Unit Construction Finance

Multi-unit residential construction finance - without typical pre-sale targets.

Unit construction finance is project funding for developers building multi-unit residential developments - apartment buildings, unit blocks, and strata projects. Traditional lenders typically demand the highest pre-sale percentages on this asset class, often above 50% of expected revenue, which can stall a project for months or push developers into discounted off-the-plan contracts to qualify. CPF assesses unit projects on the merits of the site, the build, and the end value - funding with low or no pre-sales required.

Overview

  • Loan SizeUp to $10 million
  • Maximum LVRUp to 65% GRV (up to 75% with 2nd mortgage)
  • Interest RatesFrom 7.5% p.a.
  • Loan TermsUp to 24 months
  • Property SecurityResidential or commercial
  • Pre-salesLow or no pre-sales required
  • DrawdownsStaged in line with construction milestones
  • Interest StructureCapitalised - no monthly debt servicing during the build
  • Mid-Project TakeoverAvailable - CPF can fund partially completed projects
  • Takeout FundingAvailable on completed projects
  • LocationAvailable across all Australian states and territories

Unit construction finance is project funding for developers building multi-unit residential developments - apartment buildings, unit blocks, and strata projects. Banks typically demand the highest pre-sale percentages on this asset class, often above 50% of expected revenue, which can stall a project for months or push developers into discounted off-the-plan contracts to qualify. CPF assesses unit projects on the merits of the site, the build, and the end value - funding with low or no pre-sales required.

Unit Construction Finance in Australia

A unit construction loan funds the build of a multi-unit residential development - typically apartment buildings, unit blocks, or strata-titled projects with multiple dwellings on a single site. Funds are released progressively as the project moves through its construction milestones, with each drawdown verified by quantity surveyor inspection before release.

Multi-unit residential is the asset class where bank construction lending criteria bite hardest. Pre-sale percentages above 50% are common, full borrower serviceability reviews are typical, and risk-averse credit committees often cap LVR ratios well below what the project's underlying feasibility supports. The result: developers either delay the build for months chasing pre-sales, or discount off-the-plan contracts heavily just to qualify - eroding the project's margin before construction even starts.

At CPF, unit construction finance is asset-led. Assessment focuses on the site, the development approval, the builder, the projected GRV of the completed building, and a credible exit strategy - typically the staged sale of completed units, a refinance to a longer-term facility, or progression to a residual stock loan if some units remain unsold at the end. Pre-sales are not a hard gate. The loan can also fund partially completed projects where an existing facility is expiring before the build is finished.

Why Developers Use CPF Unit Construction Finance

  • img Up to 65% GRV (up to 75% with second mortgage)
  • img Low or no pre-sales required - start the build on the project's terms
  • img Avoid forced off-the-plan discounting just to hit bank pre-sale thresholds
  • img Capitalised interest - no monthly debt servicing during the build
  • img Staged drawdowns aligned with construction milestones
  • img Funding available for partially completed projects mid-build
  • img Takeout funding available on completed projects
  • img No brokerage clawbacks - broker commissions stay paid

When Unit Construction Finance is Used

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Apartment Developments Without Bank Pre-Sale Targets

Build the units, finish the project, and sell into a completed market - without locking in heavy off-the-plan discounts.

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Boutique and Mid-Scale Unit Blocks

Smaller multi-unit projects - six to thirty dwellings - that fall below the threshold that other lenders consider worth funding.

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Mid-Build Takeover

An existing construction facility is expiring before the project is finished. CPF can enter mid-build and fund to completion.

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Builds with Improved Sale Prices on Completion

Hold pre-sales until the building is finished. Buyers can walk through the completed product, typically improving sale prices.

Have a Unit Project That Needs Funding?

Submit your scenario for assessment or speak with our team about unit construction finance for your next development.

Types of Unit Projects We Fund

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Boutique apartment buildings (six to twelve dwellings)
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Mid-scale unit blocks (twelve to thirty dwellings)
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Walk-up unit complexes
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Strata-titled multi-dwelling residential projects
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Mixed-use buildings with residential units above retail or commercial
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Build-to-rent style multi-unit residential
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Partially completed unit projects requiring takeover funding
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Refinances of maturing unit construction facilities

frequently asked questions

A unit construction loan is project finance for the construction of multi-unit residential developments - apartment buildings, unit blocks, and strata projects. Funds are released progressively as construction milestones are completed, with each drawdown verified through quantity surveyor inspection.

Both fund multi-dwelling builds, but the structures differ. Townhouse construction typically covers two-to-four-dwelling projects on smaller sites with community or strata titles. Unit construction is for larger multi-unit residential - apartment buildings, unit blocks, mixed-use developments - where the project scale, planning complexity, and end-product mix are different. CPF funds both under separate facilities.

No fixed pre-sale percentage is required. Pre-sales help - they confirm a market and lock in part of the exit - but they aren't a hard gate to settlement. Many developers deliberately hold pre-sales until completion, on the basis that buyers walking through a finished building usually pay more than off-the-plan buyers do.

Up to $10 million, structured as up to 65% of Gross Realisation Value (GRV) - the total expected sale value of all completed units. Up to 75% GRV is available where a second-mortgage component is included. The exact lend depends on the site, location, builder, and the end-product mix.

Funds are released progressively against construction milestones - typically slab, frame, lock-up, fixing, and practical completion. A quantity surveyor inspects each stage and confirms the work is complete before the next drawdown is released.

Yes. CPF can take over partially completed projects where the existing facility is expiring before the building is finished. Assessment reviews the work completed to date, the cost to complete, the builder's program, and the status of subcontractor and supplier accounts.

The basics - development approval, council plans and permits, fixed-price building contract with progress schedule, builder's details and insurances, and an "as-if-complete" valuation. Borrower entity details, feasibility, and a clear exit strategy round out the submission.

Yes. Unit construction finance is available to company and trust borrowers - including special-purpose vehicles structured for a single project, which is the standard structure for most multi-unit developers.

A no-cost, no-obligation Letter of Offer can be issued within 48 hours of a complete submission. Settlement typically follows within seven days of executed loan documents.

The loan is repaid through the agreed exit - typically the staged sale of completed units, a refinance to a longer-term facility, or progression to a CPF residual stock loan if unsold units remain at completion. Takeout funding is available on completed projects.