Why completeness matters
Incomplete applications are one of the top reasons development finance deals get delayed or declined. Every missing document creates a follow-up question, and every follow-up question adds days to the process. Lenders have limited bandwidth — complete, professional submissions get reviewed first.
Use this checklist to ensure your application is complete before you approach lenders. The more of these items you have ready, the faster the process will move.
Borrower documents
- Borrower CV / experience summary — your development track record, including completed projects with dates, locations, unit counts, and GDVs.
- Personal financial statement — assets, liabilities, and net worth. Lenders want to see that you can support the project if things go wrong.
- Company accounts — last 2–3 years of filed accounts for the borrowing entity (or management accounts if newly formed).
- Bank statements — 3–6 months showing the equity you intend to contribute.
- Proof of equity — evidence that the required deposit or equity contribution is available (cash, property equity, or committed third-party investment).
- ID and proof of address — for all directors, shareholders, and guarantors.
Site and planning documents
- Title documents — official copies of the register and title plan from Land Registry.
- Planning permission — decision notice, full list of conditions (with discharge status), and all approved drawings.
- CIL liability notice — if applicable, including any exemption applications.
- S106 agreement — executed copy with all financial obligations clearly stated.
- Building survey or condition report — essential for refurbishment and conversion projects.
- Environmental reports — contamination, flood risk, asbestos (where applicable).
Financial documents
- Development appraisal — full financial model showing GDV, costs, profit, and key ratios.
- QS report or cost plan — itemised build cost budget from a qualified quantity surveyor.
- Valuation — RICS Red Book valuation (lenders will commission their own, but having one demonstrates seriousness).
- Comparable evidence — supporting data for your GDV assumptions (recent sales in the area).
- Cashflow projection — monthly or quarterly build and sales cashflow.
Design and construction documents
- Architect drawings — floor plans, elevations, sections, site plan.
- Contractor details — name, track record, latest accounts, proposed contract type.
- Build programme — Gantt chart or timeline showing construction phases and durations.
- Professional team — list of appointed consultants (architect, structural engineer, M&E, QS, project manager).
- Warranty provider — NHBC, Premier Guarantee, or other approved provider registration.
Nice to have (strengthens the application)
- Party wall agreements (status of any required agreements)
- Heads of terms with a contractor (or fixed-price tender)
- Pre-sale or pre-let agreements (if any units are forward-sold or pre-let)
- Marketing strategy for the completed units
- References from previous lenders or professional contacts
How Assesr simplifies this
Rather than compiling all these documents into a credit paper manually, Assesr lets you upload your deal documents and extracts the relevant information automatically. The platform identifies what is present, what is missing, and generates the credit paper from the available data — flagging gaps so you know exactly what to provide.