A real decision inside a day, credit-backed terms in two or three, funds typically inside two to three weeks. That's the honest middle of the market in July 2026. Genuinely urgent cases complete faster — we've seen well-prepared deals fund in under a week — but every one of those had something in common, and it wasn't luck.
What actually sets the pace
Not the lender's decision. A bridging underwriter can say yes in hours. The clock is eaten by two things: the valuation and the legals. A physical valuation needs a surveyor with a free slot, access to the property and time to write the report — call it three to eight working days end to end. Legals run in parallel and depend almost entirely on how prepared both sides' solicitors are. Everything else is noise.
How the fast ones do it
Automated valuations. On lower-leverage residential deals, many lenders will accept an AVM — a desktop model instead of a site visit — which removes the biggest single delay at a stroke. Dual representation, where one law firm acts for both lender and borrower, cuts the legal ping-pong. And preparation does the rest: ID, proof of funds for the deposit, company documents if you're buying through an SPV, and a solicitor who actually does bridging work. A brilliant high-street conveyancer who's never seen a bridge will cost you a week without meaning to.
A realistic day-by-day
Day one: deal packaged, terms issued, valuation instructed. Days two to seven: report back (or AVM same day), legals opened, searches or indemnities sorted. Days eight to fourteen: loan documents signed, funds drawn. Auction buyers working to a 28-day completion have margin in that timeline. Ten-day deadlines are achievable; they just remove every allowance for surprises.
Speed costs — pay it when it's worth it
The fastest lenders in the market know what they are and price for it. Expect to pay a little more per month for the ones who'll move in days. That premium is usually right to pay when a real deadline is attached to a good deal, and always wrong to pay when the urgency is imagined. Be honest with yourself about which you have.
Tell everyone the truth about your deadline on day one — lender, valuer, both solicitors. Deals miss dates because someone found out about the date late. It sounds too simple to matter. It's the single biggest difference we see.