Gaffbee Commercial · Buy
Offices, shops, warehouses, pubs, land and tenanted investments — with size, yield and business rates on every listing.
Freehold and long-leasehold stock across every commercial sector, from single retail units to distribution sheds and development land.
Beyond the purchase price, budget for non-residential stamp duty, legal and survey fees, VAT where the seller has opted to tax, and any immediate repair or compliance work flagged by the survey. On tenanted stock, factor in void risk between leases.
Net initial yield is the annual rent divided by the total purchase cost including fees. A high yield usually signals a short lease, a weaker tenant or a secondary location — compare it against the sector and region rather than chasing the headline number.
Your bill is roughly the Valuation Office Agency's rateable value multiplied by the current multiplier, before small business or retail relief. Listings with a published rateable value show an indicative annual figure so you can compare running costs early.
Commercial mortgage lenders typically want 25–40% of the purchase price as a deposit, with the rest secured against the property and, for owner-occupiers, your trading accounts. Investment purchases are usually assessed on rental cover — commonly 125–145% of the mortgage interest.
Non-residential SDLT in England and Northern Ireland is nil up to £150,000, 2% on the slice to £250,000 and 5% above that. Buying an existing lease is taxed separately on the net present value of the rent. Every Gaffbee listing shows an indicative figure — confirm the final position with your solicitor.
Owner-occupier stock is usually priced on a capital value per sq ft against comparable local sales. Tenanted investments are priced off net initial yield — the rent divided by the total purchase cost — so lease length, covenant strength and rent review terms move the price as much as the building itself.
A building survey on anything with a repairing obligation, an asbestos management survey on pre-2000 stock, and an environmental search on former industrial land. Check the EPC too — since April 2023 most commercial lettings need at least an E rating.
Yes — a SIPP or SSAS can hold UK commercial property, which is a common route for owner-occupiers who want their business to pay rent into their own pension. Take regulated advice first; the rules on borrowing and connected-party rent are strict.
