When heritage constraints and unresolved planning conditions shut the door on traditional lenders, Xander Wealth found a way through.
We’re pleased to announce the successful completion of a £1.25 million development exit loan for a developer in Kent — a deal that required both creative structuring and a lender willing to go where others wouldn’t.
The Site
The project centred on a part-complete barn conversion in Kent, transforming a heritage agricultural building into a mixed-use scheme comprising residential units and a commercial element. The bones of the development were solid — but the site came with complications that made it a non-starter for the majority of the market.
The Challenge
Several issues combined to take this deal firmly outside standard lending criteria:
- Remaining construction works still to be completed across the scheme
- Outstanding heritage and planning conditions yet to be discharged by the local authority
- A mixed-use asset profile — residential and commercial under the same facility
- Time pressure — the developer needed breathing room to finish the works properly, not a lender forcing a rushed exit
For most development exit lenders, that combination is a hard no. Incomplete works alone often triggers a refusal; add unresolved planning conditions and a heritage overlay, and most credit committees walk away without a second look.
The Solution
Xander Wealth worked with the developer to understand the full picture — the works remaining, the planning timeline, and what a realistic exit looked like. Rather than forcing the deal into a box it didn’t fit, we sourced a bespoke facility built around the actual requirements of the scheme.
The facility at a glance:
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Detail
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Terms
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Loan Amount
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£1,250,000
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LTV — Residential
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75%
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LTV — Commercial
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65%
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Term
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18 months
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Rate
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0.84% PCM
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Arrangement Fee
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2%
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Broker Fee
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0.5%
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The 18-month term was key. It gave the developer the runway to complete the outstanding works, engage meaningfully with the heritage and planning authority to satisfy the remaining conditions, and then take the site to market at the right time — not under duress.
Leverage was maximised across both asset classes: 75% LTV across the residential elements and 65% LTV on the commercial unit, giving the developer maximum capital efficiency while maintaining a structure the lender was comfortable with.
The Outcome
The facility completed, the developer has the funding and the time needed to see the project through properly — and a clear path to a clean, well-positioned sale once conditions are discharged and the works are done.
This is exactly the kind of deal where experience and lender relationships make all the difference. Standard criteria didn’t apply here. What did apply was a thorough understanding of the asset, a credible exit strategy, and access to a lender with the appetite to back it.
Thinking About a Development Exit?
If your project doesn’t fit the standard mould — whether that’s incomplete works, planning complications, a mixed-use profile, or a tight timeline — we’d encourage you to speak to us before assuming the market won’t support it.
We’ve built relationships with over 200 lenders specifically to handle deals like this one.
