BuildLoan
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLivingston, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BuildLoan does
BuildLoan Limited is a UK-based specialist mortgage distributor that operates exclusively through mortgage intermediaries (B2B), providing them with access to over 60 exclusive homebuilding finance products funded by 12 regional building societies. The company focuses on self build, custom build, renovation, conversion, home improvement, and bridging finance, and has extended into commercial property finance through a proposition launched nationwide in June 2026 after a Q1 2026 pilot. Its core technical asset is the Unicus online portal, which gives brokers 24/7 access to product sourcing, application submission, case tracking, lender match reports, and documented research output to support Consumer Duty compliance. BuildLoan complements the platform with a specialist broker desk and an in-house costings service that produces build cost forecasts used to structure guaranteed stage payments linked to costs rather than property valuations.
The company is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:630951) and operates as a subsidiary within the BuildStore Group, alongside related entities such as BuildStore Mortgage Services Limited and BuildStore Insurance Services Limited. Raymond Connor serves as CEO. BuildLoan earns revenue through two primary streams: lender commission on completed mortgage transactions (via fixed fee, fixed rate, percentage of borrowing, or rate-for-risk models) and a £695 broker service fee that covers specialist support, costings, and end-to-end case management through to build completion.
The business serves UK mortgage brokers and financial advisers whose clients are undertaking non-standard construction projects that mainstream sourcing systems cannot adequately handle, and it positions its cost-based guaranteed stage payment methodology as a mitigation against the down-valuation and cashflow risks common in traditional self build lending. Distribution is entirely intermediary-led via the Unicus portal, a dedicated broker desk, and content marketing through webinars, broker guides, and partnerships such as Knowledge Bank, with no direct-to-consumer channel.
BuildLoan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BuildLoan
- Legal name
- BuildLoan Limited
- Website
- https://buildloan.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BuildLoan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialist Mortgage Distribution
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Real Estate Credit (522292)
- SIC
- Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mortgage & Loan Introducers (Residential & Commercial) (FSAEAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Custom Home Construction Financing (FSALAHAB), New Construction-to-Perm (Single-Family Owner-Occupied) (FSALAHAA), Renovation Mortgage Origination (FHA 203(k), HomeStyle, CHOICERenovation) (FSALAAAL)
Keywords
Where BuildLoan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Livingston
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BuildLoan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Commission from Lenders: BuildLoan receives commission from lenders on completed mortgage transactions. Commission models include: fixed fee, fixed rate of commission, percentage of amount borrowed, and rate for risk based on business risk profile.
- Broker Service Fee: Brokers pay a service fee of £695 for BuildLoan's support, costings service, and end-to-end case management through to build completion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Broker Service Fee |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Lender Commission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
BuildLoan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BuildLoan distributes specialist mortgage finance products for UK mortgage intermediaries supporting self build, custom build, renovation, conversion, home improvement, development finance, and bridging loan cases. The company provides over 60 exclusive products funded through 12 regional building societies, accessed by brokers via the proprietary Unicus online platform, supported by in-house cost assessors and a dedicated specialist broker desk.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Unicus: A 24/7 online mortgage platform for intermediaries to source and track mortgages for self build, custom build, renovation, and home improvement clients.
Products and services
- Unicus Mortgage Platform Proprietary online platform enabling UK mortgage brokers to research, source, apply, and track self build, custom build, renovation, bridging, and development finance applications. Provides access to 60+ exclusive mortgage products, upfront cashflow requirements, stage payment schedules, customer application progress trackers, and lender match reports with documented research for Consumer Duty compliance.
- Self Build and Renovation Mortgages Specialist mortgage products for intermediaries arranging finance for clients undertaking self build, renovation, conversion, or home improvement projects. Includes cost-based mortgages with guaranteed stage payments linked to build costs rather than valuations, available in advance or arrears formats with up to 95% LTV on land and build costs.
- Custom Build Mortgages Tailor-made mortgage products for intermediaries supporting clients purchasing serviced plots, golden brick, or self finish custom build properties. Includes advance and arrears stage payment options with specialist underwriting for custom build construction types.
- Development Finance Competitive development finance solutions for intermediaries supporting clients building one or multiple properties to sell or let. Includes one-to-one specialist support, product scenarios for various development types, and a defined short-term funding process.
- Bridging Loans Short-term bridging finance solutions for intermediaries supporting clients requiring fast access to funds. Includes a range of bridging solutions across multiple use cases, product scenarios, and a dedicated short-term funding process with broker testimonials.
- Commercial Finance Proposition Commercial property finance proposition distributed through intermediaries supporting transactions across owner-occupied commercial premises, investment assets, and mixed-use properties. Available nationwide following Q1 2026 pilot completion.
- Help to Build Mortgage Government-backed equity loan mortgage scheme for self and custom builders offered through intermediaries. Two products available as three-year discounted rates at 5.39% or 5.99%, with equity loan up to 20% outside London and 40% within London, requiring only a 5% deposit.
- In-house Costings Service Specialist cost assessment service in which experienced cost assessors work with clients to create accurate build cost forecasts based on plans, drawings, and latest industry data for materials and labour, integral to the mortgage application process.
Quantifiable outcome
- Stage payments guaranteed without valuation risk during build
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BuildLoan
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BuildLoan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
BuildLoan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Commercial Finance IntermediariescoreIntermediaries nationwide can now access BuildLoan's commercial finance proposition supporting transactions across owner-occupied premises, investment assets, and mixed-use properties.
- Hinckley and Rugby Building SocietycoreNew range of advance stage payment products providing up-front funding covering each stage of building projects. Up to 90% of cost of each stage provided before work starts.
- Darlington Building SocietycoreLaunched the first Help to Build Mortgage in partnership with Darlington Building Society and Homes England. This was the first government-backed Help to Build mortgage, created in partnership to support the Help to Build Equity Loan Scheme.
- Nottingham Building SocietycoreLaunched three new cost-based self build mortgage products offering funding up to £600K and up to 80% of project costs with interest-only options during build.
- Homes EnglandcoreStrategic partner for the Help to Build Equity Loan Scheme. BuildLoan contributed expertise to help establish the scheme which provides equity loans up to 20% (40% in London) for self and custom builders.
- Furness Building SocietycoreLaunched eight new self and custom build products funded by Furness Building Society, available exclusively through BuildLoan. Products include both arrears and advance stage payment options with guaranteed stage payments.
- Bath Building SocietycoreNew range of four self and custom build mortgage products with advance stage payments, providing up to 95% on land and build costs with initial rates reduced to 3.65%.
- Buckinghamshire Building SocietycoreNew custom and self build mortgage product with arrears stage payments offering 0.95% discount from standard variable rate with stage payments up to 85% of build costs.
- Loughborough Building SocietycoreTwo competitive cost-based self build mortgage products offering choice of advance or arrears stage payments. ERC-free products available for various construction types.
- Vernon Building SocietycoreTwo new low rate, low fee products providing up to 85% of land and build costs with guaranteed stage payments in arrears or advance format.
- Knowledge BankcorePartnership to provide The Complete Consumer Duty Solution for intermediaries advising customers on homebuilding projects. Knowledge Bank provides integration support alongside BuildLoan's dedicated broker desk.
- NACFBminorNational Association of Commercial Finance Brokers membership, demonstrating industry standing and commitment to professional standards.
- BDLAminorBridging Loan Association associate member, demonstrating industry standing in the bridging finance sector.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BuildLoan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SPF Short Term Finance: UK specialist intermediary focused on bridging, development, and short-term property finance distributed through brokers. Directly comparable in serving specialist property finance cases via B2B intermediary channels.
- John Charcol: Long-established UK specialist mortgage broker handling complex residential and self-build cases through intermediary and direct channels. Comparable in serving non-standard homebuilding finance needs with specialist expertise.
- Open Property Finance: UK specialist intermediary arranging development finance, bridging loans, and commercial property funding through broker channels. Comparable in specialist property finance distribution and intermediary-led model.
- Self Build Zone: UK specialist mortgage and insurance distributor focused on self-build, custom build, and renovation finance for intermediaries. Directly comparable niche positioning, B2B distribution model, and self-build product focus.
Broad incumbents
- Habito: UK online mortgage broker combining digital self-service with adviser support across mainstream and specialist lending. Comparable intermediary technology layer though without BuildLoan's self-build specialization.
- London & Country Mortgages: Largest UK fee-free mortgage broker with whole-of-market access across residential and specialist lending. Comparable intermediary distribution model though much broader product scope than BuildLoan.
- Trussle: UK online mortgage broker using technology to source and track residential mortgage applications through advisers. Comparable technology-enabled intermediary model though mainstream-focused.
- Mortgage Advice Bureau: Large UK mortgage broker network with nationwide intermediary footprint offering a broad product range. Comparable B2B broker intermediation model though not specialist in self-build finance.
- Better.co.uk: UK digital mortgage broker offering whole-of-market access with technology-led broker workflows. Comparable online distribution and intermediary focus though serving broader mortgage market.
- Countrywide (now Connells Group): Major UK estate agency and mortgage services group with national intermediary distribution. Comparable large-scale broker intermediation though not specialist in self-build finance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BuildLoan social profiles
Digital presenceBuildLoan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BuildLoan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BuildLoan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BuildLoan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BuildLoan
What does BuildLoan do?
BuildLoan distributes specialist mortgage finance products for UK mortgage intermediaries supporting self build, custom build, renovation, conversion, home improvement, development finance, and bridging loan cases. The company provides over 60 exclusive products funded through 12 regional building societies, accessed by brokers via the proprietary Unicus online platform, supported by in-house cost assessors and a dedicated specialist broker desk.
Is BuildLoan a public or private company?
BuildLoan is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was BuildLoan founded?
BuildLoan was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BuildLoan based?
BuildLoan is headquartered in Livingston, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does BuildLoan make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Commission from Lenders are the primary driver. The others are broker Service Fee.
Who are BuildLoan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SPF Short Term Finance, John Charcol, Open Property Finance and Self Build Zone. Broad incumbents are Habito, London & Country Mortgages, Trussle, Mortgage Advice Bureau, Better.co.uk and Countrywide (now Connells Group).
Does BuildLoan have an API?
No public API is recorded for BuildLoan.
What industry is BuildLoan in?
BuildLoan's product category is Specialist Mortgage Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAMAA, Mortgage & Loan Introducers (Residential & Commercial), with a secondary code of FSALAHAB, Custom Home Construction Financing. Its NAICS code is 522310 and its SIC code is 6162.