A UK bridging lender asks two questions before releasing funds: what is the security worth if it must be sold quickly, and how does the borrower get out? The valuation answers the first. Its timing is mostly outside the lender's control. The quality of what is sent to the valuer is not.
Desktop, AVM or Red Book
- Red Book valuation. A report by a RICS registered valuer, normally after an inspection, stating market value and, in bridging, often a value over a restricted sale period. The valuer carries professional liability for it.
- Desktop valuation. A valuer's opinion from documents and market evidence, without inspection.
- AVM. A statistical estimate from records of comparable transactions. It carries no professional opinion.
Which of these a lender accepts is its own policy, usually tied to loan size, property type and LTV. Ask the lender, or read its criteria; this page does not set one.
What drives valuation timing
Published turnaround figures range from a few days to several weeks. We have not measured valuer turnaround and quote none. The drivers are known, though: the valuer's diary, access to the building, the property type, and whether the pack arrives complete. A missing lease, EPC or tenancy schedule restarts the clock; the lender can remove that delay by checking the pack first.
What the lender checks
- Value on the right basis. Market value, plus a restricted-period value if the policy uses one.
- Title and tenure. Freehold or leasehold, unexpired term, charges already on the property.
- Tenancies. Rent, lease dates, break options, arrears and the strength of each tenant.
- Planning and use. The lawful use against what the business plan assumes.
- Energy rating and condition. Both limit what can be let or sold, and what a works budget must cover.
- Exit. A refinance that clears the loan with headroom, or a sale that clears it at the restricted value.
Worked example (illustrative figures)
None of this describes a real loan or a real lender's policy. It shows how the binding constraint changes.
A borrower agrees to buy an office for 2,000,000 pounds. The Red Book valuation returns a market value of 1,900,000 pounds, below the price, and a 180-day value of 1,600,000 pounds. The example policy allows a gross loan of up to 65% of market value and up to 75% of the 180-day value, whichever is lower.
| Test | Limit |
|---|---|
| 65% of market value (1,900,000) | 1,235,000 |
| 75% of 180-day value (1,600,000) | 1,200,000 |
The 180-day test binds, so the gross loan is 1,200,000 pounds: 63% of market value, 75% of the 180-day value and 60% of the price. With 12 months of interest at 0.85% a month rolled up (122,400) and a 2% arrangement fee (24,000), the net advance is 1,053,600 pounds. Sizing from market value alone would have lent 35,000 pounds more than the 180-day test allows.
Where Titleman fits, and what it does not replace
Before a valuer is instructed, Titleman reads the borrower's package, tests the stated price against sourced evidence, and lists what the file lacks, such as a lease, rent schedule or EPC. Each figure is traced to its source file. Its record data is deepest in the United States; it has no UK transaction database of its own and works from 2,100+ sources and the documents supplied.
It does not replace a Red Book valuation, a report on title, or the lender's credit decision. It does not apply UK tax or lease law. See how a bridging request moves through a pre-valuation check.
FAQ
How long does a commercial bridging valuation take?
Published figures range from days to weeks. We have not measured it, so we quote no number. A complete pack is the part a lender controls.
What is the difference between a desktop valuation, an AVM and a Red Book valuation?
Red Book: full report, usually inspected, with professional liability. Desktop: a valuer's opinion without inspection. AVM: a statistical estimate. Each lender sets what it accepts.
What do UK bridging lenders check?
Value on the lender's basis, title and tenure, tenancies, planning use, energy rating and a credible exit.
Can AI replace a Red Book valuation?
No. It can check the pack before the valuer is instructed.
Updated 25 October 2026.