Offices and shops for sale in Menzel Djemil

In Menzel Djemil, business happens on the ground floor of houses. On the main street and around the market, most frontages hide a shop: a grocer, a hardware store, a café, a phone shop, a doctor's surgery or an accountant's office. Buying commercial property here usually means buying that ground floor, sometimes with the floor above, rarely an office in a purpose-built block.

Listings of this kind are few in the delegation, mostly from private sellers, and each one gives you the seller's direct contact on Houni. To compare with Bizerte itself, Zarzouna or Menzel Bourguiba, where there is more on offer, see all the offices and shops for sale in the Bizerte governorate.

Where the footfall is

The centre of Menzel Djemil, split between Menzel Djemil Ouest and Menzel Djemil Est, gets most of the foot traffic: the market, government offices, schools and the louage (shared taxi) stops. A shop for sale in Menzel Djemil on these streets costs more, but it trades all year round with a loyal local clientele.

Menzel Abderrahmen Est is different. Its main road towards Zarzouna and Bizerte carries commuters every day, which suits businesses that live off passing trade: cafés, bakeries, pharmacies, car services. A well placed unit on that road also interests Bizerte traders looking for a lower rent or purchase price than in town.

Prices vary widely and depend mostly on the street: a small shop on the outskirts can sell for a modest sum, while a corner unit facing the market goes for much more. Factor in the condition too: the metal shutter, toilets, whether the wiring is up to standard. Sellers often set their price based on the rent they could get for it.

Warehouses and businesses tied to industry

Industrial zones in and near the area, with their factories and subcontractors, create a particular demand: warehouses, workshops, premises for hauliers or for canteens serving workers. These properties are mostly on the outskirts, on larger plots, with van access. Before buying, check the land's zoning in the development plan: craft or storage activity is not allowed everywhere, and a shed built on agricultural land causes problems when the sale is registered.

Think about logistics as well: whether the road is wide enough for a lorry, whether you can park in front, whether the power supply can run machinery, how wastewater drains. A poorly served warehouse is hard to resell, even cheaply. On the other hand, a plot with a shed and an office, well placed on a road towards Bizerte or Menzel Bourguiba, finds buyers among small firms that do not want to pay the prices on serviced industrial estates.

The premises, the business and a sitting tenant

Keep three situations apart. Buying empty premises, first of all, is the simplest. Buying premises with a tenant in place, next: ask for the commercial lease, its expiry date and the current rent, because a sitting tenant is protected and will not leave on request. Buying a going concern, finally, covers the customer base and the trading name, not necessarily the building.

In every case, ask for the ownership certificate, the building permit for the unit and, if it is part of a house, proof that the ground floor can be sold separately from the floor above. Joint ownership between heirs is common for older shops in the centre: all the owners must sign. A local notary will spare you plenty of surprises.

A shop sold together with the home above is a common arrangement: the shopkeeper lives on site. If that is your plan, compare with the houses for sale in Menzel Djemil, some of which have a ground floor that could be fitted out, or with the property for sale in Menzel Djemil.