April 11, 2026 Retail & Consumer Services

A Commercial Mortgage Guide for Electronics and Mobile Phone Store Owners

Buying the premises your electronics or mobile phone store already trades from is a defining step for any retailer. At Ardent Capital Group we speak with store owners about this kind of commercial property purchase regularly, so this guide sets out how a lender values the shop, what deposit to plan for, and how the finance is commonly structured.

Ardent Capital Group is a specialist in commercial mortgages for electronics and mobile phone store operators across Australia. Our team can help you move from tenant to owner, and give you clear lending advice on structure and strategy.

Funding capacity: Ardent can help you access finance from $100,000 to $10,000,000+, tailored to owner-occupiers and investors.
Track record: We have facilitated over $500,000,000 in funding across the last decade for more than 1,000 borrowers.
Coverage: We service Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and surrounding regional towns.
Sector fluency: We understand POS data, telco dealership agreements, repair revenue, inventory cycles and shopping centre dynamics.

We arrange the phone store property loan end to end, from lender selection through to settlement.

What ownership gives an electronics and mobile phone store operator

Your fit-out is specific and capital intensive. A typical store build across 60 to 150 square metres can run from $150,000 to $400,000 including joinery, illuminated displays, EAS gates, high-spec glazing, roller shutters or bollards, CCTV and alarm, POS hardware, secure safes and back-of-house repair benches with fume extraction and ESD control. That sunk cost is tied to the address. So is your trade, driven by centre footfall, street visibility and proximity to transport and schools.

The revenue base is diversified. Accessory sales, device repairs, trade-ins and telco commissions carry through economic cycles and seasonal peaks. Owning the premises locks in location, stabilises occupancy costs and directs repayments into an asset you control.

Main drivers:

Control of occupancy: Fewer rent escalations and security of tenure during iPhone and Samsung launch windows and Christmas peaks.
Equity build: Principal repayments compound into an owned asset instead of funding a landlord's yield.
Fit-out protection: Longer horizon to amortise display systems, EAS, security and the repair lab.
Operational flexibility: Ability to sublease surplus storage or a small repair bay to a complementary operator if the layout permits.

Buying may not suit every operator. A short lease horizon with a planned relocation, a centre undertaking a redevelopment that will reposition foot traffic, a new format still being tested, or capital that is better deployed into inventory, marketing or a second site are all reasons to wait. The decision sits with you.

How an electronics and mobile phone store purchase is funded

Deposit and LVR: A shop is standard commercial security, so it typically gears to around 75 to 80 per cent, which means a deposit of roughly 20 to 25 per cent. The major banks do not publish an owner-occupier commercial LVR and assess each case on its merits, which is one reason a broker helps. If you already own another property, some lenders will fund up to 100 per cent of the purchase price by taking it as additional security, so less cash is needed at settlement.
Loan term and structure: The banks' published commercial products commonly run 10 to 15 years, while non-bank lenders publish terms up to 25 to 30 years. Principal and interest suits owners who want steady equity build. Interest only can free cash flow for inventory purchases ahead of device launches.
Security and serviceability: Lenders take the property as primary security. They assess serviceability using business financials, BAS, POS and merchant data, supplier terms, telco commission statements and repair revenue history. Add-backs can include genuine one-off fit-out costs or centre marketing levies if they are not recurring.
Owner-occupier treatment: Banks generally view an owner-occupied purchase favourably due to lower vacancy risk and closer alignment between trading performance and property upkeep.

Common holding structures

Many electronics and mobile phone store operators hold the premises in a separate entity, such as a company or trust, and lease it back to the trading business at a commercial rent. A lender then reads that inter-entity rent as the serviceability line, and the arrangement keeps operating risk separate from the property, which can make reporting cleaner. This is a set-up lenders see often, described here as how the finance is assessed rather than as advice on how to run your affairs.

An SMSF can also hold commercial premises, which usually qualify as business real property, and lease them to your trading entity at market rent through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement. One retail-specific point matters here: a shop trading wholly as a business qualifies, but a shop with a flat above it on the same title generally does not, which catches a lot of shop-top strip retail. We structure the finance around the entities you already hold, and leave the tax and superannuation detail with your accountant and SMSF specialist to sign off.

What a lender looks at

Business financials: Two to three years of financials and BAS, with attention to gross margins on accessories and repairs, stock turns and wage ratios.
Serviceability evidence: POS and merchant statements showing sales volumes, seasonality around launch cycles, and supplier terms with telco carriers and distributors.
Industry profile: Mix of revenue from repairs, trade-ins and telco commissions, presence of franchise or dealership agreements, and second-hand dealer licence where applicable.
Property and valuation: Strata retail in a centre versus street-front freehold, visibility, passing foot traffic, parking, signage rights and expected outgoings.
Deposit and equity: Cash savings, retained profits, or the ability to leverage your equity in another property.
Lease and occupancy: For investors, the lease covenant and options. For owner-occupiers, a related-party lease or occupancy plan at market rent.

A specialist broker who understands electronics retail data, telco agreements and centre requirements reduces friction and aligns the loan structure to how you trade.

An illustrative scenario

This is an illustrative scenario that shows the kind of situation we can assist with, and how the thinking might run.

Situation: An independent retailer with two stores, one a 110 sqm tenancy in a suburban Brisbane centre. The landlord offers the strata lot for $1,350,000, with current rent of $108,000 plus outgoings.
Objectives: Secure long-term presence, keep cash available for Q4 inventory, avoid refitting a new site, and preserve borrowing capacity for a second kiosk next year.

Paths that could be weighed:

A 75 per cent LVR owner-occupier loan, with the deposit funded by $250,000 cash plus vendor settlement timing, and a $90,000 fit-out refresh funded separately by asset finance to protect working capital.
Using equity in a residential property as additional security to reduce the cash needed at settlement, with a plan to pay down principal over the first few years.
An SMSF purchase for a long-term hold, with rent set at market rate, noting the cash flow impact of contribution limits and LRBA documentation.

Structures a lender might see: a unit trust with a corporate trustee owning the lot and leasing back to the trading company at around $9,000 per month plus outgoings, or direct company ownership with a formal board-approved lease to support serviceability.
Indicative lending range: on current numbers, lenders might indicate appetite in the $1,000,000 to $1,080,000 range at settlement, subject to valuation and final serviceability.
How we would approach it: we would map the ranges, structures and repayments, stress-test serviceability with POS data and seasonality, and set out the trade-offs. The figures above are illustrative, not confirmed outcomes, and the decision stays with you.

Ways we can fund an electronics and mobile phone store business

Asset finance for repair and diagnostic equipment: Funding for microscopes, micro-soldering stations, OCA laminators, fume extraction, ultrasonic cleaners and secure safes, alongside POS hardware, arranged as store equipment finance that keeps the lab and counter productive.
Fit-out and refurbishment finance: Joinery, illuminated display walls, EAS gates, glazing upgrades, roller shutters and centre-compliant signage when you refresh or expand.
Working capital loans: Short-term working capital for a phone store to preload inventory for device launches, manage trade-in flows and cover centre marketing levies.
Business overdraft: A revolving limit linked to your trading account to smooth POS settlement timing, supplier cut-offs and preorders.
Refinancing and debt consolidation: Restructure multiple facilities for clearer covenants, potential rate improvements and simpler cash flow management.
Construction and renovation: Funds to reconfigure back-of-house into a higher-throughput repair lab, add storage or combine neighbouring lots where approved.
Business or premises acquisition: Finance to buy a competitor, a franchise territory, or the freehold where you trade.

These facilities often interact. Owning the premises can free equity for the next store, while a refinance can consolidate short-term debt into a structure that supports serviceability.

How Ardent helps electronics and mobile phone store buyers

Ardent Capital Group specialises in commercial mortgages for electronics and mobile phone store operators. We arrange and structure finance around how you hold and occupy the property, with clear reasoning on LVR, term, security and fit-out needs.

We service Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and surrounding metro and regional areas. We have helped facilitate over $500,000,000 in funding over a decade for more than 1,000 borrowers.

If you are weighing ownership, talk to us. Ardent Capital Group is a specialist in commercial mortgages and our team can help you today. The goal is optimal financial outcomes with a structure that fits how you trade.

Questions worth asking

What deposit do I need to buy my store's premises?

Typical deposits range from 20 to 25 per cent for LVRs around 75 to 80 per cent on standard commercial security. The major banks assess owner-occupier commercial purchases case by case rather than to a published LVR, which is where a broker earns their keep.

Can I use an SMSF to buy the shop and lease it to my business?

Yes, commercial premises generally meet business real property rules. Your SMSF can hold the property and lease it to your trading entity at market rent through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, subject to cash flow and documentation fit.

Will a shopping centre strata retail lot be harder to finance than a street shop?

Lenders will price and assess based on centre quality, foot traffic and outgoings. Strong centres with low vacancy and good anchors can be viewed favourably. Street-front freeholds are assessed on location, signage and parking.

How do lenders view repair revenue versus retail handset and accessory sales?

Repair revenue is often seen as resilient due to ongoing device failures and screen replacements. Lenders look for stable margins, technician wage ratios and consistent weekly POS volumes alongside retail sales and telco commissions.

Can I include a fit-out refresh in the funding?

Fit-out is commonly funded via asset finance or a separate limit alongside the mortgage. Some lenders will consider a modest fit-out component within the property facility if the valuation supports it.

How is cash income and trade-in activity treated in serviceability?

Banks rely on POS and merchant settlement data, stock movement reports and documented trade-in processes. Clean reconciliation between purchases, sales and trade-in disposals helps evidence sustainable earnings.

I plan to open a second site soon. Does owning the premises restrict growth?

Ownership can improve borrowing confidence if repayments are well covered. The structure can be set to preserve cash flow, and equity in the property may support funding for the next location.

Written by

Nick Chong

Managing Director, M.AppFin, Dip. Mortgage Mgmt

Nick holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics, a Master of Applied Finance and an Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning. He founded Ardent Capital in 2016 after more than a decade in financial planning and mortgage broking. For the past ten years he has led a team of finance specialists, mortgage advisers, brokers and credit analysts, all working to secure optimal outcomes for clients and always acting in their best interests. The team brings both a qualitative and a quantitative approach to every deal.