Clearwell Capital

About Clearwell Capital

Clearwell Capital was founded in 2013 by Ed Marley-Shaw with a single-minded focus: to provide residential development finance that actually works for SME housebuilders. A decade on, the business has supported the development of over £469 million worth of residential property across the UK, aided the construction of more than 600 homes, and secured a total funding capacity exceeding £250 million — including an eight-figure facility from Fasanara Capital and, in 2025, a £150 million facility from HSBC.

The London-based team operates on the premise that most development finance problems are fundamentally real estate problems, not finance problems — and that lenders who come from a property background are better equipped to solve them. Clearwell's team brings real estate expertise to every lending decision, and clients regularly cite this as the reason they return. The lender's own proprietary loan management system tracks construction progress and sales in real time, giving both the team and its borrowers genuine visibility throughout the loan term.

Clearwell delivers indicative terms to 86% of applicants within 24 hours of application, and has an average processing time of four to eight weeks from enquiry to drawdown — among the fastest in the development finance sector.

Bridging Loans from Clearwell Capital

Clearwell's bridging product is specifically for developers — used to bridge into a development project, refinance an existing facility that has expired, or fund a development exit. Loans run from £100,000 to £1 million with terms up to 36 months and LTVs up to 75% LTGDV. Rates from 1.00% per month.

Products

• Stretch Senior Development Finance – Up to 90% of total project costs, giving developers significantly more leverage than traditional senior debt. Available for residential and mixed-use development across the UK.
• Bridging Loans – Short-term finance for site acquisition, planning bridges, expired facility refinancing and development exit, with terms up to 36 months.
• Mezzanine Finance – Second charge development loans to fill the gap between senior debt and equity, enabling projects to proceed with less developer capital required.

How to Apply with Clearwell Capital

Clearwell works with experienced developers and commercial finance brokers who introduce development finance cases. Initial applications are reviewed against their credit criteria before a site visit is arranged. The team aims to get from site visit to credit committee approval in under a week on eligible schemes. The lender is not regulated by the FCA and focuses exclusively on professional and business borrowers in the residential development sector.