Choosing business property

It's worth starting your property search by drawing up a business property specification or 'spec', clearly setting out your business property requirements. This will help distinguish between what is essential and what is desirable in a property for your business. It will also identify the order of priorities when it comes to factors influencing the type and location of the commercial property you desire.

You can then circulate your property specification to estate agents and surveyors that handle commercial properties in your area. They can then let you know if any properties are currently available that match or come close to meeting your requirements.

Searching for commercial property

You can search for business property in Northern Ireland using our commercial property finder.

You may also decide to search for suitable business premises yourself. Commercial property is listed online by estate agents on their own websites or on third-party property listing websites such as PropertyPal, Rightmove, Zoopla, or PrimeLocation, as well as many others.

Check any potential properties against your specification and eliminate any premises that don't at least meet all your essential requirements. Then you can draw up a shortlist of potential business properties to visit.

Professional advice

At this stage, you may want to seek the advice of a surveyor or solicitor. For example, a surveyor can assess the condition of a property and give you an idea of their value. See buying commercial property: using a surveyor.

When you're ready to make an offer or agree the terms of a lease, your solicitor can help negotiate the property deal and complete the legal work. See buying commercial property: using a solicitor.