DGL
Royal Business Park, Pontefract
All Client Success Stories
Pontefract | Buy · Improve · Refinance

From Bridge to Growth

Royal Business Park, Pontefract

A seven-unit industrial investment acquired using a 65% LTV bridging loan. Following new lease agreements and increased rental income, DGL Commercial Finance structured a £1.60 million commercial refinance that repaid the bridge and released £950,000 for future investment.

Commercial Refinance•Seven-unit Industrial Investment•Refinance & Capital Release•Pontefract•Completed
What You'll Learn From This Transaction
  • Insight 01

    Why planning the exit before acquisition reduces risk.

  • Insight 02

    How improved rental income can increase commercial property value.

  • Insight 03

    Why lender flexibility is often more important than headline pricing.

Transaction at a Glance

The numbers behind the story.

£1.15m
Purchase Price
£1.60m
Commercial Refinance
£950k
Capital Released
7 | 7
Units | Tenants
Funding Snapshot
Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Property
Seven-unit industrial investment
Purchase Price
£1.15 million
Acquisition Funding
65% LTV Bridging Loan
Bridge Lender
Fiduciam
Commercial Refinance
£1.60 million
Long-Term Lender
Atom Bank
Capital Released
£950,000
Tenants
7
Status
Completed
Chapter 01

The Client's Objective

An experienced commercial property investor identified a seven-unit industrial estate in Pontefract as a strategic acquisition. A 65% LTV bridging facility was arranged to enable a fast completion, but the bridge was always intended as short-term finance. The wider strategy was to strengthen the property's income by securing new lease agreements, then refinance onto a long-term commercial mortgage while releasing capital for the next acquisition. From day one, this was a transaction planned around its exit.

Chapter 02

The Challenge

The refinance wasn't based purely on the original purchase price. It was underwritten on the property's improved investment profile — a profile the client and their team had worked to create. Success depended on:

  • Securing new lease agreements across the estate
  • Increasing sustainable rental income
  • Presenting an enhanced income profile that supported a higher valuation
  • Selecting a long-term lender aligned with the improved investment case
Chapter 03

Our Approach

DGL Commercial Finance structured the funding journey rather than arranging two separate loans. The Fiduciam bridge was selected because it suited the acquisition. Atom Bank was selected because it suited the completed, income-producing investment. The transition between the two facilities was planned from the outset, so the refinance was ready to move the moment the improved income profile could be evidenced. Throughout the process we coordinated the lender, valuers, solicitors and the client to keep momentum from application through to completion.

The Solution

Structured around the client's long-term strategy.

1
Acquire

65% LTV bridging loan

  • £1.15 million purchase price
  • Short-term facility from Fiduciam
  • Fast completion secured the asset
2
Improve

New lease agreements

  • Seven units let to seven tenants
  • Rental income strengthened
  • Investment value enhanced
3
Refinance

£1.60m commercial mortgage

  • Long-term facility with Atom Bank
  • Fiduciam bridge repaid in full
  • £950,000 released for future acquisitions
Funding Journey

From acquisition to future growth.

The sequence of decisions that turned a single acquisition into a platform for portfolio growth.

  1. 1
    Step 01
    Purchase
  2. 2
    Step 02
    £1.15m Acquisition
  3. 3
    Step 03
    65% LTV Bridge
    Fiduciam
  4. 4
    Step 04
    New Lease Agreements
  5. 5
    Step 05
    Rental Income Increased
  6. 6
    Step 06
    £1.60m Commercial Mortgage
    Atom Bank
  7. 7
    Step 07
    £950k Capital Released
  8. 8
    Step 08
    Future Portfolio Growth
Outcome

The transaction repaid the Fiduciam bridge in full, secured a £1.60 million commercial mortgage with Atom Bank, released £950,000 of additional capital and positioned the client to continue growing their portfolio.

Why This Mattered

This wasn't simply a refinance. It was the successful execution of a funding strategy: acquire quickly, improve the income, refinance based on stronger investment fundamentals, release capital, repeat. That sequence is exactly what Funding with the End in Mind looks like in practice.

Key Takeaways

Three principles that shaped this transaction.

1
Principle 01

Commercial property value follows rental income — strengthen the income, strengthen the asset.

2
Principle 02

A bridge is most powerful when it's the first step in a planned asset-management strategy, not a standalone transaction.

3
Principle 03

Planning acquisition and refinance together often unlocks significantly more capital than the original purchase would suggest.

What We Learned

Every transaction reinforces the same principle: structure funding around the client's long-term objectives, not simply the immediate transaction.

Transparency is a signature feature of every DGL Client Success Story — every transaction teaches us something we carry into the next.

The DGL Philosophy

Funding with the
End in Mind.

Every funding recommendation should begin with the end goal, not the product.

Understanding the client's objectives first allows funding to be structured around long-term success rather than short-term convenience.

That philosophy underpins every transaction completed by DGL Commercial Finance.

Property Gallery

Survey photography.

Transaction Timeline

From first conversation to completion.

  1. 1
    Step 01
    Client Enquiry
  2. 2
    Step 02
    Funding Strategy
  3. 3
    Step 03
    Lender Selection
  4. 4
    Step 04
    Valuation
  5. 5
    Step 05
    Legal Process
  6. 6
    Step 06
    Completion
Key Statistics

The transaction at a glance.

£1.15m
Purchase Price
£1.60m
Commercial Refinance
£950k
Capital Released
0
Industrial Units
0
Commercial Tenants
“

Every funding recommendation should begin with the end goal, not the product.

Darren Leigh, DGL Commercial Finance
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Professional Feedback

Anonymous, from the client's legal team.

“

Following completion of the bridging acquisition, the client's solicitor contacted DGL Commercial Finance to comment that the lender selected had been exactly the right fit for the transaction.

The deal presented several complexities, and the lender's commercial approach, flexibility and willingness to work collaboratively proved invaluable throughout the process.

Feedback like this reinforces something we strongly believe: the most appropriate lender isn't always the one with the lowest rate. The right funding partner is the one whose appetite, flexibility and commercial approach best supports the transaction.

The feedback came after completion, once the solicitor had experienced first-hand how the transaction progressed.

The most appropriate lender isn't always the one with the lowest rate.

DGL Insight

Commercial property values are heavily influenced by the quality and sustainability of rental income. By securing new lease agreements and strengthening the investment's income profile, our client created additional value that supported a significantly larger commercial mortgage than would have been available immediately after acquisition.

This demonstrates why we begin every transaction by understanding the client's long-term objectives rather than simply arranging finance.

A Similar Situation?

Could this approach work for you?

Similar funding strategies may be suitable if you're:

  • Refinancing a commercial investment property
  • Looking to release equity for future acquisitions
  • Restructuring existing borrowing
  • Purchasing through a limited company
  • Building or expanding a commercial property portfolio
Independent Advice
Access to Specialist Lenders
Structured Funding
End-to-End Support
Transaction Summary

The complete picture, at a glance.

Stage 01

Acquisition

  • Purchase Price: £1.15 million
  • Acquisition Funding: 65% LTV Bridging Loan
  • Bridge Lender: Fiduciam
Stage 02

Value Created

  • New lease agreements secured
  • Rental income increased
  • Investment profile strengthened
Stage 03

Commercial Refinance

  • Refinance: £1.60 million
  • Long-Term Lender: Atom Bank
  • Capital Released: £950,000
Stage 04

Outcome

  • Bridge repaid
  • Long-term funding secured
  • Capital released for future growth
DGL's Role

Managed, not simply introduced.

Throughout the transaction DGL Commercial Finance managed the process rather than simply introducing a lender.

  1. 1

    Structured the acquisition funding.

  2. 2

    Selected the appropriate bridging lender.

  3. 3

    Planned the refinance strategy from the outset.

  4. 4

    Coordinated communication between lender, valuers and solicitors.

  5. 5

    Managed the transition from short-term funding to long-term commercial finance.

  • Funding Strategy•
  • Lender Selection•
  • Transaction Management•
  • Professional Coordination

Funding with the End in Mind.

In Closing

Every transaction tells a story.

Ours always begins with understanding where our client wants to finish.

Funding with the End in Mind.

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