnb, no living out of boxes while you wait.
Downsize without panic selling
Get into a lower-maintenance home, then take your time to present and sell the old place properly.
Move towns without double rent
Shifting between Perth, the Pilbara or elsewhere in Australia? Bridging can cover the overlap so you're not paying rent or mortgages in two places for months.
How Bridging Can Help Developers, Builders and Tradies
Bridging isn't just for family homes. It can also help small developers, owner-builders and tradies keep projects moving.
Secure the next site
Use equity in current property or stock to lock in the next block, duplex or small project before someone else grabs it.
Keep the build moving
Short-term funds to cover materials, trades and completion costs while you're lining up sales or waiting on money to land.
Hold finished stock
Give yourself time to sell completed houses or units properly instead of discounting them just to clear debt.
We'll always pressure-test the plan – sale prices, timelines and costs – before suggesting bridging on any project.
The Upside – and What to Watch Out For
Benefits
- Act fast when the right home or site pops up
- Often no regular repayments on the bridge itself – interest can be added and cleared at settlement
- Avoid temporary accommodation and storage
- More control over sale price – you're not backed into a corner by timing
- Lets you renovate or finish before selling, if that's part of your plan
Things to Watch
- For a period, you may effectively have two facilities in place at once
- If your property or project sells for less or takes longer, you can be left with more debt than planned
- Bridging rates and fees are often higher than standard home loans
- You need a clear exit (sale or settlements) and a buffer in case things don't run perfectly
Our job is to show you the good, the bad and the "if it drags out" scenario so you can decide with eyes open.
How Pilbara Finance Keeps Bridging Sensible
We stress-test the numbers
We model slower sales, sharper buyer offers and project delays – not just the agent's best-case story.
We stay with you through the gap
We don't disappear after approval. We check in around listing, offers and contracts to keep the bridging plan on track.
If Bridging Doesn't Stack Up, What Else Is There?
- Subject-to-sale contract – buy the new place on the condition your current home sells
- Topping up your current home loan (if there's room and it's suitable)
- Using redraw or a line of credit you already have in place
- Delaying the purchase or project until the numbers are safer
- Smaller stage-by-stage projects instead of one big leap
We'll always tell you if a simpler, lower-risk option is a better fit than a bridging loan.
Bridging Loan FAQs
Common questions from WA families, investors and project clients.
In many cases, no regular repayments are required on the bridging portion. Interest is added to the loan and then paid from the sale or settlements at the end. You may still need to keep paying interest or minimums on your existing loan. We'll explain exactly how it works with the lender we recommend.
Usually short-term only – from a few months up to around 12 months is common. The exact timeframe depends on your situation, the lender and how long you realistically need to complete the move or project.
This depends on the value of your properties, your current debt and the lender's limits. Most lenders cap the total amount (your "peak debt") at a percentage of the combined property values. We'll run the numbers and tell you plainly whether there's enough equity to make it work.
If sales or settlements are delayed, interest keeps adding to the loan and the lender may not extend the term forever. That's why we model slower sales and delays from day one and talk through back-up plans before you proceed.
No. Bridging can also be used by investors, small developers, owner-builders and tradies, as long as there's a clear plan for how and when the loan will be cleared.
Definitely not. If equity is tight, income is stretched or the plan relies on everything going perfectly, bridging might not be a good idea. If that's your situation, we'll say so – and help you look at other options.
Still have questions?
Send us your question and we'll tell you, in plain English, whether bridging is likely to work for your situation.
Planning a Move or Project That Needs a Bridge?
Before you sign anything, it's worth seeing how a bridging loan would actually play out. We'll look at your current position, what you want to buy or build, and your likely sale or settlement outcomes – then give you a clear yes/no on whether bridging is a smart tool for you.
Families, investors, developers – bring your plans and we'll talk them through in plain English.
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