What lenders and insurers need from a glamping proposal

Property control

Start with control of the property.

Identify the titled owner, project entity, operating entity and any lease between them. Include the deed, purchase contract or executed lease, parcel identification and survey when available. List mortgages, liens, easements and use restrictions that affect the work.

Site control does not prove permission to operate. Add the current zoning designation, intended use and written records from the relevant authority. A pending application belongs in a dated register; it should never be presented as an approval.

Include access, flood information, utilities, soils or geotechnical work where relevant, wastewater, fire access and the proposed location of every unit and shared building. The land-readiness guide and feasibility guide connect those questions before procurement.

Funding file

Reconcile the development budget with the request.

Use a sources-and-uses schedule with the same categories as the project budget. Sources identify owner cash, accepted land equity, debt, grants or other committed capital. Uses identify acquisition, professional services, approvals, site work, utilities, structures, freight, foundations, installation, furnishings, technology, pre-opening work, reserves and financing costs.

Attach the evidence behind material numbers. Name the source, date and scope for each line, and identify exclusions and taxes. Tie the requested amount to specific uses and dates. Show when owner equity enters, how draws are supported and what remains unfunded.

SBA planning guidance calls for a business plan, expense sheet and financial projections when seeking a business loan. That does not create a universal underwriting standard. The actual lender controls its request, eligibility rules and credit decision.

Operating model

Show how the property is expected to operate.

State the opening inventory by unit type, seasonal calendar, booking channels, staffing plan and owner role. Label unverified occupancy, rate and ramp-up figures as assumptions. Build a monthly first-year view so approval, delivery, weather and seasonal timing remain visible.

Separate fixed and variable costs. Include payroll, property costs, utilities, software, merchant fees, housekeeping, repairs, guest supplies, marketing, professional services, insurance and debt service. Add working capital for the period between spending and stable collections.

The phase-one guide helps test whether the opening inventory matches the property’s development and operating capacity. Planning formulas do not prove demand, repayment capacity or approval.

Insurance file

Give the broker a property and operations schedule.

List each structure, unit, deck, utility component, equipment item, furnishing group and business-content category that may need coverage. Record ownership, location, year, construction type, purchase cost and the proposed replacement-value basis. Keep invoices, contracts and photographs behind the schedule.

Describe guest use in plain terms: proposed occupancy, cooking or solid-fuel appliances, amenities, food, alcohol, transportation, water activities, events or retail. List employees, contractors and vehicles separately. Ask the licensed professional which policies, limits, valuations and controls are required.

Create a location-risk page for flood, wildfire, wind, snow, severe weather, fire response, road access, slope, water, trees, utilities and business-interruption dependencies as applicable. FEMA maps provide official mapped flood information, but a lookup does not settle every parcel or coverage question.

Gap register

Ask providers to mark what is missing.

Send the index before a meeting. Ask the lender for remaining credit, collateral, equity, appraisal, environmental, entity and closing items. Ask the broker for missing exposures, applications, valuations, loss information, policies, limits and risk-control actions.

1. Record the item and requesting party.
2. Name the responsible owner and source needed.
3. Set the current status and date.
4. State which decision the item blocks.
5. Assign the next action.

UNIKOST can organize the property, unit, site-work and operating information into a coherent development file. Licensed lenders, insurance producers, attorneys, accountants, engineers and local authorities remain responsible for decisions within their roles. See the project-team guide and total-project-budget guide.