Finance question
Can I get finance to buy a warehouse for my business?
Yes, often. A warehouse your business will trade from is a commercial property purchase, funded by a loan secured on the warehouse, with equity in a home or other property covering the deposit. Property-backed finance runs up to $5 to 6 million, and new businesses can qualify without a long ABN history, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
Buying your own warehouse is a property loan, not a business loan
When your business buys the shed it trades from, lenders treat it as a commercial property purchase and the warehouse is the security. That puts the loan in the property-backed market, which our property-backed lending guide describes as running to $5 million and beyond, with lighter documentation and no trading history needed when the equity is there (property-backed business loans guide). The deposit does not have to be cash. Lenders look at your equity position, so a home with an existing mortgage can still back part of the purchase through a second mortgage structure.
Before you sign, test the asking price against what the building alone would cost to put up. Rider Levett Bucknall's 2026 benchmark for a new 4,500 m2 metal clad warehouse is $1,060 to $1,340 per square metre in Sydney, $1,160 to $1,600 in Melbourne and $1,360 to $1,800 in Brisbane, excluding land, site works and GST (construction cost guide). It is a yardstick for a new building, not a valuation. A lender's valuer will lean on comparable sales and rent, and if the valuation comes in under your contract price, the lender works from the lower figure and you fund the difference.
Structure matters as much as price. Some owners buy in the trading company's name, and others buy in a separate property entity or trust that leases the shed to the company, which changes how the lender assesses the deal and how your accountant treats it. Stamp duty varies by state and GST depends on the sale, so confirm both before the finance clause expires. Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders, not a single bank, and we match the purchase to a lender comfortable with warehouse security. There is no upfront fee to you; the lender pays us on settlement.
Do you qualify?
What a lender looks at on a warehouse purchase.
The warehouse itself
Valuation, condition, zoning and how easily it could be re-let or sold.
Deposit and equity
Savings, or equity in a home or other property, plus duty and costs.
A signed contract
A contract with a finance clause and a settlement date.
Your trading position
Recent figures if you have them; many property-backed deals need none.
Why owning the shed can beat leasing it
The property is the security
Real estate behind the loan widens the lender panel.
Equity can be the deposit
A home or investment property can cover the gap.
You build equity
The building becomes your asset instead of a landlord's.
A worked example
A joinery company agrees to buy a 1,500 m2 warehouse for $2.4 million, subject to finance. The valuer comes back at $2.3 million, so the lender advances a share of that lower figure. The gap to the price, plus stamp duty and costs, is covered by equity in the owners' home, which the lender takes as extra security, so no cash leaves the business. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can a new business buy a warehouse?
Often yes. With enough equity in a home or other property, lenders can fund a business with no long trading history, because the deal stands on the property. It is subject to lender assessment.
Do I need financials to buy a warehouse?
Many property-backed deals do not, as the equity and the property carry the assessment. A lender may still ask for recent figures on a larger or higher-risk purchase.
What if the valuation is lower than the contract price?
The lender works from the lower figure, so you fund the difference from cash or other equity. Check what your contract says about a short valuation before the finance clause runs out.
Should the business or a separate entity own the warehouse?
Either can work. Some owners hold the property in a separate entity or trust and lease it to the trading company. It changes how the lender assesses the deal and your tax position, so talk to your accountant before you sign.