Not only am I a finance company who arrange bridging loans, but I have also had two in the past.
It is expensive - interest rates are typically 1.5% per month - however, it was the only sure way of getting the house that we wanted (and we have no regrets). It cost us a total of �5,000 on top of the bridging loan amount (�100,000) but we would happily have spent �10k on top of the asking price to get our house.
You must, must , must watch exit fees.
I have companies who I deal with who range in their charges from 1.25% - 4% per month. However, their fees both admin (at the start) and exit (at the end) vary tremendously.
You need to know that you are in a good position and convinced that you will sell within a few months and that your house is in a desirable area etc. If your house sale falls through, how quickly will you be able to sell to someone else?
You also need to make sure you have plenty of equity in your house - a bridging loan company will usually only take 75% of your valuation less your current mortgage.
Let me know if you want any further help, and if you give
me the value of your property, the mortgage outstanding and the amount you want as a bridging loan, I will happily tell you what sort of amounts you will expect to pay back.