Fit-out and renovation funding for shops, clinics, offices and venues

A fresh fit-out can transform a business. A tired cafe becomes a destination, a cramped clinic gains another treatment room, a salon adds stations, a showroom finally looks the part. But fit-outs are expensive, often cost more than planned and usually disrupt trade while the work is done. Funding them well means matching the term to the fit-out’s life, budgeting for surprises and keeping cash flow intact through the works.

What a fit-out usually includes

Most fit-outs combine several types of cost: building works, joinery, flooring, lighting and electrical; plumbing and refrigeration for hospitality and clinical spaces; equipment, from coffee machines to treatment chairs; furniture, fixtures and signage; design and approval fees, including council and landlord consents; and the cost of closing or trading at reduced capacity during the work. Separating these helps you choose the best funding for each part.

Choosing how to fund it

An unsecured business loan, typically $5k to $500k, suits most small to medium fit-outs, assessed on your trading and bank statements. Equipment finance suits major items like ovens, refrigeration, dental chairs or salon basins, secured over the equipment itself. A property-secured loan, from $20k to $5m, suits larger renovations or where you want a longer term, using residential or commercial property as security. Many businesses combine them: equipment finance for major items and an unsecured loan for building works and fixtures. See equipment funding, unsecured business loans and secured business loans.

Planning a fit-out? Start an enquiry with your quotes in hand. No credit check to enquire.

Match the term to the fit-out’s life

A fit-out typically serves a business for several years. Funding it over a very short term means heavy repayments for something that keeps earning long after it is paid off, while funding it for longer than it will last means still paying when it is time to renovate again. Our guide to matching the loan term to its purpose explains the principle, and the repayment estimator shows how different terms affect weekly repayments.

Budget for overruns

Renovations almost always cost more and take longer than planned. Hidden problems in old buildings, supply delays, compliance requirements and changes of mind all add up. Build a contingency into your budget from the start, get fixed-price quotes where possible and avoid committing to changes mid-project without checking the cost. A small line of credit alongside the main funding can act as a buffer for genuine surprises.

Plan for reduced trading

If you have to close or trade at reduced capacity during the works, your income drops while rent, loan repayments and some wages continue. Plan for it: schedule works for your quietest period, phase the project to keep part of the space open, tell regular customers in advance and include a few weeks of reduced income in your funding calculation. The cash flow gap calculator can model the impact.

Leased premises

If you lease your premises, check your lease before starting. Most leases require landlord approval for alterations, and many include make-good clauses requiring you to restore the space at the end of the lease. A long fit-out term on a short remaining lease is risky. Sometimes landlords contribute to fit-outs, especially when negotiating a new or extended lease, so it is worth asking.

Will it pay for itself?

A fit-out should earn a return through more customers, higher spending per customer, extra capacity or lower running costs. Estimate the extra monthly profit you expect and compare it with the repayment. The break-even calculator includes a payback estimate. If the numbers do not stack up, scale the project back or phase it over time.

Getting quotes that lenders and owners can rely on

Good quotes protect both your budget and your funding application. Ask at least two builders or shopfitters to quote on the same written scope, so you are comparing like with like. Make sure quotes spell out what is included and excluded, such as electrical certification, plumbing connections, waste removal and council fees. Ask how variations are priced and approved, and what payment schedule the builder expects, because staged payments to the builder affect when you need the funds. A lender will often want to see the quote you are going ahead with, and a clear, itemised quote makes the request simple to assess.

Approvals and compliance

Depending on the work, you may need council approval, building permits, fire safety sign-off, food safety registration changes or accessibility upgrades. These take time and sometimes add cost, so start early. Hospitality and health businesses in particular should confirm requirements with their local council and regulator before the design is finalised. Approval delays are one of the most common reasons fit-outs run late, and every week of delay is a week of reduced trading that the funding plan should allow for.

An illustrative example

An illustrative suburban cafe has outgrown its tired fit-out and loses weekend customers to a newer competitor. The owner gets quotes for new joinery, seating, lighting and a larger espresso machine. She funds the espresso machine through equipment finance and the building works through an unsecured loan over three years, schedules the work for two weeks in winter when trade is slowest and includes those weeks of reduced income in the funding plan.

Fund a fit-out that lasts

If you are planning a fit-out or renovation, tell us what is involved, the quotes you have and how long the works will take. There is no credit check to enquire, your plans and details stay with us rather than going to a crowd of lenders, and a real person reads your enquiry. Accurate quotes and timelines help us shape funding that suits the project. Apply now.