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Services · Commercial finance

Premises, plant
and working capital.

Buying your own premises usually works at up to 80 per cent of value for standard industrial property and 65 to 75 per cent for offices and shops, over terms of five to 15 years and sometimes longer. Leased investment property sits lower, around 60 to 70 per cent. Beside the property loan sit the facilities a business actually runs on: overdrafts, term loans, and the lines that smooth cash flow. We arrange all of it, from the bank that knows your industry to the non-bank that will do it without three years of financials.

Commercial lending in 2026, in numbers.

Indicative ranges from lender policy and comparison data checked this month. Specialised assets, medical, childcare, hospitality, price on their own terms.

80%Typical maximum loan-to-value for owner-occupied standard industrial property; offices and retail 65 to 75 per centLender policy summary, Oct 2026
60–70%Typical loan-to-value on leased commercial investment property; SMSF commercial commonly around 70 per centLender policy summary, Oct 2026
5–15yrsUsual loan terms, with interest-only periods of one to five years and annual reviews on most bank facilitiesLender policy summary, Oct 2026
1 Jul2024Commercial and industrial property first sold after this date in Victoria pays stamp duty one last time, then moves to an annual 1 per cent property tax from year elevenSRO Victoria
6.8–9.5%Indicative secured business term-loan rates at banks mid-2026, before the September cash-rate rise; unsecured and fintech lending runs much higherMozo / RBA data, Jun 2026
4.60%RBA cash rate since 30 September 2026, the base most commercial facilities now price fromRBA

Figures checked October 2026 against the sources shown. Rules change; we re-check before every application.

How much can I borrow to buy my business premises?

Up to about 80 per cent of value for a standard industrial unit or warehouse you will occupy, and 65 to 75 per cent for office or retail. Serviceability is tested on the business's financials, usually two years, with the rent you currently pay counted as the cost you are replacing.

Where the business is young, seasonal or has just had a bad year, lease-doc and low-doc commercial products exist at lower loan-to-value, serviced on the rent the property would earn or on BAS and bank statements rather than full financials. The property can be bought in your name, a company, a trust or your self-managed super fund; the SMSF route has its own rules and its own lenders.

What does a commercial property loan cost compared with a home loan?

Roughly one to two and a half percentage points more, with owner-occupier commercial rates starting in the low-to-mid sixes in October 2026 and investment and SMSF loans higher. Fees are also larger: establishment fees of around 0.5 to 1 per cent, valuation at commercial rates, and often an annual review fee.

The bigger difference is behaviour. Many bank facilities are reviewed every year against covenants such as interest cover, and a breach can trigger repricing or a demand. Some non-banks offer set-and-forget loans with no annual review at a slightly higher rate, which for a small business owner is often the better trade. We show you both.

Has stamp duty been abolished on commercial property in Victoria?

Not yet, and not for you if you are the first buyer since 1 July 2024. Victoria's commercial and industrial property tax reform means a property pays full stamp duty once more when it first changes hands after that date, then later sales of that property are duty-free and an annual tax of 1 per cent of unimproved site value starts ten years after that entry sale.

So the earliest anyone pays the annual tax is 2034. There is an optional government transition loan for the final duty on purchases up to $30 million, over ten years at a rate set each year, which takes a first charge over the property and therefore affects what a lender will do. We flag it and model it; your accountant decides.

What business finance can I get without putting up property?

Unsecured business loans of roughly $5,000 to $500,000 from banks and fintechs, overdrafts, invoice finance, and equipment finance secured on the asset itself. Bank unsecured money runs about 9.5 to 18 per cent; fintech products often cost far more when expressed as an annual rate, so we convert every quote into the same terms before you compare.

A business with a two-year ABN, GST registration and clean banking has more options than its owner usually thinks. For equipment, vehicles and plant the better path is nearly always a chattel mortgage or lease on the asset: see asset and machinery finance.

Can I refinance an existing commercial loan?

Yes, and it is worth doing if your loan has had a few annual reviews, the business has grown, or the property has been revalued. A refinance can lift the LVR, reset the interest-only period, remove covenants, or release equity for the next purchase.

Break costs on fixed portions, discharge and new establishment fees, and a fresh valuation all go into the arithmetic. If the saving does not clear those within a year or two, we will say so.

“We personally know each and every one of our clients and connect with them at a personal level.”
Suvidh Arora, Australian Broker, 2023

How commercial finance comes together.

The Cinch five steps, with the structure (who buys, who leases, who guarantees) settled before the application.

01

Structure and lender

Entity, guarantors, lease between you and the business, and the lender whose policy likes your industry and asset type.

02

Valuation and approval

Commercial valuation, financials or alternative documents, formal approval with covenants you can live with.

03

Settle and review

Settlement, then an annual check-in before the lender's review so a repricing never arrives as a surprise.

Commercial finance questions.

Straight answers. If yours isn't here, ask cinchi (bottom right) or book a chat.

01What documents do I need for a commercial property loan?+
Usually two years of business financials and tax returns, current BAS, a rent roll or lease if the property is tenanted, the contract of sale, and ID and asset-and-liability statements for the guarantors. Lease-doc and low-doc products need less.
02Can my SMSF buy my business premises?+
Yes. Business real property is what SMSF borrowing is still permitted for after the August 2026 rule change, with the business paying market rent to the fund under a written lease. The lenders and the loan-to-value are different from a personal commercial loan.
03What is a lease-doc loan?+
A commercial investment loan serviced on the rent the property earns rather than your personal income, tested with an interest cover ratio. Usually capped around 70 per cent LVR and priced a little higher than a full-doc loan.
04Do commercial loans have annual reviews?+
Most bank facilities do, checking covenants such as interest cover and updated financials. Some non-bank products have no review at all. Which one suits you depends on how predictable your business is.
05Is GST payable when I buy commercial property?+
Often, unless the sale qualifies as a going concern or the vendor is not registered. Lenders generally will not fund the GST component, so plan to pay it and claim it back. Your accountant confirms the treatment; we make sure the loan is sized for it.
06How long does a commercial loan take to approve?+
Three to six weeks from a complete application is typical, longer for specialised assets or complex structures. Finance clauses on commercial contracts should allow for that.

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