Cardiff

Semi-Commercial Mortgages in Cardiff Bay

Mortgages and finance for shops with flats above, mixed-use blocks and other part-commercial, part-residential property in Cardiff Bay.

Matt Lenzie
Written and reviewed by Matt Lenzie Founder & Principal Broker · 25 years arranging semi-commercial and mixed-use finance
141
Local planning schemes
58
Residential units in pipeline
£266k
Residential median (local)
3,463
Residential sales, 12 months

We arrange semi-commercial and mixed-use mortgages in Cardiff Bay for purchases, remortgages and portfolios from around 150,000 pounds upward. Whether the asset is a retail unit with a flat above, a guest house, a surgery with residential accommodation or a mixed-use investment block, we assess the commercial and residential split, model the combined income, and take the case to the lenders most likely to fund it in Cardiff.

We assess a Cardiff Bay semi-commercial case on its combined commercial and residential fundamentals, with the local residential market as a gauge of the value and lettability of the living space. That market is active and liquid, around 3,463 residential sales in the past year at a £266,000 median, which helps test the residential element of a shop with a flat above or a mixed-use block.

How we structure semi-commercial finance for Cardiff Bay property

We arrange the full range of semi-commercial and mixed-use finance for Cardiff Bay property. A semi-commercial mortgage funds the purchase or refinance of an investment or owner-occupied mixed-use asset, typically to 70 to 75 percent of value, priced from around 6.5 to 8.5 percent a year. Where the residential element is large, a mixed-use mortgage may be sized on the blended income from both parts. Semi-commercial bridging covers a quick purchase, an auction lot or a property that needs works before it will support a term loan, usually from around 0.70 to 0.95 percent a month. For landlords holding several mixed-use or part-commercial assets, portfolio finance consolidates them under one facility. Once an asset is stabilised and let, a semi-commercial remortgage moves it onto a keener rate and releases equity for the next purchase in Cardiff.

Mixed-use assets we finance across Cardiff Bay

Each kind of mixed-use asset is treated differently by different lenders, and we arrange finance for all of them in Cardiff Bay and across Cardiff. That covers the classic shop with a flat above, offices with residential upper floors, pubs and guest houses with owner or letting accommodation, restaurants and takeaways with flats, retail parades with residential uppers, HMOs above commercial units, surgeries and professional premises with living space, and larger mixed-use blocks. The key question every lender asks is how much of the property, by floor area or value, is residential against commercial, because that split decides which desk will lend and on what terms. Local planning records show 58 residential units in the Cardiff Bay pipeline, a measure of the mixed-use and conversion activity that drives demand for this kind of finance in the area.

What the Cardiff Bay market means for a semi-commercial valuation

Cardiff Bay is a value market within Cardiff, where keener prices can lift the yield on a mixed-use asset. Lenders will look closely at the strength of the commercial tenancy and the lettability of the residential space, so clear local evidence, of the kind set out below, helps secure competitive terms here.

The residential element: what local values tell a lender

The flats and living space within a semi-commercial asset are valued against local residential evidence, so sold-price depth is a direct input on a mixed-use deal. Cardiff Bay recorded around 3,463 residential sales over the past year at a median of £266,000, which makes the local market active and liquid. New-build stock carries a premium of 72% over existing stock here. The commercial element of the property, by contrast, is valued on its tenant, lease and yield, which we assess case by case.

This residential evidence values the living space within a mixed-use property and gauges how readily it would let or sell. It is not a guide to the commercial unit's value, which is tenant and covenant driven.

Residential sold price by type (Cardiff Bay)

Detached£460,000
Semi-detached£299,000
Terraced£265,000
Flat / apartment£162,000

Source: HM Land Registry residential price-paid data, last 12 months.

Recent price trend

QuarterMedianSales
2024-Q3£260k1455
2024-Q4£265k1502
2025-Q1£259k1286
2025-Q2£270k1281
2025-Q3£268k1275
2025-Q4£263k1119
2026-Q1£265k794
2026-Q2£242k83
Pipeline

Mixed-use and residential pipeline across Cardiff

Relevant planning activity recorded by Cardiff Council, a read on local conversion and mixed-use development that drives demand for semi-commercial finance.

  • 55 59 Despenser Street Riverside Cardiff CF11 6AG

    CF11 6AG Registered

    Retrospective planning application of retractable canopy and acoustic fence

    View on the planning portal
  • 287 Cyncoed Road Cyncoed Cardiff CF23 6PA

    CF23 6PA Registered

    Installation of a pergola with retractable roof to rear, use of rear external seating area.

    View on the planning portal
  • 58 Tewkesbury Street Cathays Cardiff CF24 4QT

    CF24 4QT Awaiting decision

    Use of the property as a C4 House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

    View on the planning portal
  • Ground Floor Front 16 Rhyd Y Penau Road Cyncoed Cardiff CF23 6PT

    CF23 6PT1 units Registered

    Change of use of existing ground floor coffee shop to 2 bed residential apartment

    View on the planning portal
  • 276 North Road Gabalfa Cardiff CF14 3BL

    CF14 3BL3 units Registered

    CONVERSION FROM TWO TO THREE FLATS OVER THE EXISTING OFFICE WITH REAR DORMER LOFT CONVERSION

    View on the planning portal
  • 16 Park Grove Cathays Cardiff CF10 3BN

    CF10 3BN3 units Registered

    Conversion of office to 3 flats

    View on the planning portal
Evidence

Recent residential sales in Cardiff Bay postcodes

A sample of recent residential transactions across CF11, CF23, CF24, CF14, CF10, evidence for valuing the residential element of a semi-commercial property rather than a guide to commercial values.

AddressPostcodeTypePriceDate
126, CRADDOCK STREET CF11 6EY Terraced £131,147 27 April 2026
103, COLCHESTER AVENUE CF23 9AY Terraced £250,000 24 April 2026
20, HANDLEY ROAD CF24 2HF Terraced £220,000 24 April 2026
47, WESTBOURNE ROAD CF14 2BR Semi-detached £425,000 24 April 2026
183, KINGS ROAD CF11 9DF Terraced £350,000 23 April 2026
37, HANSEN COURT, HEOL GLAN RHEIDOL CF10 5NX Flat / apartment £150,000 23 April 2026
13, MOSTYN ROAD CF5 4QE Terraced £140,000 22 April 2026
15, ARMOURY DRIVE CF14 4NP Detached £242,000 22 April 2026
170, MOORLAND ROAD CF24 2LQ Terraced £297,650 21 April 2026
9, GWERN CATHERINE CF5 6GD Terraced £215,000 21 April 2026
FAQ

Semi-commercial mortgages in Cardiff Bay: common questions

How much can I borrow on a semi-commercial mortgage in Cardiff Bay?

Most lenders fund up to 70 to 75 percent of value on a semi-commercial mortgage, with the loan sized on the combined commercial and residential rent at an interest cover ratio. The Cardiff Bay residential market, currently active and liquid, informs the value a lender will place on the residential element of a mixed-use asset.

Which lenders offer semi-commercial mortgages in Cardiff Bay?

We hold more than one hundred lender relationships across high street banks, challenger banks and specialist lenders. The right lender for a Cardiff Bay semi-commercial deal depends on the commercial-to-residential split, the leverage you need and whether you borrow personally or through a limited company, and we shortlist the desks most likely to fund it across Cardiff.

How does the Cardiff Bay residential market affect a mixed-use property?

It matters because the flats and living space within a semi-commercial asset are valued against local residential evidence. HM Land Registry records a £266,000 residential median in Cardiff Bay over the past year across roughly 3,463 sales, with flats around £162,000. The commercial element, by contrast, is valued on its tenant, lease and yield, which we assess case by case.

Do you arrange semi-commercial finance beyond Cardiff Bay?

Yes. We arrange semi-commercial and mixed-use mortgages across the whole of Cardiff and the wider UK, with the same approach: assess the commercial and residential split, model the combined income, and match the case to the lenders that treat that asset well.

Buying or refinancing in Cardiff Bay?

Send us the property details and we will come back with a view on lenders and likely terms within one working day.