Offices and shops for sale in Bab El Bhar

Buying your own premises in Bab El Bhar means buying in the country's leading business district. Bank and insurance headquarters have settled in Berges du Lac, service and IT companies in the Centre Urbain Nord, and the historic city centre keeps the shops, the lawyers', doctors' and accountants' practices, as well as part of the administration. Each of these areas has its own sales market, with different buyers.

The listings on this page are posted by owners, developers and agencies: office floors, practices, shops, commercial ground floors. To compare with Charguia or Ennasr, the page of offices and shops for sale in the Tunis governorate brings all the delegations together.

Offices: owner occupier or investor

A company buying its offices usually looks for a floor in Lac 1, Lac 2 or the Centre Urbain Nord, in an office building with lifts, central air conditioning and parking. It looks at the address, access for its clients and the chance to expand on the same landing. In Lac 1, you also find villas converted into offices and office units in mixed use buildings, more affordable.

The investor reasons differently. They buy a floor that is already let, or to be let, for its yield, and look at the tenant's strength, the time left on the lease and the vacancy rate of the building. The listings of offices and shops to rent in Bab El Bhar give a good idea of the rents the market accepts, useful to check the yield the seller claims.

City centre shops and Lafayette practices

A commercial unit for sale in Tunis city centre is often sold occupied. On Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Avenue de France, Avenue de Paris and the streets around them, many shops have been let for years to traders who have earned the right to renew their lease. The buyer then acquires the walls and the rent, not the use of the premises. Keep the sale of the walls clearly apart from the sale of the business, which covers the clientele and the leasehold right: these are two deeds and two different prices.

In Lafayette and the streets around Avenue de la Liberté, supply is mostly upper floor apartments fitted out as medical practices or offices for the professions. They sell at a price close to that of a home, but you need to check that the co-ownership rules allow professional use and receiving clients.

What to check before buying

For any unit, ask for the land title or the certificate of ownership of the lot, the co-ownership rules and the authorised use: an apartment turned into an office without a change of use can cause problems when applying for operating permits. If the unit is let, insist on a copy of the registered lease, the payment history and the date of the last rent review. The commercial lease strongly protects the sitting tenant: a buyer who wants to occupy the unit must factor this in from the start.

In the office buildings of the Lac and the Centre Urbain Nord, service charges, central air conditioning and security weigh heavily: ask for the managing agent's accounts and planned works, and check that the parking spaces are actually in the deed. For an off plan purchase, the developer's approval, the building permit and a payment schedule tied to construction progress are essential.

Finally, budget for registration duties and the tax rules specific to business premises, and have the structure approved by an accountant: buying in your own name or through the company, depreciation, renting to your own business. Those looking for a plot to build their own headquarters will find the few available lots among the land for sale in Bab El Bhar.