Industrial & Warehouse
Buying an industrial or warehouse property?
We arrange the finance. You get the keys.
Industrial and warehouse properties are among the most consistently fundable commercial property acquisitions available. Structural growth in logistics, last-mile delivery, and e-commerce fulfilment has strengthened demand for well-located industrial space across the UK — vacancy rates remain low, rental yields are strong, and specialist lenders with active industrial sector appetite are well established. Whether you are an owner-occupier buying the premises your business trades from or an investor acquiring tenanted industrial stock for rental income, the funding market for this asset class is deep and well understood.
What lenders look at
Tenant covenant and lease terms are the foundation for investment purchases. Where the property is tenanted, lenders will assess the strength of the tenant's covenant — their financial standing, trading history, and the likelihood of lease renewal — alongside the lease terms. A long lease to a strong covenant tenant at a market rent is the most fundable investment proposition. Shorter leases, break clauses, or weaker covenant tenants are assessed at lower loan-to-values with terms that reflect the income risk. The rent review mechanism — whether upward-only, open market, or indexed — also affects the lender's assessment of long-term income security.
Owner-occupier purchases are assessed on the trading performance of the occupying business. Where the buyer is purchasing industrial premises for their own business to operate from, lenders will assess the business's financial performance alongside the property value. The commercial mortgage is secured against the property with the business's trading income providing the repayment source. A profitable, well-established business purchasing its own operating premises is a strong owner-occupier proposition — and owner-occupier industrial purchases often achieve better loan-to-values than investment purchases because the occupier has a direct interest in maintaining the property and the business.
Location, access, and specification are assessed as primary value drivers. Industrial and warehouse property values are driven more by location and specification than almost any other commercial property class. Proximity to motorway junctions, port facilities, or distribution hubs directly affects both the rental value and the liquidity of the asset. Eaves height, loading bay configuration, yard space, and power supply specification all affect the range of occupiers the building can accommodate — and lenders assess the versatility of the specification alongside the current use. A well-specified unit in a strong logistics location is a more fundable proposition than a bespoke building in a secondary location with limited alternative use.
Structural condition and environmental considerations are reviewed carefully. Industrial properties carry specific structural and environmental risks that lenders assess as part of their due diligence — asbestos surveys, ground contamination reports, and structural condition surveys are standard requirements for most industrial acquisitions. Any known contamination, asbestos, or structural issues need to be disclosed and addressed in the application. A clean environmental history with up to date surveys and no outstanding remediation requirements is a more confident lending proposition than one with unresolved environmental liabilities.
How we help
We are acquisition finance and loans brokers, not lenders. We package your application, present it to the funders with genuine commercial property appetite, and manage the process from first conversation through to completion.
We also arrange government-backed facilities for industrial and warehouse property acquisitions — helping buyers access up to £2 million toward their purchase where the criteria are met.
Every industrial acquisition is different. Tell us about the property. We will take it from there.
For the wider funding options, explore business acquisition finance.
01 — Who we help
First-time buyers, experienced operators, and everyone in between
Owner-occupier businesses
Trading businesses buying the unit they operate from rather than continuing to rent it.
First-time commercial investors
Investors acquiring a tenanted industrial unit as a first commercial property holding.
Portfolio investors
Investors adding industrial stock to an existing commercial portfolio across the UK.
Developers and refurbishers
Buyers acquiring units to refurbish, subdivide or re-let at improved rents.
02 — The opportunity
What can we help you buy?
We arrange finance for industrial and warehouse purchases across the UK — from single light-industrial units to substantial distribution space.
Light industrial units
Smaller units on established estates, typically let to trade, manufacturing and service occupiers. The asking prices for leasehold and freehold industrial and warehouse units typically range from £250,000 to £25m.
Distribution warehouses
Larger logistics space with strong tenant demand from fulfilment and last-mile operators.
Owner-occupier purchases
Buying the premises your business trades from, with the loan serviced from trading profit rather than rent.
Tenanted investment units
Units bought with tenants in place, where contracted rent covers the mortgage from day one.
Multi-let industrial estates
Estates with several tenants, spreading income risk across a number of leases.
Refurbishment and subdivision
Units bought to improve, subdivide or re-let, funded against the completed value.
03 — The transaction
What can we finance?
The Business Purchase
Funding to buy a trading business, including goodwill and the business assets.
The Freehold
Funding for the purchase of the premises from which the business operates.
The Leasehold
Funding to buy a business operating from leased premises.
Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment
Where appropriate, funding can also take account of the assets required to operate the business.
Working Capital
Depending on the transaction, we can arrange funding for the initial working capital required after you take ownership.
Every deal is assessed on its own merits — not every element of every purchase will be financeable, and we'll tell you plainly what is and what isn't.
04 — The lender's view
What will lenders look at?
Lenders want to see a professionally prepared funding application. They want to know that the business is viable, that the proposed borrowing is affordable and that their loan can be repaid as agreed.
We use our proven iLendi Six™ method to build a strong funding application around the things lenders need to understand about your purchase.
Read more about the iLendi Six™05 — The funding
How much can you borrow?
Every purchase is different. The amount you can borrow will depend on the business, its trading performance, the purchase price, your circumstances and the structure of the transaction.
For industrial and warehouse purchases, lenders will focus on the surveyor's valuation, the tenancy schedule and remaining lease terms, covenant strength, planning use class and EPC rating, and — for owner-occupiers — the trading performance of the occupying business.
We arrange funding across the UK and work with you to find the financing solution that best fits the purchase.
06 — The completion
The iLendi Approach
Three steps from finding the business to owning it.
01
The Discovery
You have just found the business you want. You tell us all about it.
02
The Finance
You need financing to buy the business; we find the money.
03
The Completion
We stay by your side through to legal work completion and the business is yours.
Common questions
Buying an industrial or warehouse property — your questions answered
How much deposit do I need to buy an industrial or warehouse property?+
Most industrial or warehouse property acquisitions are funded with a deposit of around 20% to 30% of the purchase price, though this varies with the strength of the trading figures, whether the deal includes freehold property, and your own experience. Where there is property security or a particularly strong trading history, lenders can sometimes go further.
Can I borrow against goodwill when buying an industrial or warehouse property?+
Yes. Specialist acquisition lenders will lend against goodwill where the trading history supports it, which is essential for leasehold deals with no bricks-and-mortar security. The application has to be presented so the underwriter can see the sustainable, transferable earnings behind that goodwill.
How long does it take to arrange finance to buy an industrial or warehouse property?+
Indicative terms are usually available within 48 hours of your enquiry. A full offer typically follows within two to four weeks, with completion driven mainly by valuation and the pace of the legal work on both sides.
Is iLendi Capital a lender or broker?+
iLendi Capital is an acquisition finance and loans broker, not a direct lender. We work with buyers across the UK to prepare their funding applications, introduce them to the lenders most likely to approve them, and manage the deal through to completion. We also specialise in government-backed facilities, helping you secure up to £2m toward your purchase.
Keep exploring
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Found your industrial or warehouse property?
Let's find the finance.
Begin your funding process
Start with a conversation.
Tell us what you want to buy and an experienced funding specialist will call you back same day to discuss how we can help.
Other ways to contact us
Send an email:enquiries@ilendicapital.co.ukCall us: +44 (0)20 3488 8126We'll open WhatsApp with: "Hello iLendi Capital — I'm looking at buying a business and would like to talk."