Buying your own premises
Owner-occupier purchases where the business currently rents and wants to own the building it trades from.
Owner-occupied and investment
Commercial mortgages
A commercial mortgage is a long-term loan secured against business premises, either occupied by your own business or held as an investment and let to tenants. Lenders assess the property, the income that supports the debt, and the strength of the business or tenant behind it.
Whole case packaged for you
Fees disclosed upfront
Brokers, not a lender
Get an indicative quote
Step 2 of 7Is this a purchase or a refinance?
Either way we look at the whole panel, not one lender.
When it is used
Situations we see most often
Investment purchases
Tenanted retail, office and industrial property bought for the income and capital growth.
Refinancing existing premises
Releasing equity for expansion, or moving off an expensive facility onto better terms.
Who it suits
- Trading businesses buying the premises they currently lease
- Investors acquiring tenanted commercial or mixed-use property
- Landlords refinancing a commercial portfolio
- Borrowers exiting a commercial bridge onto long-term funding
| Typical terms | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Loan to value | Typically up to 70% for investment, up to 75% owner-occupied |
| Term | Commonly 5 to 25 years |
| Rate basis | Fixed or variable, usually over a reference rate |
| Interest cover | Lenders test rental income against the payment, with a margin |
| Amortisation | Capital and interest, or interest only on stronger investment cases |
| Lease length | Unexpired term matters — short leases reduce the loan available |
Indicative ranges based on typical specialist market terms. Your actual terms depend on the property, your circumstances and the lender the case is placed with.
How Amram handles it
What we actually do for you
We are brokers. We do not lend our own money — we package your case and place it with the lender most likely to fund it, then manage it to completion.
The conversation
We look at the property, who occupies it, the lease position and the income or trading figures that will support the debt.
Packaging
We package accounts, management figures, the tenancy schedule and a clear picture of the business or investment case.
Lender sourcing
We approach lenders whose appetite matches the sector and the covenant. Commercial appetite varies enormously by asset type.
Valuation and legals
We coordinate a commercial valuation — which takes longer than residential — and manage the legal work on both sides.
Offer and completion
The offer is issued and we drive it to completion, keeping the valuer, solicitors and lender moving in step.
What you’ll need
Have these ready and it moves faster
The single biggest cause of delay is a case assembled as it goes. We will ask for these at the start so the file is lender-ready before it is submitted.
- Two to three years of accounts, plus recent management figures
- Six months of business bank statements
- The tenancy schedule and copies of all leases
- Details of the property, its use class and its condition
- A business plan where the case depends on trading performance
- Director or shareholder details and personal asset statements
Situations
Does one of these sound like you?
Illustrative situations rather than client case studies — the kinds of enquiry this market sees, and what usually works in each.
“My business rents its premises and I want to buy the freehold”
The landlord is selling, or the lease is ending, and buying is better than renewing.
What usually works“I want to buy a commercial unit but it is empty and lenders want a tenant”
The building is vacant, so a commercial mortgage lender has nothing to underwrite.
What usually works“I am buying a shop with a flat above and nobody will lend”
A mixed-use building that residential lenders call commercial and commercial lenders call residential.
What usually worksQuestions
Frequently asked
How much deposit do I need for a commercial mortgage?
Usually 25% to 35% of the purchase price, depending on whether the property is owner-occupied or an investment, and on the strength of the covenant. Owner-occupiers can sometimes access slightly higher leverage than investors.
What is interest cover and why does it matter?
Lenders test whether the rental income comfortably covers the mortgage payment, usually with a margin on top. It is often the real constraint on the loan size — more so than the loan to value percentage.
Can I get a commercial mortgage on a vacant property?
Rarely. Most commercial lenders want income. The usual route is a commercial bridge to buy the building, let it, then refinance onto a commercial mortgage once there is a rent roll.
Are commercial mortgages regulated?
Generally not. Commercial lending sits outside the regulated mortgage regime, though a mortgage over a property partly used as a home can fall within it. We will tell you which applies to your case.
How long does a commercial mortgage take?
Longer than a residential one. The valuation alone usually takes several weeks, and underwriting is more involved. Plan for months rather than weeks, and bridge if the timescale does not work.
Does the length of my tenant’s lease matter?
Considerably. A long unexpired term with a strong tenant supports a larger loan and a longer term. A lease with a year to run, or a break clause approaching, will reduce both.
Keep reading
Related pages and guides
Commercial bridging
Shops, offices, industrial units and mixed-use buildings.
View pageBuy-to-let mortgages
Single properties, HMOs, limited company structures and portfolios.
View pageBusiness accounts
IBAN accounts and merchant services through our banking partner.
View pageBridging Loan Exit Strategies Explained
Sale, refinance or something else: how lenders underwrite your exit, what evidence they want, and what happens if the exit slips.
Read the guideBridging loan calculator
Work out the gross loan, LTV, interest and every fee before you speak to anyone.
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Free deal review by a specialist. We will tell you what is achievable, what it is likely to cost and what the lender will want to see.
Amram Finance Ltd is a credit broker, not a lender. We do not lend our own money and we do not approve or issue loan offers.
Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan secured on it. Some forms of bridging finance and buy-to-let lending are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.