Buying a commercial property is a smart investment because it provides many benefits. When you rent out the property, you can generate a consistent flow of income and enjoy tax benefits. When you use the property for your business, you can customize it to better suit your company’s size, nature, and brand.
But because buying a commercial property is an important and expensive investment, you need to be careful about your decisions. Spending thousands on a commercial property without checking its physical condition or its location can create problems down the road.
To ensure that you’ll end up buying the best commercial property, consider the following:
1. Physical Condition Of The Property
If you don’t have enough money to invest in a new commercial property, you’ll likely look into fixer-uppers. These properties are often more affordable but require repairs to improve their structural and cosmetic features.
There’s nothing wrong with investing in fixer-uppers, but you need to assess the physical condition of the property first. Buying a commercial property that requires extensive renovations will prevent you from earning profits or getting a return from your investment. This can snowball into bigger problems, especially if you’re looking forward to earning capital gains tax. You can learn more here about capital gains tax and how it can affect your commercial property.
2. Location
The location of the commercial property can significantly affect your success as a landlord or entrepreneur. If you’re going to choose a location inaccessible to public transport or national highways, it’ll be challenging for you to attract tenants or work with local clients.
Before buying a commercial property, take the time to compare various locations. A good location can influence the value of your property in the future and how it’ll appeal to tenants and business partners in the present.
Generally, a good location possesses the following factors:
- Growth: Is the population in the area expected to grow or shrink in the next months? It’s always best to invest in a commercial property in a location with a growing population as this can mean a broader target audience.
- Economic Diversification: Look for a commercial property situated in an area that offers a diverse economic base. This means that the city or state where the commercial property is located should be tied to several industries. This will make the area less vulnerable to any economic turndown in the future.
- Transportation: The commercial property you invest in should be accessible to different public transportation options, namely light rails, bike paths, airports, and highways.
3. Infrastructure
When buying a commercial property, it’s essential to pay attention to the infrastructure development in the area, especially for the future. For example, if the area is going to have a railway line construction in the next year, assess how the noise and vibration might affect your commercial property.
Future infrastructure development can affect your commercial property in many ways, so make sure to consider it before buying. For example, the operations of your business might have to be paused if a major development will take place in the area and last for months.
4. Budget
Your budget is a crucial consideration before buying a commercial property. Settling for one that’s priced way beyond your budget can cause financial stress and might create a negative impact on your day-to-day living.
Aside from the price of the commercial property, consider the closing costs, taxes, insurance, and ongoing costs when setting up a budget. Don’t forget to set aside at least 10% of your total budget for contingencies, just in case there’ll be unforeseen costs or expenses.
Regardless of whether you’re going to pay for the property with cash or a loan, think of the costs long-term. For example, when applying for a loan, weigh the pros and cons of several financing options to determine which one works well for your budget. Remember, you need to pay off the loan in several years, and not being able to afford the repayments can cause financial stress.
5. Availability Of Support Services
Often, having a functional and appealing commercial property isn’t enough to attract tenants or run a successful business. Your tenants and business partners will likely need other services such as parking, elevators, and security when they’re on the premises. You will have a state of the art commercial security systems or surveillance around the property.
If you already have options, determine if these commercial properties have available support services. These are essential to the resale value of your property and your ability to retain tenants and business partners. You’ll have a hard time building professional relationships if other people are always inconvenienced when they visit your property.
Remain Slow And Steady
Buying a commercial property is a long process, but you should never take any shortcuts. Making hasty decisions anywhere in the process can cause stress and a lifelong of debts.
If you think buying a commercial property is the best investment you can make today, take the time to follow all of the tips in this article. It’ll be easier for you to make sound decisions if you have sufficient knowledge about commercial property and how the industry works.
