purchaser has only 14–28 days to complete long term lending such as a buy to let mortgage may not be viable in that time frame whereas a bridging loan would be. Corporate finance Bridge loans are used in venture capital and other corporate finance for several purposes: To inject small amounts of cash to carry a company so that it does not run out of cash between successive major private equity financings To carry distressed companies while searching for an acquirer or larger investor (in which case the lender often obtains a substantial equity position in connection with the loan) As a final debt financing to carry the company through the immediate period before an initial public offering or an acquisition. South Africa In South African law immovable property is transferred via a system of registration in public registries known as Deeds Offices. Given the delays resulting from the transfer process, many participants in property transactions require access to funds which will otherwise only become available on the day that the transaction is registered in the relevant Deeds Office. Bridging finance companies provide finance that creates a bridge between the participant's immediate cash flow requirement and the eventual entitlement to funds on registration in the Deeds Office. Bridging finance is typically not provided by banks. Various forms of bridging finance are available, depending on the participant in the property transaction that requires finance. Sellers of fixed property can bridge sales proceeds, estate agents bridge estate agents' commission, and mortgagors bridge the proceeds of further or switch bonds. Bridging finance is also available to settle outstanding property taxes or municipal accounts or to pay transfer duties. United Kingdom History Short term finance similar to modern bridging loans was available in the UK as early as the 1960s, but usually only through high street banks and building societies to known customers. The bridging loan market remained small into the millennium, with a limited number of lenders. Bridging loans became increasingly popular in the UK after the 2008–2009 global recession, with gross lending more than doubling from £0.8 billion in the year to March 2011 to £2.2 billion in the year to June 2014. This coincided with a marked decline in mainstream mortgage lending in the same period, as banks and building societies grew more reluctant to grant home loans. The overall value of the residential loan amounts outstanding in Q1 2016 was