Bridging Exit Strategy Checklist
Exit strategy checklist
Select the relevant exit type and work through the items to sense-check an exit plan
Not started
Work through the checklist items above to assess the exit plan.
Not started
Work through the checklist items above to assess the exit plan.
This checklist is for planning purposes only and reflects general considerations. Individual lender criteria vary and this does not constitute an assessment of any specific application or a guarantee of any particular outcome.
How to use this checklist
The checklist is split into two tabs: one for a sale exit and one for a refinance exit. Start by selecting the tab that matches your intended exit route. If you are considering both routes, you can work through each tab separately, but focus first on the route that is most likely to be presented to the lender. The items in each tab reflect what lenders typically look for when assessing that specific exit type, so the two lists are deliberately different rather than variations of the same questions.
As you tick items, the checklist tracks your progress and gives you a strength rating for the plan: Developing, Credible, or Strong. These ratings are a guide to where the gaps are, not a lender's assessment of the case. A plan rated Developing is not necessarily unviable; it means there are areas where a lender is likely to ask follow-up questions, and those areas are worth addressing before submission. You can reset either tab at any time and work through it again as the plan develops.
What each tab covers
Sale exit
The sale tab works through the key elements of a credible sale exit plan. It covers price assumption, timeline realism, headroom between expected proceeds and the full redemption balance, property condition, and route to market. Each item targets an area where sale exit plans commonly fall short at underwriting. A price assumption without comparable evidence, a timeline that does not account for the full conveyancing period, or a headroom calculation that excludes fees and rolled-up interest are three of the most frequent reasons a sale exit generates underwriting questions. The tab is designed to surface those gaps before they surface in the application.
The timeline item deserves particular attention. Conveyancing typically takes six to twelve weeks after an offer is accepted, and that figure sits on top of the marketing period and offer negotiation phase. A sale exit timeline calibrated to a best-case scenario across all three phases is one of the most consistent sources of term extensions, and term extensions have a direct cost. The checklist prompts you to account for the full process, including realistic buffer, rather than the shortest theoretical route.
Refinance exit
The refinance tab focuses on the specific criteria that a lender is likely to test when the exit depends on refinancing onto another product. It covers product identification, property eligibility within the bridging term, works deliverability if the property requires work before it is refinance-ready, rental assumptions and stress testing for buy-to-let exits, borrower eligibility, and timeline realism for the full refinance process including valuation, underwriting, and legal completion.
A refinance exit that names a product type but cannot confirm the property will meet that product's criteria at the point of exit is not a credible plan. Similarly, a timeline that ends at the point the property becomes refinance-ready, rather than at the point the refinance legally completes, consistently underestimates how long the process takes. The tab is structured to prompt those considerations explicitly, since they are the areas most likely to generate underwriting concerns on refinance exits.
Squaring Up
A well-evidenced exit strategy, presented clearly and supported by comparable evidence and realistic timelines, is one of the most reliable ways to reduce friction in a bridging application. Gaps identified at the planning stage are far easier to address than the same gaps identified during underwriting. If you are also working through the broader preparation for a bridging application, the Bridging Timeline Readiness Checklist covers packaging, valuation, and legal readiness alongside the exit strategy. For a broader overview of how bridging finance works, visit our bridging loans hub.
Disclaimer: This page is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Figures, rates, and examples are illustrative. Your circumstances will affect what products and terms are available to you. Always speak to a qualified adviser before making financial decisions.
