What to Do If Your Bridging Loan Valuation Comes In Low: Options for Property Investors

•04 December 2025

You’ve found a great deal, lined up your bridging loan, and then the valuation lands in your inbox… lower than you expected.

Annoying? Yes. Deal-breaker? Not necessarily.

For property investors using bridging finance, a “down valuation” is common – especially in a fast-moving or uncertain market. The key is knowing your options and acting quickly.

In this article, we’ll cover what you can do if your bridging loan valuation comes in low, and how to keep your project on track.

1. Understand why the valuation is low

Before you react, dig into the valuer’s report.

Common reasons for a low bridging valuation include:

Recent sold comparables (comps) lower than you expected
Concerns about condition (structural issues, damp, roof, etc.)
Short lease, title issues, or restrictions that affect liquidity
The valuer using a 180-day / restricted marketing basis instead of full open-market value
Optimistic assumptions on your side about refurb costs or end values (GDV)

Read the report carefully and make notes. You want to separate:

Factual errors – wrong floor area, wrong tenure, mis-typed address, missing refurb schedule, etc.
Professional judgement calls – choice of comparables, condition rating, yield assumptions.

You can sensibly challenge factual mistakes; you’re unlikely to overturn pure opinion unless you bring stronger evidence.

2. Ask the valuer for a reconsideration (with evidence)

If you think the valuation is genuinely off, the next step is to appeal to the valuer.

Prepare a short, factual note that:

Identifies specific points in the report you disagree with
Clearly flags any errors or missing information
Provides supporting evidence, such as:
- Recent Land Registry sold prices for true comparables
- Details of works already done (photos, invoices, schedules)
- A clear refurb plan and costings
- Written opinions from local agents or other RICS valuers supporting a higher figure

The goal here is not to argue emotionally, but to help the valuer answer the question:

“Have I missed anything that would reasonably change my opinion of value?”

Depending on the circumstances, the valuer may:

Confirm the original figure but explain their reasoning in more detail
Make minor adjustments where there are clear factual errors
Issue an updated valuation if the new information is compelling

You won’t always get a higher figure, but a well-prepared appeal gives you the best chance.

3. Adjust the loan structure: lower LTV, same deal

If the valuation doesn’t change, your borrowing capacity drops because the loan-to-value (LTV) is now calculated on a smaller number.

For example:

You expected £200k value and an LTV of 75% → £150k loan
Valuation comes back at £180k → at 75% LTV the max loan is now £135k

Your main options here are:

Put in more equity (higher deposit) to cover the shortfall
Reduce the loan amount and adjust your project accordingly
Bring in an investor / JV partner to bridge the gap

This is often the cleanest route: you accept the conservative valuation, keep the gearing sensible, and protect yourself from over-leverage.

4. Offer additional security (cross-collateral)

Many bridging lenders – including firms like Integer Investments – are open to using additional security to keep the overall LTV sensible.

That might mean:

Adding another property you own as additional security
Taking a second charge on another asset, alongside a first charge on the new purchase
Using a low-geared property in your portfolio to balance the higher LTV on the new deal

In practice, the lender looks at the blended LTV across all properties, rather than just the one with the down valuation.
This can be a powerful way to save a deal without over-stretching your cash.

5. Renegotiate the purchase price

A low valuation is also ammunition with the vendor.

You can:

Share the valuation (or at least the headline figure) with the agent and vendor
Explain that the valuation does not support the original price
Ask for a price reduction or contribution to costs

Sellers don’t love it, but they also don’t want a fallen-through sale and a relist.

If the report highlights genuine issues (structural problems, short lease, defects), a rational seller will often move on price. Even a partial reduction can be enough to make the new numbers add up.

6. Seek a new valuation from a different valuer (if appropriate)

Sometimes, even after a reconsideration, you may still feel the valuation doesn’t fully reflect the property’s potential.

In those cases, you can explore whether it’s possible to obtain a fresh valuation from a different RICS valuer, for example:

A new inspection after you’ve completed key works
A valuation instructed from a different firm on the panel, where the process allows

Important points:

Any new valuation should still be independent and RICS-compliant.
It is usually at your cost, so it only makes sense if:
- there is strong evidence that the first valuation was unusually conservative, or
- the property has changed materially (e.g. refurb now substantially complete, planning risk removed).

Handled correctly, a second valuation can sometimes unlock extra leverage while still staying within prudent risk levels.

7. Re-work – or walk away from – the deal

Harsh but true: sometimes a low valuation is the market telling you the deal isn’t as strong as you thought.

In that case you have two rational choices:

Re-work the deal
- Tighter refurb budget
- Different exit (e.g. flip vs hold, or vice versa)
- Longer timeline to add value properly
Walk away
- Lose some sunk costs (valuation, legals, time)
- Avoid being stuck in an over-geared position with a thin or negative margin

Professional investors know that the best deals are the ones you don’t do when the numbers no longer stack.

8. How Integer Investments works with investors after a low valuation

If you’re an investor using bridging finance, you don’t have to navigate this alone.

At Integer Investments we typically:

Review the valuation report with you and explain what’s driving the number
Explore whether the deal still works with a lower LTV
Look at additional security or a different structure to keep the project viable
Help you model your exit (sale or refinance) under the new assumptions
Where appropriate, discuss whether a new valuation from a different RICS valuer is justified

The key is to respond quickly, but not emotionally: take the valuation as information, not an insult.

Final thoughts

A low bridging valuation is frustrating, but it doesn’t automatically kill your project. Your main options are:

Challenge clear errors and provide better evidence directly to the valuer
Accept a lower LTV and put in more equity or partner capital
Offer additional security to keep the blended LTV attractive
Renegotiate the purchase price using the report
Request a fresh valuation from a different valuer where justified
Re-work – or walk away from – the deal if the margin has gone

Handled calmly, a down valuation can actually protect you from overpaying and over-leveraging. In the long run, that’s exactly what keeps property investors in the game.