Pre-Purchase Due Diligence: The Commercial Property Buyer’s Checklist
- Due diligence spans condition, value, services, compliance and legal title, not just a survey.
- A commercial building survey covers condition and defects; a valuation covers worth; a solicitor covers legal and title.
- Non-domestic property carries specific compliance duties, including EPCs and the legal duty to manage asbestos.
- Start the survey early: its findings can change the price or the decision to proceed.
Buying a commercial property is a large, largely irreversible commitment, and a survey is only one part of getting it right. Due diligence is the wider set of checks that stop expensive surprises after completion. This is the buyer's checklist, in the order the pieces usually fit together.
What due diligence means for commercial property
Due diligence is simply doing your homework before you commit: confirming what you are buying, what it is worth, whether it complies, and whether the legal title is clean. The pieces overlap, and each is handled by a different professional, so the trick is to line them up early rather than discover a problem the week before completion.
1. The building survey (condition)
A commercial building survey assesses the structure, fabric and services, and flags defects, repair liabilities and risks. This is the piece that tells you what you are actually taking on, and it can surface issues that change your offer or your mind.
2. Valuation
If you are borrowing, a lender will require a valuation to confirm the property is adequate security. A valuation is about market value, not condition, so it complements the survey rather than replacing it. See building survey vs valuation.
3. Services and compliance
Non-domestic property carries specific duties. Check the energy performance certificate (EPC) and whether the building meets minimum energy efficiency standards, and the position on asbestos: the duty to manage asbestos applies to non-domestic premises, and an asbestos survey may be needed. Fire safety, electrical and gas certification, and the condition of plant and services should all be established.
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4. Legal and title
Your solicitor handles the legal due diligence: title, any existing leases and tenants, rights of way and easements, planning history and permitted use, service charges and outstanding liabilities. A surveyor and a solicitor work in parallel here, and neither substitutes for the other.
The quick checklist
- Commercial building survey (condition, defects, remedial costs)
- Valuation, where a lender requires one
- EPC and minimum energy efficiency standards
- Asbestos position and, if needed, an asbestos survey
- Fire, electrical and gas safety certification
- Services and plant condition
- Legal title, leases, planning and permitted use (via your solicitor)
Getting the survey moving
The survey is the piece to start early. ComSurv matches you with RICS-qualified commercial surveyors, and you can verify regulation via RICS Find a Surveyor.
Sources & further reading
- RICS Find a Surveyor — RICS-regulated commercial surveyors
- Energy performance certificates for commercial property (GOV.UK) — EPC rules for non-domestic property
- HSE: asbestos duty to manage — the legal duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises
External links open in a new tab. ComSurv is a matching service, not a firm of surveyors, and is not affiliated with these organisations. This article is general information, not legal, surveying or valuation advice; take advice on your specific situation.
