Exeter is a cathedral city and the county town of Devon, on the River Exe about 36 miles north-east of Plymouth. Its population was 137,894 in 2024, the second largest settlement in Devon. It began as the settlement beside the Roman fort of Isca Dumnoniorum and grew rich on the wool trade. Today it is one of the largest and fastest growing cities in South West England and a centre for education, business and domestic tourism, connected by Exeter Airport, Exeter St David's station and the M5.
We are a broker. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies buying or refinancing the premises they trade from in Exeter, and we never lend. This is finance for a working company's own building, not a residential mortgage.
Which Exeter firms buy premises with an owner-occupier mortgage?
Exeter's economy leans to professional work: Wikipedia records that 39% of Exeter workers were in professional occupations as of 2022, against a national average of 26%. Notable employers include the Met Office, the University of Exeter, Devon County Council, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and South West Water. Around them sit consultancies, engineers, healthcare providers, IT firms and contractors, many of which buy office suites, clinics and small business units.
The Exeter Science Park opened in 2015 and is expected to keep growing until the late 2030s, giving technology and research firms a place to own space. The city also serves around 35,000 daily commuters and the wider Exeter and Heart of Devon area, which supports shops, trade counters and service businesses. Our page on professional practice mortgages covers surgeries, dental practices and similar firms.
Energy, publishing and public sector: what Exeter does
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Exeter share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 830 | 13.9% | 13.9% |
| Construction and building trades | 725 | 12.2% | 12.6% |
| Retail | 600 | 10.1% | 9.4% |
| Business support services | 455 | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| Health and social care | 440 | 7.4% | 5.6% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 405 | 6.8% | 6.2% |
| Information and communication | 325 | 5.5% | 6.2% |
| Property | 325 | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Personal and other services | 275 | 4.6% | 4.1% |
- 3.1xenergy supply45 businesses
- 1.7xpublishing40 businesses
- 1.6xmembership organisations80 businesses
- 1.5xpublic administration70 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Exeter is a regional centre with 5,960 business units and fewer micro firms than most places, at 76%. Energy supply businesses run at 3.1 times the UK share, publishing at 1.68 times and public administration at 1.52 times. Health and social care makes up 7.4% of firms, and property businesses 5.5%. For a medical practice, clinic or professional firm buying its office, the city's broad base of larger employers supports steady demand for well-located buildings, which a valuer will take into account.
How do the M5, the airport and the rail hub affect commercial property loans in Exeter, England?
The M5's south-west exit is just south of the city, making Exeter the point where the motorway network gives way to the A38 and A30 into the rest of the peninsula. Exeter Airport, east of the city, offers domestic and European flights, and Exeter St David's links to London, the Midlands and the north. The Exeter Ship Canal, first cut in about 1566, is one of the oldest artificial waterways in Britain.
That position is why distribution and trade businesses cluster near the motorway and airport side of the city. For a lender, a unit with quick M5 access is usually easier to value and re-let, which can support a better loan to value.
Exeter premises: a steady market since 2016
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse940properties on the rating listDown 1.1% since 2016Average rateable value £38,300factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices1,410properties on the rating listUp 6% since 2016Average rateable value £26,000offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail1,200properties on the rating listDown 1.6% since 2016Average rateable value £45,400shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial1,500properties on the rating listUp 15.4% since 2016Average rateable value £43,100pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Exeter estates, from Marsh Barton to Sowton
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Exeter, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Wrentham Business CentreExeter EX4 6NA
- City Industrial EstateExeter EX2 8DD
- Marsh Barton Trading EstateMarsh Barton, Exeter EX2 8LY
- Marsh Barton Industrial EstateMarsh Barton, Exeter EX2 8PN
- Basepoint Business ParkMarsh Barton, Exeter EX2 8LB
- Pinbrook Industrial EstateExeter EX4 8JU
- Capital Court Business ParkExeter EX2 7FW
- Sowton Industrial EstateExeter
- Kestrel Business Pkkestrel Way Sowton Industrial EstateKestrel Way, Exeter EX2 7LG
- The Old Mill Industrial EstateExeter
- Old Mill Industrial EstateStoke Canon, Exeter EX5 4RJ
- The Mill Industrial EstateOld Mill Industrial Estate, Stoke Canon, Exeter EX5 4RJ
Exeter's rated stock grew 5.4% since 2016 to 5,050. Offices rose 6% and other property 15.4%, while industrial units slipped 1.1% to 940. The average industrial unit is rated at £38,300, and the average shop at £45,400. With little new industrial supply, owning a unit at Marsh Barton or Sowton can be a sound defensive choice for a trade or distribution firm.
What does buying business premises in the Exeter area cost?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically lend 70 to 75% of the price or valuation, whichever is lower, at an indicative 6.0 to 7.5% a year over 5 to 25 years, with fees of about 1 to 2%, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
HMRC charges SDLT on commercial purchases at 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. A consultancy buys a freehold office for £550,000. A 75% loan is £412,500 and the deposit £137,500; SDLT is £17,000, so the firm needs about £154,500 before fees. Our costs page lists legal and valuation charges, and the Devon commercial mortgages page covers the county.
Commercial lending to a limited company is unregulated and falls outside the FCA's regulated mortgage perimeter. Where a deal would be regulated, for example lending to a sole trader or individual, or a property where the borrower or a close family member will live in part of it, we refer it to an appropriately authorised firm.
Where Exeter companies own their premises
High Street and city centre
Shopping centres on the High Street, the pedestrianised Princesshay and the indoor Guildhall hold national retailers, while independents concentrate on Fore Street and Gandy Street. Professional firms and independent shops buy period buildings here, where the surveyor's view of condition and listing matters.
Exeter Science Park
Opened in 2015 on the eastern side of the city, the science park is a base for research, technology and knowledge businesses. Companies that outgrow incubator space can buy their own building here, and lenders will want to see accounts that show the business is established.
Cranbrook
The new town about five miles east of the city is part of the Exeter Growth Point strategy and now houses several thousand residents. Local shops, nurseries, clinics and service firms serving the new community are typical owner-occupier buyers.
Airport and M5 corner
Exeter Airport and the motorway junctions on the eastern edge make this the natural location for distribution, trade counters and businesses that travel across the South West. Units here usually have a broad pool of occupiers, which lenders like.
Streatham and St Luke's
The University of Exeter's two campuses bring students, staff and research spending. Nearby shops, cafés and service businesses benefit, and companies supplying the university, from caterers to IT firms, may buy offices or workshops close by.
