While often used interchangeably with bridging, the term 'development finance' has a specific meaning of its own. While bridging is a one off loan that bridges a gap between two situations, development finance is a staged loan. The funds are generally released in stages, as key pieces of the property development are completed. Development finance can also be arranged for much larger sums of money than bridging, and for longer durations. The exit strategy for a development loan is either the sale of the property or a commercial mortgage.