Specialist commercial mortgage broker for firms across Mid and East Antrim, County Antrim

Each of the three former boroughs brings a different kind of business. Ballymena was traditionally a market town and became a manufacturing base, with Michelin, JTI Gallaher and Wrightbus among its notable employers. Larne is described as an important port, which points to haulage, freight and storage firms. Carrickfergus, on the north shore of Belfast Lough, forms part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area and has a strong commuter and heritage character.

The premises that follow from that mix include:

• industrial units, yards and workshops for engineering, vehicle and building firms
• warehouses and transport depots near the port and the main roads
• shops, cafes and offices in Ballymena and Carrickfergus town centres
• hotels, pubs and visitor businesses along the coast and in the Glens, priced as trading businesses at an indicative 7.0 to 9.0% a year

Rates are indicative, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Our page on owner-occupier mortgages explains how lenders assess a company buying its own building.

The district has seen difficult years. Ballymena lost jobs in the 1980s and again in the 2010s: the Patton Group entered administration in November 2012 with the loss of 320 jobs, JTI Gallaher announced in October 2014 that it would close with the loss of 877 jobs, and in November 2015 Michelin decided to close its Ballymena factory after 50 years, with up to 850 jobs lost.

For a company buying premises today, that history has two sides. Larger former industrial buildings can come to market, and some companies see an opportunity to buy space they could not otherwise afford. Lenders, though, value buildings on what another occupier would pay, so very large or highly specialised sites may attract a lower loan to value. A modern, adaptable unit of a size local firms actually use is the simplest to finance. We test that question with the valuer early rather than at the end.

Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically advance 70 to 75% of the price or valuation, up to 80% for strong cases, at an indicative 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Terms are 5 to 25 years and arrangement fees usually 1 to 2%.

Stamp Duty Land Tax applies, as in the rest of Northern Ireland. HMRC's non-residential rates are 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). The return is due within 14 days of completion.

Illustrative example. A haulage company buys a freehold depot and yard near Larne for £600,000. A 75% loan is £450,000, leaving £150,000 to put in. SDLT is £2,000 plus £17,500, a total of £19,500, so the company needs roughly £169,500 in cash before fees. The bands are set out in our commercial stamp duty guide.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is the planning authority for the whole district. Northern Ireland is a separate legal jurisdiction, so the purchase is handled under Northern Ireland law, title is recorded by Land and Property Services and the lender's charge is registered there. Some lenders do not lend on Northern Ireland property, so we confirm that before applying. Coastal and Glens properties may also sit within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which your solicitor should check against any plans to extend.

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. For the nation as a whole, see our Northern Ireland page.