Westcountry Commercial Business Agents
Commercial Properties in devon



Westcountry Commercial Business Agents was formed in 1997 by Gary Cleverdon to offer an alternative way to sell and buy businesses in the West Country commercial market

The Company’s aim is to provide a first class service to clients wishing to sell or buy a business in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

The sale or purchase of a trading going concern business demands to be dealt with in a professional and confidential manner and Westcountry Commercial Business Agents offers over 50 years of business transfer experience. This includes major freehold sales as well as the often more complicated leasehold transactions. It is imperative that the Agent keeps in regular contact with vendor, purchaser and their respective solicitors in order to ease the way to a successful completion. We identify that over 40% of Westcountry Commercial’s business are returning past clients who are delighted with the service we provide.

Steve Tickner Lisa Gilbert Gary Cleverdon


Gary Cleverdon a passionate Devonian who lives and works in the county has over thirty five years knowledge of the area. Living in a quintessential rural village in Devon and being a keen motorcyclist has helped to considerably broaden his in depth experience and understanding of the South West.

His business acumen started with Christie & Co, a specialist transfer agent based in Exeter during 1986 and progressed to Druce & Co Business Agents in Bristol. In 1997 Gary created the Cleverdon Group, a small group of property companies dealing with Commercial (licensed & investment) and High Class Rural property. The creation of the group evolved due to the demand for clients and customers requirements, to deal with real people who have knowledge, experience and give sound advice.

Lisa Gilbert again a Devonian born and bred in Holsworthy North Devon and experienced in all aspects of Licensed and Catering property with a first class knowledge of the surrounding area. Lisa is an Associate Director and responsible for Pubs, Inns and Catering.

Steve Tickner has many years experience in the licensed and catering sector. Steve is an Associate Director and responsible for Hotels, Guest Houses and Catering.



Commercial Properties in Exeter
“I should have instructed you first before wasting my time with a corporate agent, thanks for the sale in quick speed and at a higher price”
Mr & Mrs W from Penzance
click for more..

As part of our service we include......................

1. Initial Contact
We arrange a convenient time to visit your business with complete discretion and confidentiality to assess the current market value and to discuss this and our marketing procedures with you. We will require sight of a copy of your up-to-date trading profit and loss accounts to enable us to advise you fully.


2. Inspection
Whilst visiting the business we take full notes and information to enable us to prepare detailed sales particulars. Additionally digital colour photographs will be taken to incorporate in the particulars. Within 24 hours of our visit we will write to you confirming our advice on price, suggested marketing arrangements and our scale of fees.


3. Details
Whilst at the premises, information will be taken in readiness for sales particulars which include number of covers, how many bedrooms etc. Additionally digital colour photographs will be prepared. Our details are well known for being clear and concise and are in a folder or glossy format. Quality colour details lead to more viewings


4. Instruction and Sales Particulars
On your instructions to proceed we will require you to sign our standard Sales Agreement in order that we comply with the requirements of the Estate Agents Act. At this stage we will prepare a draft of our proposed sales particulars for your comment and approval. Subject to any amendments you may wish to make we will then print the full particulars, incorporating colour photograph(s) for circularisation to our Mailing Register. Our particulars have acquired a reputation for being clear and concise and are in either folder form or A4 double sided glossy format. We know that quality colour sales particulars create more interest and lead to more viewings.


5. Marketing
We have identified that 80% of our purchasing applicants come from outside the West Country and as a direct result of our policy of consistent national and regional advertising. Primarily we employ national promotion in The Publican, Morning Advertiser, The Hotel & Caterer and Daltons Weekly, This Caring Business, Caring UK whilst on a regional basis we utilise The Devon, Dorset, Somerset & Cornwall Caterer and Licensee, Western Morning News Commercial Pages as well as many other smaller local journals. We tailor much of our marketing to our clients’ individual requirements.

Advert Format
We have 3 different levels of Colour Advertising, which are tailored to meet our vendor’s needs - County & Text style , Photograph and Discreet Text or Open Marketing.

Internet
Our website is an invaluable marketing tool, growing in importance every day. Whilst it is still vital to market your business in the usual way, we believe our clients attitudes are moving towards the ease of property searching via the comfort of their own business or office. An estimated 150 million people worldwide use the internet and with the increase in home and office computers our site is continually being visited. This website has over 470,000 hits each year mainly due to the high level ranking within the main search engines which we have. Our website is updated regularly so your business can be marketed 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.


6. Applicants
We have over 600 applicants registered on our Data Base at any one time and once we have received your instructions we circularise information regarding your business. Initially this will include an immediate email message but many prospective buyers still like to receive the crisp design of our sales particulars and this mailing will take place immediately


7. Enquiries
All enquiries generated to our Office from the advertising programme are carefully screened for their suitability and sales particulars will be forwarded as requested. A few enquiries are often to satisfy local (or staff) curiosity only and if we suspect this to be the case we will always contact you for authority to release information, particularly if the business is being offered for sale confidentially.


8. Viewing
Viewings are pre-arranged to a convenient time for our client, additionally all our details carry “please do not contact the vendor direct because of confidentiality” in order to avoid any problems in the trading business’ routine You will be advised of the applicant’s name, address and current position with regard to ability to purchase. We always follow up viewings to obtain positive (or negative) feedback and the reaction will be reported to you.


9. Accounts
We request a copy of your up-to-date trading profit and loss accounts to be held on file and made available to bona fide potential purchasers once they have made a personal inspection of your business. We fully appreciate that his documentation is highly confidential and will use our utmost discretion in its release.


10. Offer
At such a stage as an applicant wishes to make an offer we request that they submit this to us in writing. We would have already established the terms and conditions of any offer, more particularly the intending purchaser’s ability to proceed, whether a purchase is subject to a related sale, the position of any related sale, their financial ability to proceed including deposit available and finance arrangements in hand etc.


11. Solicitors
This is a very important factor within the transaction and with our experience we are able to recommend a good, highly knowledgeable business and/or commercial solicitor, more importantly experienced with the more unusual aspects of Commercial Property, to the vendor or purchaser.

Instructing Solicitors
Once a sale has been agreed and can proceed we formally write to both parties and their Solicitors with Memorandums of Agreement setting out the terms and conditions of the sale. At this point we would advise that you prepare a detailed Inventory of Fixtures & Fittings to be included in the sale as this will be required by your Solicitor as part of the sale contract documentation.

Sale Progress
A Survey and Valuation will normally be required by the purchaser and/or the Bank or other Institution providing finance for the transaction and we will laise with you regarding suitable appointments. As the days and weeks progress we will be regularly monitoring progress by contact with yourself, the purchaser(s) and Solicitors.

Exchange of Contracts and Completion
Subject to the necessary formalities being satisfactory completed a formal exchange of contracts will take place and a completion date agreed. At this point a stock valuation has also to be arranged and if necessary we can recommend a suitable experienced Stock Valuer in your area.


12. Prices

Sole Instruction
Freehold Trading Business 3% plus vat of the sale price paid upon completion

Leasehold Trading Business 6% of sale price plus 10% of passing rent plus vat paid upon completion

Our minimum fee is £4,000 plus vat

Please note that our fees may vary if the sale price is above £1,000,000

Multiple or Joint Instructions
We accept multiple or joint instructions depending upon the quality of the other agents.



Commercial Properties in Exeter
If you are selling please contact us for a free confidential appraisal of your business call 01363 77 55 00