"We can help you finance any
business you decide to buy not
just those sold by
Sidney Phillips"

RECENT COMMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS

"Thank you very much for your help and advice over the past few months. The service we have received from you has been absolutely first rate and I would not hesitate to recommend you to anyone wishing to buy a licensed business"

"So far it has been plain sailing as far as I am concerned exactly what i wanted. Just like to thank you for making it so easy"

OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS
Advice on Freehold Funding
Bank Base Rate is currently 5%

In a question and answer format we cover most of the basic information you should require to understand the general lending criteria relating to freehold pub funding.

 

 

What is the maximum I can borrow against the purchase price?

 

Most pubs are sold as going concerns with the purchase price including the property, the fixtures, fittings and the goodwill of the business.

 

We can usually secure up to 75% of the value of the business. Some top up funding can be raised from brewery sources, if required, to bring this up to approximately 80% of the purchase price.

 

Where additional freehold property is available as collateral security, then up to 100% can be loaned. This may apply where you wish to keep your home rather than sell it to raise your deposit.

 

How long can the loan repayments be spread over?

 

The most common lending term is 20 years but we can offer up to 30 years.

 

Please note that it is usual to arrange an interest only payment in the first year at least, to aid cash flow

 

What interest rate will typically apply?

Few lenders apply a standard set of rates to every transaction, instead account will be taken of the financial strength of the business under consideration and the relevant experience of the purchaser. The stronger the overall proposal, the more room we have to negotiate a lower rate.

 

Given current market conditions please call for up to date information on likely rates to apply to your proposal.

 

Can I have an interest only mortgage?

 

Unlike the residential and buy to let market interest only mortgages are not widely available in the commercial sector. We do however have one lender who will offer an interest only deal for the whole term of the mortgage but only to suitably experienced applicants.

 

More commonly we arrange the first two years of the mortgage on an interest only basis, with the balance of the term on a capital & interest repayment.

 

Do I need a business plan?

 

We will prepare cash flow, budget and profit & loss forecasts for you. The information we gather from you and the selling agents is submitted by us in such a detailed format to the Bank/Lending Sources that you do not usually have to prepare your own business plan. However it is strongly recommend for your own purposes that you carefully consider the financial forecasts we prepare for you and compile your own plan around the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities and the threats relating to the business. You should also consider a marketing plan, taking into account, local press advertising, creation of a web site etc.

 

What costs are involved in setting the loan up ?

 

We operate on the basis of complete transparency with regard to costs, with no hidden surprises. All costs will be outlined once an agreement in principle is received from the Bank/Lending source.

 

  • Typically you can expect a valuation fee which can vary from £500 + VAT to £1,500 + VAT depending on the type of valuation required, value of property, location etc.
  • The Bank/Lending source will usually add an arrangement fee of 1% to 1.5% of the amount you borrow to the loan, on completion
  • Often the Bank/Lending Source will appoint your own solicitors to act for them, saving you additional cost, however some lenders require separate legal representation. Again this cost will be detailed at the agreement in principle stage.
  • Land registry charges and other disbursements usually total around £400.00
  • We do charge fees for our services which will be confirmed to you once we have assessed your proposal.

 

What other costs can I expect in buying a freehold pub?

 

You need to be aware of the likely costs surrounding a freehold business purchase to ensure that enough funds are available for you to complete the purchase and to allow you to trade.

 

Principle costs include:

 

 

Legal fees

 

These costs can vary tremendously and you will be well advised to speak to at least two firms of solicitors to compare costs. For a recommendation on suitably experienced solicitors in the licensed trade, the selling agent may be able to offer local recommendations. Please note that in some cases your solicitors will also be asked to act for the lenders, in completing the mortgage documentation therefore they usually need to have at least two partners in the firm to gain Bank approval. Licensed conveyances are not usually acceptable.

 

Stamp Duty

 

At present stamp duty on commercial property is levied as follows:

 

  • Under £150,000 NIL
  • Up to £250,000 1%
  • Up to £500,000 3%
  • Over £500,000 4%

 

If VAT is charged on the sale then we understand stamp duty is also charged on the VAT element. Care should be taken to ensure this does not push the total sale price into a higher band.

 

Important: We understand that stamp duty should only be levied on the property value only and not charged on either the goodwill of the business or the fixtures and fittings.

 

Stock at valuation

 

On the day of completion you will instruct a stock taker to value the wet & dry stock as well as the glassware. By agreement the stock levels may be run down for the day of the completion of the sale.

 

Can I settle the loan early or make lump sum reductions?

 

The majority of mortgage offers we negotiate can be settled or part paid without penalty. If settlement penalties are to apply these will be advised to you at the agreement in principle stage.

 

When we refer to an agreement in principle it will be a document prepared by a recognised lender, outlining the terms and conditions under which they will consider lending. It will already have been submitted to the bank/lending source’s underwriters and therefore as long as any conditions contained in the agreement are met, the loan can be considered as approved.

 

Can I bridge the sale of my house to buy now?

 

Where sufficient equity is available and where sufficient income is being generated to service the mortgage on the new business, any existing mortgage and the short term loan then we may be able to arrange short term funding to allow you to complete the purchase before the sale of your house is completed. Please call to discuss this further.

 

I want to keep my home as an investment and raise capital against it can you help?

 

Yes, this can be done by arranging a buy to let mortgage. The amount raised will be governed not only by the value of the property but by the assessment of the likely rental income.

 

Do I need to be experienced in the Licensed Trade?

 

Ideally you will have had some experience in the trade and you will have or will be obtaining your personal licence. For information on this go to DCMS or type “personal licence” into GOOGLE

 

When considering any proposal the lender is looking at three main aspects of the deal; the security it will hold, the ability to repay the borrowing requested and the suitability of the applicants. If the security and the repayment ability are strong then this will often compensate for lack of experience. However if we are pushing the maximums in terms of the amount of borrowing and/or the business needs to be improved to meet the borrowing and drawing requirements, then the focus will turn on the applicant.

 

What if the accounts for the business are poor?

 

This is not necessarily a barrier as the lenders will take a view on the potential of the business, any relevant experience you may have and income you continue to receive from other sources.

 

What next?

 

If you are at an early stage of looking for a business you should contact us to establish what you can afford given the capital/assets available to you. This will save you time and money viewing businesses which you cannot afford.

 

We have a brief personal financial profile form which can be completed, which will provide us with the necessary personal information to give you the most appropriate advice.

 

Only once you have viewed a business will accounts be made available to you. We can arrange for these to be forwarded, through the appropriate selling agents. We will provide you with an assessment and if necessary an explanation of these figures to help decide whether this business is suitable for you. Please note that if there are no accounts available or if for good reason they are not a reflection on the true potential of the business, then this does not necessarily prevent the business being funded.

 

If you wish to move forward with the purchase of this business, we will be pleased to advise you on making an offer, which should be submitted through the offices of the selling agent. This will be considered and if accepted will usually be conditional on you being able to prove you have the funding to complete the purchase. This proof, in part will come from you, either in the form of evidence of cash held on deposit or your solicitors confirmation with regard to the position of your house sale. The evidence of the balance of funds which will be raised by a mortgage, will be supplied by us, initially as an agreement in principle from a recognised lender followed by a formal offer of funding once the valuation has been completed.

 

To obtain the agreement in principle to lend we need to prepare a sound business proposal clearly outlining what you require to borrow, the terms you need to borrow on, and detailing your plans and aspirations for the business.

 

To achieve this we have developed a strong business document which by taking C.V. information from you, background information on the pub you are buying, considering your plans and ideas for the future, assessing the accounting information and preparing detailed financial forecasts, provides the lender with all the information they need to agree your mortgage.

 

The time scale for obtaining an agreement in principle from a lender is usually 4-5 working days. The valuation process can take 5 -10 working days, depending on the type of valuation required by the lending institution, following which formal loan documentation can be issued.

 

Once the formal loan documentation has been accepted by you, the time scale to completion is governed by the speed of your and the seller’s solicitors, in completing the legal formalities.

 

For any mortgage application we need the following:

 

  • A completed personal financial profile for you
  • C.V. information on all connected parties to the purchase
  • A copy of the selling agent’s property details (we can obtain)
  • Copies of all available accounting information (we can obtain)
  • A brief summary (verbal or written) of what you plan to do with the business.
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