Light Refurbishment vs Heavy Refurbishment: What’s the Difference?

We often get asked whether we offer heavy refurb bridging. Just to keep things clear — we don’t, we only do light refurb. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Light Refurb

The property needs to be watertight, structurally sound, and have all utilities connected. Cosmetic updates only (painting, flooring, kitchen refreshes, etc.). No brownfield or development sites.

What We Offer at Mercantile Trust

  • Loans from £25,000 to £500,000
  • Loan Term: 1–18 months
  • Up to 75% LTV, first or second charges
  • Minimum property value £75,000
  • Monthly or rolled-up interest
  • No legal fees on second charges, unencumbered properties, and remortgages up to £100,000 in England, Wales, and Scotland
  • We can look at adverse credit

Heavy Refurb
Anything structural — extensions, conversions, layout changes, or full back-to-brick jobs. These aren’t something we can lend on at the moment.

You can read more in our blog here:

https://www.mercantiletrust.co.uk/resources/light-refurbishment-vs-heavy-refurbishment-what-s-the-difference

If you have a case you want to chat through, just give me a shout!

 Nina Kainth

Nina.Kainth@mercantiletrust.co.uk

01923 280297 | 07562 209858