The survey of 250 property developers found that 51% admitted the cost of scaling up their businesses was more than was expected.

This was reflected in the fact 46% of the sample had used personal savings or remortgaged their homes to finance this growth.

In addition to financial stresses, this can have impacts on developers’ personal wellbeing.

Nearly a quarter of developers (23%) reported moments of isolation during their scale-up journey and 20% experienced higher stress levels as operational demands grew.

Encouragingly, the research found evidence that this strain was worth it with 38% reporting revenue growth ultimately outpacing rising costs.

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“The property development industry is vital to the UK’s economic strength, and developers are clearly willing to back their ambitions with significant personal commitment,” said Terry Woodley, managing director of development finance at Shawbrook (pictured above).

“Their success shows what is possible when businesses scale well — but it also highlights where more tailored support could unlock even greater growth.

“With red-tape and a depleting workforce being the biggest barriers to property developers, it’s crucial that they are given support to continue scaling up, whether this is through legislative changes or funding opportunities.”