Roma Finance and Hope Capital are both refurbishment bridging specialists on the panel, but they solve different problems within that niche. Roma leads on speed and a built-in term exit; Hope Capital leads on flexibility when a project's scope grows mid-build.
Roma Finance and Hope Capital side by side
| Roma Finance | Hope Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan size | £75,000 to £3 million (larger by referral) | £50,000 to £5 million |
| Coverage | Mainland UK | England, Wales and Scotland |
| Residential LTV | 75% | 75% light or medium refurbishment; 65-70% heavy |
| Rates from | 0.59% per month residential and auction | 0.80% residential, 0.89% semi-commercial, 0.92% commercial |
| Term | 12 to 18 months | Up to 18 months |
| Speed | Over 80% of RomaFLOW cases within 28 days | Instant valuations on qualifying cases up to £1 million |
| Scope changes | No equivalent named product | FLIP converts the bridge to a refurbishment loan |
| Term exit | RomaPRO: buy-to-let, HMO, holiday let, serviced accommodation | Not a stated feature |
| Legal | Standard | Dual representation up to £1 million, including Scotland |
What this means in practice
Roma Finance's RomaFLOW product completes over 80% of cases within 28 days and can exit directly onto Roma's own RomaPRO term products without a separate refinance search. Hope Capital's FLIP product solves a different, common problem, which is what happens when the refurbishment turns out to need more than originally scoped, by converting the bridge into a refurbishment loan without reapplying.
Head-to-head
Speed
Roma has the clearer published benchmark. Hope Capital's instant valuations on qualifying residential cases up to £1 million also shorten the timeline, but it does not publish an equivalent completion statistic.
Handling scope changes
Hope Capital has the more specific, named solution. FLIP moves the loan onto a refurbishment footing for a single £1,250 admin fee that includes legals, rather than requiring a new lender partway through.
The exit
Roma's RomaPRO range removes the need to find a separate term lender once the works are finished. That is a real advantage where the finished property will be let as a buy-to-let, HMO, holiday let or serviced accommodation.
Geography
Hope Capital explicitly covers Scotland with dual legal representation up to £1 million. Roma covers mainland UK without an equivalent Scottish structure highlighted.
Loan-to-value and pricing
Both reach 75% on lighter residential refurbishment, tapering down for heavier works, so neither is a clear winner on leverage. Roma's headline residential rate starts lower, while Hope Capital publishes separate starting rates for semi-commercial and commercial.
Which lender fits which case
A landlord converting a house into an HMO, planning to keep it and refinance onto a term mortgage, is a natural Roma case: RomaPRO can provide the exit. Our guide to bridging loans for HMO conversion covers that route.
An investor buying a tired property where the survey has already flagged possible structural issues, so the works may grow once the walls are opened up, points towards Hope Capital and FLIP.
A refurbishment in Scotland under £1 million also points towards Hope Capital, where dual representation shortens the legal stage. See our guide to bridging loans in Scotland for more.
Which to choose
Choose Roma Finance where speed matters and the exit is likely to be a buy-to-let, HMO, holiday let or serviced accommodation, since the RomaPRO route removes a step. Choose Hope Capital where the project's scope is genuinely uncertain at the outset, where Scotland is involved, or where the works are heavier and may need restructuring partway through.
When neither is the best fit
For refurbishment above £3 million, or where a bank's certainty matters, Shawbrook offers day-one advances of up to 90% and United Trust Bank lends to 75% across light, medium and heavy schemes. For owner-occupied regulated bridging, which neither offers, MT Finance is an option. The full Roma Finance review and Hope Capital review cover both in more depth.
Getting the works plan right
Whichever lender is chosen, the schedule of works drives the loan. It sets the LTV band, the amount of funding for the works and the lender's view of how long the project will take. A realistic budget with a contingency, a clear programme and an idea of who is doing the work all help. If the scope is genuinely uncertain, it is better to say so at the outset; that is exactly the situation Hope Capital's FLIP product is designed for, and being open about it helps the right lender be chosen first time.
Questions worth asking before you choose
- How certain is the scope of works?
- Will the finished property be let as a buy-to-let, HMO, holiday let or serviced accommodation?
- Is the property in Scotland?
- Is there a deadline, such as an auction completion date?
- Is the facility above £3 million?
Summary
Both are strong, genuinely specialist choices for refurbishment bridging. The decision comes down to whether speed and a built-in exit matter more, or whether flexibility for a changing scope and Scottish coverage matter more. Figures above are correct as of mid-2026 and should be confirmed with your broker before an application.
