Commercial mortgages can suit business owners who own the premises their business operates on, or who want to secure funding for a buy-to-let rental investment
Get MortgageIf you are planning to purchase a building by securing it against your business premises a commercial mortgage might be a practical way to achieve this. When it comes to applying for a commercial mortgage you will need to speak to a mortgage advisor as there is no one-size-fits-all product on the market.
Generally speaking, a business will apply for a commercial mortgage when it is looking to either release equity in an existing business premises or acquire a buy-to-let property. It is probably the easiest way to get on the commercial property ladder, as long as you know how to compare different mortgage products. This type of mortgage is popular with business owners who own the building in which their business operates, however, commercial mortgages are also commonly used by investors and residential property owners who plan to buy properties to rent to tenants.
To get approved for a commercial mortgage you will need to prove that you can meet the minimum repayments. You will be asked for financials to demonstrate this. Also, it’s likely that a professional valuation will be required prior to securing the mortgage.
As detailed below, you can find a commercial mortgage through a high street bank, challenger bank or specialist lender. If you opt for a high street bank, you might have to move your business bank accounts to get the best possible terms. Some specialist lenders offer interest-only commercial mortgages, and may also offer a mortgage with a lower deposit (although in these cases interest rates tend to be higher).
Commercial mortgages are usually offered with a maximum loan-to-value ratio (LTV) of 80% for an owner-occupied mortgage or 75% for a commercial investment, which means you will need a deposit of between 20% and 40% — depending on each individual lender's assessment of risk, so it's worth shopping around.
However, there are circumstances where commercial lenders are happy to 100% LTV. This usually involves the borrower putting up extra security like a personal guarantee.
The deposit amount for a commercial mortgage is in the range of 25% to 40%. This figure will depend on the level of risk your business poses to the lender and whether you can provide enough security in case of a default.
Owner-occupied commercial mortgages tend to have a 70% to 80% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, which refers to the size of your mortgage in relation to the value of the commercial property you want to buy. The LTV for a commercial investment mortgage rarely exceeds 75%, unless the business can provide extra security.
There are a few reasons why a commercial mortgage might make sense:
The interest is tax-deductible
Lower interest rates
To purchase a new buy-to-let building
Potential to develop an existing business property
Opportunity to develop a new property
Chance to extend a current business premise
Pursue residential developments and projects
Undertake commercial developments and projects
Acquire land
Commercial mortgages carry the following charges:
Arrangement fees are usually charged after the loan has been approved, however, some lenders insist on upfront arrangement fees in case the loan doesn’t go ahead — normally they range between 0.5% to 2.5% of the amount borrowed.
Brokers fees will have to be paid if you use a specialist commercial mortgage broker to advise you. Fees start at around 1% of the total loan value.
Valuation fees are charged before the mortgage is approved. The lender's valuer will visit the property and assess what the property is worth. Fees can start at around £500 but will be higher for non-regular valuations.
Legal costs will need to be covered once the property is sale agreed and will depend on the building in question. Legal fees will often include insurance, site surveys and the preparation of property deeds.
It's not advisable to add any of these fees to a commercial mortgage as it will be a more expensive option as interest will be charged on the amount.
There are two many types of commercial mortgages: owner-occupied and commercial investment mortgages.
Owner-occupied mortgages are used to acquire properties that will be used by your business in the normal course of business. You can use this loan to buy the premises your business is currently operating from, or for purchasing a new property to move into.
This loan can be used to buy a property as an investment i.e to rent to other businesses or individuals. If the property is residential, you’ll need a buy-to-let commercial mortgage.
You can also apply for this kind of mortgage to invest in semi-commercial, mixed-use property (commercial and residential use) like a shop with an apartment above it.
Commercial mortgage rates will depend on the level of risk and can rise or fall depending on the evidence you provide when you apply.
When it comes to pricing an application, the lender will consider the loan size, LTV, credit history and your business’ financials, as well as a range of other factors. Typically, the interest rate will tend to be lower if you intend to use the property as your business premises versus if you plan to lease it out.
When it comes to owner-occupied mortgages, rates can be anywhere from around 2.25% to 18%. Commercial investment mortgages on the other hand tend to have higher interest rates - they usually range between 3.5% and 6%.
Rates can be fixed or variable. It’s possible to get a fixed-rate commercial mortgage for anywhere from two years to the length of the loan. Variable rate commercial mortgages track either the Bank of England Base Rate or LIBOR (London InterBank Offered Rate).
There is a wide range of lenders offering commercial mortgages, each with its own pros and cons.
The obvious benefits of the major banks are that if you’re eligible, their rates are tough to beat. They’ll often lend against the OMV and offer quite high LTV, which means you may get a larger mortgage, and the big banks are also more likely to have shorter and less onerous tie-in periods.
The downsides are that their criteria can be more difficult to satisfy. They require a fairly high DSCR, which means you need a higher income to service the same amount of debt than you would with other lenders, and if you have recent credit issues they’ll often turn down your application outright. Also, the process of applying for a commercial mortgage can take a long time with the major banks, with decisions regularly taking more than 3 months.
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See your Funding OptionsThe challenger banks generally have a greater appetite to do business, and can help some of the businesses that their high-street cousins can’t. First, their DSCR requirements are usually lower, which means their income threshold for commercial mortgages can be easier to satisfy. They will also consider applications with credit issues in the last two years, which the major banks won’t usually do.
Challengers sometimes offer interest-only repayment options up to the maximum LTV, which makes sense for businesses who buy their premises for cashflow reasons rather than capital gains — for example where the interest-only mortgage payment would be less per month than their current rental payments.
The downsides of the challengers come down to cost and flexibility — in general, they’re more expensive than the high-street banks, and will often have higher exit fees for the duration of the mortgage, which may limit your options if your future is uncertain.
Challengers may also agree the commercial mortgage amount based on a 180-day marketing period rather than the OMV, which can potentially lower the amount you can borrow.
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See your Funding OptionsCompared to both types of bank, the smaller specialist lenders are a lot more flexible overall. If you want a commercial mortgage but haven’t been in business long, the niche lenders may be your best bet, because they are often prepared to lend to shorter trading histories and have lower affordability criteria (DSCR). In some cases, it’s even possible to use projections instead of trading history if they’ve been signed off by an accountant.
The specialist lenders may also be more flexible in terms of location, considering applications for mortgages in most areas of the UK and in some cases even offshore territories. These situations will be looked at on a case-by-case basis, however.
As you might expect, the downside of these types of lenders is the cost — they’re usually more expensive commercial mortgages than those you’ll get from the banks. The smaller lenders tend to lend against the FSV too, which is usually lower than OMV and therefore can significantly reduce the percentage of the property value you can borrow.
They’ll also have longer terms, and more restrictive exit fees. For example, you may have a tie-in period of 8 years on a 10-year mortgage with exit fees ranging from 2–6% — significantly more restrictive than the banks. Having said that, if your situation means you’re only eligible for the specialist lenders, the comparison with major banks is irrelevant.
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See your Funding OptionsEach lender will have a slightly different risk assessment process so it's worth shopping around and doing some research on the different eligibility criteria for each.
When it comes to getting a business mortgage, your trading history matters. Lenders want to know that your business can afford the mortgage and will be able to repay it. If you run a limited company that’s currently trading, you’ll need at least 3 years of filed accounts to be eligible for the high-street banks, and at least 2 years of accounts for the challengers.
If you’re thinking of buying a property to start a business, you’ll need to have a significant lump sum to put in yourself. Typical loan-to-value ratios for a brand new business with no trading history will be a maximum of 50% of the purchase price, so to purchase a property worth £200,000 you’d need a minimum of £100,000.
For professional landlords looking to get commercial mortgages for residential rental property, you’ll need to demonstrate previous experience in this area, usually at least 1 year.
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See your Funding OptionsNot all commercial mortgages are created equal, and how you use the property makes a difference to both the interest rate you’ll pay, and how much you can borrow.
For example, owner-occupied businesses such as offices or shops can normally get a maximum loan-to-value of around 80%. But, if you decide you want to split your office building into smaller units and lease some of these, then that’s a different story. Now you’ve crossed over from an owner-occupied business to a commercial buy-to-let business, and your maximum LTV drops to 75%. What’s more, your interest rate goes up too, so now you’re looking at rates starting from 3.00% over the Bank of England base rate.
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See your Funding OptionsIf your company already owns lots of properties in the same area of the country, getting a new commercial mortgage might be difficult for the banks because you’ve reached what they call the ‘concentration limit’. The idea is that if the market in that area goes down, you’re much more exposed than you would be with a portfolio of properties spread all over the country.
Planning permission is also important, because it has strong implications for the future profitability of the site. However, some of the challenger banks and niche lenders will consider commercial mortgage applications without planning permission.
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See your Funding OptionsIn the UK there are over 70 lenders who specialise in business mortgages, from high street banks through to niche lenders. If you can put together the right business case, you can often find a lender who is willing to offer you a business mortgage, even if on paper you might not meet all the criteria.
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See your Funding OptionsUnfortunately, it’s not a simple case of using your property or asset’s market value as a guide to what you can borrow. The more accurate gauge is to use the remaining equity in the property. Lenders assess different valuations – often, the forced sale value – and they take into account any outstanding debt against the security, for example previous debentures or charges. In general, you will need to have remaining equity of at least 75% of the value of the property you are looking to buy.
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See your Funding OptionsIn this case, lenders may ask for additional security to help you purchase the property. It is often the case that a lot of your cashflow is tied up in business operations or existing property, so providing additional security can be a good option for those businesses and sectors that find themselves asset-rich but cash-poor.
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See your Funding OptionsThis is a key point that many prospective buyers don’t fully understand, and it is a major reason for using a service like Funding Options. To secure large mortgages, different lenders will only accept certain types of assets. For instance, some lenders prefer taking second charges, rather than the first charge, against property. Others prefer to take certain types of property as collateral, like residential properties, pubs or warehouses. They even have different preferences when it comes to using sites and land as security, and the location of the asset can also be a factor.
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See your Funding OptionsDon’t forget that you will also have to include the valuation fees when using security in any funds lent — this is in addition to the usual legal and arrangement fees. The Funding Options team can help to clarify what you should expect in terms of fees as the process nears completion and, in some cases, we may even have access to cheaper alternatives for you.
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See your Funding OptionsThe variety of commercial mortgages on the market is excellent for commercial borrowers. Here’s a quick run-down of the important things to bear in mind when looking for a commercial mortgage.
You can get fixed rate mortgages for a period of time which ensures your monthly repayments do not increase, there are variable rates which can change, and there are even “blended” rates (a mix of the two). This is an important choice, because it determines not only your monthly payment amount, but also how much equity you’ll build up in the purchased property, and how quickly.
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See your Funding OptionsStamp duty land tax is payable on properties that cost £150,000 or more. The amount your business pays is a percentage of the purchase price of the property. Your accountant can best advise with regards to your tax liabilities.
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See your Funding OptionsCommercial mortgage interest rates can be fixed against the base rate or the LIBOR (the rate at which banks lend to each other). In addition, lenders will require a cash deposit or additional security which will help offset the risk.
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See your Funding OptionsThis can be a viable option and the rent can help with your monthly mortgage repayments. Due to its complex nature, it would be recommended to speak to one of our business finance experts to explore this great option – and see if it would suit you.
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See your Funding OptionsYou will have to pay a small percentage for arrangement and legal fees when you purchase commercial property, so it’s worth speaking to the lender and an intermediary like Funding Options who can explain these terms simply and ensure you know the full cost. It is also worth considering refurbishment costs, with the more organised factoring this into initial costs when selecting their property.
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See your Funding OptionsCommercial mortgages are complex and regulated products. You typically require higher deposits than residential loans, and a financial provider will need to assess your application.
Mortgage brokers and lending platforms like Funding Options are there to assist you on your journey to secure a commercial mortgage.
We’re experts in the field, with many years of experience in sourcing the right mortgages for our clients’ needs. We’ll help you find the best way to finance your plans, and while it’s beneficial to do some price comparison yourself, you don’t want to be applying for finance at every bank and lender you come across, as it may affect your credit rating if you’re rejected.
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See your Funding OptionsAs experienced professionals, intermediaries have the knowledge of all the latest products and innovations in property finance. We assess your case not just for the high street banks, but for alternative providers too, so you have access to a wide range of products to see if they could work for you.
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See your Funding OptionsMortgage intermediaries have good relationships with lenders and the people that actually make the final calls, so your application will be underwritten with the best possible case for success being made. Sometimes, online forms just don’t have the relevant fields in which to show you can run your company successfully — we’ll make sure your case is presented fairly.
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See your Funding OptionsIntermediaries are there to work for you, to get the right deal for your situation. We’re impartial and objective, and we’re happy to spend time guiding you through all the complex terms and conditions you should expect with a mortgage. That means you’ll be aware of all the repayments you need to make, alongside any extra charges or fees, and you can feel safe in the knowledge that you’ve got the right mortgage for your situation.
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See your Funding OptionsPerhaps a commercial mortgage isn’t right for you at moment. If so, instead of wasting your time, we’ll explain to you exactly why you wouldn’t be accepted, and explore all your alternative options. Often it’s better to know immediately that you’re on the wrong track, rather than spend weeks in the application process just to be declined at the end of it.
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See your Funding OptionsAs a business owner, your time is limited, and we know you’ve got other things on your mind. While you may want to evaluate dozens of financial providers on the market yourself, with an intermediary you can concentrate on running the business and let the experts do their job — saving you time and energy.
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See your Funding OptionsA property which you want to purchase with the aim of letting it out to another party.
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See your Funding OptionsA measure of the cashflow you have available to pay your debt obligations — in other words, the ratio of your monthly repayment amount versus your overall cashflow position.
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See your Funding OptionsThe asking price you could achieve if you were forced to sell the property as soon as possible. Forced sale value is usually lower than Open Market Value because you wouldn’t have time to wait for the best offer to come in.
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See your Funding OptionsThe ratio of the amount you want to borrow versus the total value of the property. For example, to purchase a property worth £1million at an LTV of 75% would mean your mortgage covered £750,000 and you’d have to put in £250,000 yourself.
LTV is an important metric in commercial property finance because it determines how much of a buffer the lender has between the potential sale price and the amount lent, and therefore has implications for the risk of the deal.
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See your Funding OptionsThe asking price you could achieve if you could afford to wait for a few months to sell the property. Open market value is usually higher than Forced Sale Value because you have time to wait for the best offer to come in.
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See your Funding OptionsFormal legal permission from a local authority for the development or alteration of property, commonly needed for most commercial and residential developments.
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See your Funding OptionsThe variable interest rate of a mortgage which is determined by the mortgage lender’s discretion, rather than the Bank of England Base Rate.
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See your Funding OptionsCheck your eligibility with our online form without affecting your credit score.
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