FR: You set up Inspired Lending just over two years ago. How have those first years been, and what does your role involve day-to-day?
It has been busy, but in a very positive way. I have been in specialist lending for getting on for two decades now, mostly in short-term property finance, so Inspired Lending is really a continuation of that story rather than a complete change.
I am a chartered accountant by training and I actually came into bridging on the finance side before moving across into operations and lending. That mix still shapes how I work today. My job is to make sure that every case starts with a clear funding need, a sensible structure and, crucially, a realistic exit.
Day-to-day I spend a lot of time talking to brokers. I want to understand the transaction in front of us, but also what the client is trying to achieve in the round. Then it is about working with the team to find a way we can support that, without forcing it into a “product” that does not fit.
FR: You have written recently that bridging has moved from last resort to first step. How do you think advisers should view bridging finance now, especially in a post-Budget world where liquidity is under pressure?
For a long time, bridging carried a reputation as the thing you reached for when everything else had failed. You could not get bank funding, timescales were acute, so you used bridging as a kind of emergency measure.
What I would say now is that bridging sits much closer to the front of the conversation. Clients are asset-rich, but in many cases they are cash-constrained. The recent Budget, and the focus on high-value property and static wealth, has pushed that into sharper focus. People want to move funds around, manage tax points, or re-shape portfolios without being forced into rushed sales.
So I think advisers should see bridging as a liquidity tool that gives clients more control over timing and outcomes. It is still short-term debt and it still needs careful handling, but when you start with “What is the client trying to achieve over the next twelve to twenty-four months?” rather than “Can we plug a gap by Friday?”, you tend to get better structures and ultimately, better exits.
FR: Complex refurb and conversion schemes are a big part of your book. What makes these projects different, and what do you want brokers to keep in mind when structuring them?
Look, these are exactly the types of deals that rarely fit into a traditional product set. You might have a ground-floor retail unit staying as investment, with offices above that are being converted into flats. Or a mixed portfolio where one asset is being improved while another supports the leverage. On paper that can look messy, but it is what specialist lenders, such as ourselves, do every day.
The starting point for us is simple. What is the current value of the security today, and what is it likely to be worth once the client has done what they plan to do? Then we look at what it will cost to get from one to the other, and how they plan to repay us at the end. That is often a blend of sale and refinance rather than one clean event.
From a broker perspective, the more detail you can bring on those elements up-front, the better. What is the works schedule? How realistic is the cost plan? What is plan B if sales are slower, or if planning takes longer than expected? When that thinking is done early, we can structure facilities that recognise both the investment element and the development element, rather than trying to treat everything as if it were a standard single-asset loan, often using additional security to reduce the borrower’s cash input.
FR: You often say the exit is everything. What does an “exit-first” mindset look like in practice for advisers and their clients?
In bridging, everyone talks about exits, but there is a difference between naming one and really planning it. An exit-first mindset means you start with the question “How do we get out of this facility in a safe way if things take longer or the world moves against us a little.”
From a lender’s side, we want to see that those questions have been considered. It does not have to be perfect or guaranteed, because things change, but we want to know there is more behind the exit than a line on a form. When advisers build-in that thinking early, it changes the whole tone of the case. It becomes less about speed for its own sake and more about helping the client reach a clear point on the other side.
FR: Communication is another theme you talk about a lot. What does good adviser and lender communication look like during the life of a loan, and what can brokers expect from Inspired Lending in 2026?
Good communication is not about daily calls or long reports. It is about staying in touch often enough that no one is surprised. On our side, we do not lend for twelve months and then resurface two weeks before maturity to ask how things are going. We keep in contact through the term, check progress on works or sales, and give borrowers space to flag issues before they turn into problems.
In return, we value borrowers and brokers who are open with us. If costs are rising, if a buyer has pulled out, or if a refinance has been delayed, we would rather know early. Silence is usually a sign that something is not quite right. A quick call or email can give everyone more options and more time.
What we want next year is straightforward. We plan to keep doing what works, but with more scale behind it. The types of cases we support are not changing, but we would like to reach more brokers and have more time with them, which is why we are looking to add an additional person into the sales team early in the year. This will give us better reach and help us keep pace with the calls, visits and follow-ups that matter.
And without saying too much, we have been working on something in the background that sits alongside our current bridging offer. It is not quite ready to talk about, but it is something we expect to move forward early in the year. The aim is to give advisers another way to support clients who want short-term access to funds without having to commit to a full refinance or sale straight away.
So in short, more contact, more capacity, and a few new ideas that should give brokers a stronger set of options in 2026. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far and looking forward to building on that positive momentum.
