Craigavon is a town in north County Armagh, begun in 1965 as a planned settlement and intended to be the heart of a new linear city joining Lurgan and Portadown. That wider plan was mostly abandoned, and locally "Craigavon" now means the urban area between the two towns. The settlement itself has about 22,000 people, roughly 30% of the Craigavon Urban Area's 72,300, a statistical area that also takes in Lurgan, Portadown and Aghacommon.
We are a broker. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies in Craigavon that want to buy the premises they trade from, or refinance a building they already own, and we never lend ourselves. The loan is secured on a working business property, so it is a commercial product and not a residential mortgage. We present the case to the lenders whose criteria fit.
Which Craigavon firms use an owner-occupier mortgage?
The town's central area, Highfield, holds a substantial shopping centre, a courthouse and the district council headquarters, which supports retail, professional and public-facing service businesses. Brownlow, the large residential district, and the smaller Mandeville area have their own local parades. The flat land near the south-eastern shore of Lough Neagh, with the M1 running to the north, also suits light industrial, storage and trade premises.
So the buyers we expect to hear from include retailers and franchisees, accountants and solicitors, dental and veterinary practices, and engineering, food and distribution companies that have outgrown renting. An owner-occupier mortgage is the usual route, indicatively 6.0 to 7.5% a year, and franchise operators can also see our franchise and practice mortgages page. Rates are indicative, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
Concrete, machinery and haulage: Craigavon's industrial side
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Figures are for the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon local authority area.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Craigavon share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farming, forestry and fishing | 2,530 | 23.1% | 4.5% |
| Construction and building trades | 1,430 | 13.1% | 12.6% |
| Retail | 1,030 | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 695 | 6.3% | 13.7% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 640 | 5.8% | 4.3% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 575 | 5.2% | 4.2% |
| Wholesale | 470 | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Motor trade and vehicle repair | 460 | 4.2% | 3% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 450 | 4.1% | 6.2% |
- 5.5xfarming2,520 businesses
- 2.6xglass, ceramics and building materials45 businesses
- 2.3xfood manufacturing85 businesses
- 2.0xfurniture making45 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Craigavon carries much of the borough's industrial weight. Across the 10,980 businesses in the council area, makers of concrete, stone and other mineral products run at 2.59 times the UK share, and machinery manufacturers at almost twice it. Transport, logistics and storage accounts for 5.2% of firms and wholesale 4.3%, both above the national level.
Plants of this kind sit on large sites with heavy floor loads and yard space, and a lender will want to understand whether the property could be used by another manufacturer. Older industrial estates may need an environmental report before a loan is agreed.
How does Craigavon's unusual layout affect commercial property loans in the Craigavon Urban Area?
In most of Craigavon, cars are completely separated from pedestrians and roundabouts are used extensively. Its "town centre" has no traditional streets. For a lender, that design is neither good nor bad in itself; what matters is whether a particular building is easy to reach, has parking and loading, and would appeal to another occupier if your business moved on.
Transport links help. The Portadown to Lurgan railway runs between the two Craigavon Lakes, and the M1 motorway runs parallel to it further north. A unit with quick access to the M1 tends to value well for industrial and distribution use. The lakes park, with its watersports centre, golf course and ski slope, adds leisure businesses that lenders assess on their trading record.
Craigavon estates with owner-occupiers, from Carn to Halfpenny Valley
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Craigavon, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Carn Industrial EstateCraigavon BT63 5RF
- Carn Business ParkCarn business park, Carn Rd, Portadown, Craigavon BT63
- Bluestone Business ParkMoyraverty, Craigavon BT64 2AN
- Carn Road Business CentreCarn Rd, Craigavon BT63 5WG
- Charlestown Road Industrial EstateCraigavon BT63 5ZF
- Seagoe Industrial EstateCraigavon BT63 5QD
- Halfpenny Valley Industrial EstateCraigavon BT66 8TP
- Quarry Business ParkCraigavon BT66 8QF
- Portadown Road Industrial EstateLurgan, Craigavon BT66 8QR
- Bannside Industrial EstatePortadown, Craigavon BT63 5AG
- New Foundry Industrial EstatePortadown, Craigavon BT63 5AB
- Annesborough Industrial EstateCraigavon BT67 9JD
What up-front money does premises finance in Craigavon, Northern Ireland need?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending usually advance 70 to 75% of the lower of price and valuation, sometimes 80%, over 5 to 25 years, with an arrangement fee of around 1 to 2%. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies here as in England: HMRC charges 0% to £150,000, 2% between £150,001 and £250,000, and 5% above £250,000 (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. A distribution company buys a freehold warehouse with M1 access for £450,000. A 75% loan is £337,500 and the deposit £112,500. SDLT is £12,000, so the business needs roughly £124,500 in cash before fees. The lender's charge is registered through Land and Property Services by a Northern Ireland solicitor. Our Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon page covers the wider borough.
Craigavon areas where companies buy premises
Highfield
The central area, with the shopping centre, courthouse and council headquarters. Retail units, offices and service premises here change hands between retailers, franchisees and professional firms.
Brownlow
The largest residential district, with townlands such as Drumgor and Legahory. Its local centres suit convenience stores, takeaways, pharmacies and health practices buying a single unit.
Mandeville
The second, smaller residential area. Neighbourhood shops and clinics are the typical owner-occupied premises, sometimes with accommodation above that lenders treat as semi-commercial.
Aghacommon and the M1 edge
Aghacommon lies to the north, towards the motorway. Edge-of-town land with road access suits trade, storage and light industrial occupiers looking for a yard as well as a building.
