Fit-out finance Ireland: shops, restaurants and offices

Funding to equip and refurbish a business premises, such as a shop, restaurant, clinic or office. It usually combines asset finance for equipment and fixtures with other funding for building work and decoration. Lenders treat the two differently, because equipment can be repossessed and resold while labour, design and decor cannot. Fit-out finance does not cover buying or developing the property itself.

Hard assets are physical items with a resale value that a lender can recover, such as ovens, fridges, shelving, EPOS and IT. Soft assets or soft costs are things with little or no resale value, such as design fees, installation, partitions, flooring, decoration and software. Lenders fund hard assets more readily and on better terms, so it helps to itemise quotes clearly.

Usually for the equipment, yes. Commercial kitchens, refrigeration, extraction, bar equipment and furniture can often be funded on hire purchase or leasing. Building work, design and decoration are harder and are often paid from cash, an unsecured loan or a landlord contribution. Lenders look closely at hospitality accounts, so trading history and current figures matter.

Most use a mix of sources. Shop fittings, shelving, displays, lighting and EPOS can often be leased or bought on hire purchase. Building work and decoration are usually paid from cash, an unsecured business loan or a landlord contribution. Some shopfitters offer payment terms. Match each type of cost to the right funding rather than taking one large loan for everything.

Partly. Furniture, IT, phones, audio-visual and some air-conditioning or lighting can usually be leased. Partitions, ceilings, flooring and decoration become part of the building and are harder to lease. Check who owns the fixtures under your office lease, and whether you must remove them at the end, before you finance them.

Sometimes. Landlords may offer a capital contribution, a rent-free period or carry out some works themselves, especially on longer leases or hard-to-let units. This is agreed when negotiating the lease, so raise it early. The tax treatment of a contribution depends on how it is structured, so ask your accountant and solicitor before you sign.

Some do. Equipment and some fixtures your company owns may qualify as plant at 12.5% a year over eight years, while structural work generally does not. Qualifying energy-efficient lighting, catering and refrigeration equipment on SEAI's Triple E register can get a 100% first-year allowance, if owned rather than leased and above minimum spends. Your accountant decides what qualifies.

Usually the equipment, yes. Dispensary fittings, robots, medical, dental and imaging equipment, and IT can often be funded on hire purchase or leasing, and lenders know these sectors well. Building work is funded the same way as in other sectors. Pharmacies and practices should check their lease and any regulatory requirements for the premises before committing to a fit-out.

No. Fit-out finance pays for equipment, fixtures and refurbishment inside a premises your company leases or already owns. Property and development finance pays for buying, building or developing the property itself and is secured on it. Banks and specialist property lenders provide that; Welcome Finance does not arrange property or development finance.

Possibly. Equipment suppliers and shopfitters often have finance partners, and banks and asset finance companies lend directly. Tell us what your company needs and we'll tell you honestly whether our panel can help, or where to apply instead.