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The 46-Point Commercial Due Diligence Checklist

The framework we use on every commercial acquisition, physical, legal, financial, tenant covenant, environmental, and planning. Built by commercial property advocates who have seen what goes wrong when DD is incomplete.

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Open access. No email required. The framework below is the same one Bold runs on every commercial brief.

What's Inside

Six DD categories. Forty-six line items.

Each category lists the documents to request, the red flags to watch for, and the questions to ask before you sign.

01. Physical

Building & Condition

  1. Structural-integrity report & foundation assessment
  2. Schedule of defects (visible & latent)
  3. Services age & remaining life (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lifts)
  4. Essential Safety Measures (ESM) compliance & AESMR
  5. Building surveyor / dilapidation report
  6. DDA / accessibility compliance audit
  7. Roof condition & waterproofing warranties
  8. Hazardous-materials register (asbestos, lead, PCBs)
02. Legal

Title & Contract

  1. Title search & certificate of title
  2. Easements & rights of way
  3. Restrictive covenants (registered & unregistered)
  4. Caveats & encumbrances
  5. Vendor statement (s32 / contract disclosure)
  6. Special conditions review
  7. GST treatment & margin scheme analysis
  8. Going-concern election eligibility
03. Financial

Returns & Outgoings

  1. Rent roll & arrears history
  2. Outgoings reconciliation (last 3 years)
  3. Cap-rate benchmark vs comparable sales
  4. Depreciation schedule (Div 40 + Div 43)
  5. Stamp duty + acquisition cost model
  6. Holding-cost & cash-flow projection
  7. Sensitivity / break-even analysis
04. Tenant

Covenant & Lease

  1. Lease terms & review mechanisms
  2. Options & extension rights
  3. Incentives, rent-frees & abatements
  4. Make-good clauses & reinstatement
  5. Guarantees & bank-security position
  6. Tenant trading history & turnover data
  7. Industry / sector risk profile
  8. Occupancy ratio & WALE calculation
05. Environmental

Contamination & Risk

  1. Phase 1 environmental site assessment
  2. Groundwater & soil-quality review
  3. Asbestos register & management plan
  4. Flood / bushfire / coastal overlay search
  5. EPA notices & clean-up orders
  6. Previous-use history (industrial / agricultural)
  7. Indemnity & environmental-insurance position
06. Planning

Zoning & Compliance

  1. Planning-scheme zone & overlays
  2. Permitted & conditional uses analysis
  3. Heritage listing & precinct controls
  4. Development-control plan / DCP review
  5. Future-zoning & rezoning risk
  6. Occupation permit / certificate of occupancy
  7. Outstanding works-approval & permit history
  8. Planning-condition compliance (parking, signage, hours)
Save the full checklist

Get the 46-point PDF

Drop your name and email. We'll unlock the print/save view so you can take it to your next inspection — and we'll send you the strategy notes Bold uses on live deals.

No spam. An advocate replies inside one business day if you want Bold to run the framework on a live property.

46 line items · take this list to your next inspection.

In Their Words

From buyers who used it

“The line items on tenant covenant alone stopped us proceeding on a property we were halfway to signing. Worth 20 minutes of reading.”
SMSF buyer, VIC
“I’m a residential investor moving into commercial. The environmental and planning sections are the gap I didn’t know I had.”
Portfolio investor, NSW
“Sent it to our solicitor and accountant before signing. Both added questions back into their review. That’s a useful checklist.”
First-time commercial buyer, QLD
Apply the framework

Want Bold to run it on a live deal?

Book a 30-minute strategy session and we'll walk you through how the 46-point framework applies to the specific commercial property you're evaluating, or scope a standalone DD report.

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FAQ

Common questions

What's actually inside the checklist?

A 46-point PDF covering six DD categories, physical, legal, financial, tenant covenant, environmental, and planning. Each category lists the documents to request, the red flags to watch for, and the questions to ask the vendor.

Is this actually free? What's the catch?

It's free. We use it as a signal of buyer seriousness. If you're evaluating commercial property you'll find it useful whether or not you ever engage us.

Who is this for?

First-time commercial buyers, SMSF trustees, residential investors moving into commercial, and portfolio buyers who want a standard DD process across every acquisition.

Does this replace a solicitor or accountant?

No. The checklist structures your DD so you ask the right questions. You still need a qualified commercial property solicitor for contract review and an accountant for tax structuring.

Can Bold run this framework on my live deal?

Yes. Book a 30-minute strategy session and we'll scope either a standalone DD report against this 46-point framework, or a full acquisition engagement covering brief, sourcing, DD, negotiation and settlement coordination.

Ready to Talk?

Whether you are exploring your first property purchase or adding to an existing portfolio, an initial conversation costs nothing and can help clarify whether a buyer's agent is the right fit for your situation.

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