Petrol station and automotive bridging loans
Bridging finance for petrol stations.
Petrol station bridging loans fund the purchase or refinance of forecourts, car washes, MOT and repair garages and other automotive property in weeks rather than months: to buy a site as soon as it comes to market, take one on and improve it, or redevelop it. Few lenders take petrol stations, so below you can see who lends on them today and compare their products.
- Compare the bridging market
- We review your case and negotiate the best available terms
- Fast-track completion
Available products, lowest rate pm
- Regulated bridging
- 0.44%
- Loans above £1m
- 0.44%
- Commercial property
- 0.53%
- BoE Bank Rate
- 3.75%
- SONIA
- 3.74%
Recently completed
Bridging cases we've arranged.
Real cases our advisers have placed, from straightforward purchases to the ones other lenders turned down.
Petrol station bridging, explained
What lenders look for in a forecourt.
How a petrol station is valued
A trading petrol station is usually valued as a business, by a RICS surveyor who specialises in roadside property, who looks at fuel volumes, shop sales and any other income, such as a car wash or a let unit, as well as the site. Lenders also consider what the site would be worth if it stopped trading, which depends on its location and any contamination.
Environmental checks
Fuel tanks and pipework can contaminate the ground, so lenders will usually want an environmental report and may ask about the age and testing of the tanks. Storing petrol also needs a petroleum storage certificate from the local enforcement authority. Contamination doesn't always rule a site out, but the cost of putting it right will affect the loan.
What the lender will ask about
- Fuel volumes, shop sales and trading accounts, and any fuel supply agreement with an oil company.
- Your experience of running forecourts or automotive businesses.
- Whether it is freehold, and any leases of parts of the site.
- The environmental report, and the condition of the tanks and canopy.
- How you will repay the loan: your exit.
How petrol station bridging loans are repaid
- Refinancing onto a commercial mortgage once the site is trading well.
- Selling the site, as a going concern or for another use.
- Redeveloping it, for example for housing, which needs planning permission.
A worked example
You agree to buy a freehold petrol station with a convenience shop for £900,000 from an operator selling part of its estate. The lender values it at £900,000 and lends 60% of that: £540,000 for 12 months, with the interest retained. You put in the rest, extend the shop, and refinance onto a commercial mortgage once the higher sales show in the accounts.
These figures are only an illustration. The rate, fees and how much you can borrow depend on the lender and your circumstances.
Petrol stations and automotive property on our panel today
- Lenders
- 40
- More on referral
- 1
- Rates from, per month
- 0.59%
- Maximum loan to value
- 80%
Live figures from the lenders on our panel, 1st charge. The rate you're offered depends on your loan, the property and your circumstances.
Compare petrol station bridging loans 020 7580 1555How it works
From first figure to funds released.
We're not tied to any lender, so every quote reflects the whole market, not whichever lender we know best.
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Compare the whole market
Bridging solutions from a wide range of lenders, private banks and specialist funds.
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Tailored rate sourcing
Our advisers review your case and negotiate the best terms available across the market.
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Fast-track completion
We manage the application so your offer and completion land exactly when you need them.
FAQs
Your questions, answered.
Can I get a bridging loan on a petrol station?
Yes, from a small number of specialist lenders, usually at a lower loan to value than on other commercial property. The figures on this page show how many lenders on our panel lend on petrol stations and automotive property today.
What other automotive property is included?
Car washes, MOT and repair garages, tyre centres and similar sites. Car showrooms are a separate choice in the form above: "Specialist - Garage Showroom".
Will contamination stop me getting a loan?
Not always. The lender will want an environmental report, and may lend less or ask for work to be done if it finds contamination. Tell us early if you know of any.
Can I redevelop a petrol station site with a bridging loan?
Yes. Bridging can fund the purchase while you get planning permission, then be repaid by development finance, a sale or a refinance. Expect the lender to look closely at contamination and the cost of removing the tanks.
How quickly can a petrol station bridging loan complete?
Usually within a few weeks of applying, though environmental reports and specialist valuations can add time, so it helps to start them early.
About us
A whole-of-market bridging broker.
Bridging Eye is a trading style of Stirling Partners Finance Ltd. We're a bridging finance broker with access to the whole of the market — not tied to any single lender — so every quote reflects a genuinely broad set of options rather than a fixed shortlist.
We arrange both regulated bridging loans (where you or a family member will live in the security property) and unregulated bridging finance for investment, business, and commercial purposes. Because every lender we work with prices and underwrites differently, we compare across the market for your specific circumstances — loan size, property type, region, term, and exit strategy — rather than defaulting to whichever lender we know best.
Stirling Partners Finance Ltd is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 304236). See the footer below for our full regulatory and company details.
Authorised & regulated by the FCA · FRN 304236Talk to a broker
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