Asset finance for UK businesses
Need a van, a machine, a new fleet or a piece of kit that costs more than you fancy pulling out of the bank in one hit? Asset finance spreads it over monthly payments and uses the asset itself as the security. We sort the funding for limited companies and LLPs through our panel of lenders, and we'll tell you straight whether hire purchase or a lease is the better fit.
By the CapExpand Team, led by Alex Beardsley
·Updated June 2026
24-48 hrs
Typical decision
Thousands+
To seven figures
Ltd & LLP
Who we help
No fee
You never pay us
The kind of kit we put on the road and on site
The director's car
The trades van
The site crew
The warehouse forkliftThe short version
If the money is for a specific asset, asset finance is usually cheaper than a cash advance or an unsecured loan, because the kit is the security. As a general guide, businesses tend to use hire purchase for kit they want to own and keep, and leasing or contract hire for things they swap out every few years. We don't give advice, so the choice is yours, but we'll lay the options out in plain English and you can talk it through with us.
What it actually is
Asset finance means getting the kit now and paying for it over time, with the asset itself standing as the lender's security. That's the whole trick. Because the lender can take the asset back if it all goes wrong, they're taking less risk than on an unsecured loan, and that usually shows up as a lower rate and a better chance of a yes.
It's one of the most used forms of business funding in the country. We see it most for vans and commercial vehicles, plant and machinery, catering kit and manufacturing gear. The one thing people get wrong early on is treating it like a single product. It isn't. The right structure depends on whether you want to own the thing and how long you'll keep it.
From the van that keeps failing its MOT to a new one on the road, spread over manageable monthly payments. That is asset finance doing its job.
The main types
Four ways in, really. Here's roughly where you'd sit. We go through each one properly in the full guide.
Hire purchase
You own it at the endKit you want to keep, like machinery and vans.
Finance lease
Funder owns itHigher-value kit where you want to protect cash.
Operating lease / contract hire
You hand it backVehicles and IT you swap out every few years.
Refinance / sale and leaseback
Already yoursPull working capital out of kit you own.
Read the full guide to each type, costs and tax
What we put on finance
Hard, medium or soft, new or used, from small-ticket kit into seven figures. A flavour of what we place, including greener kit like solar, heat pumps and electric vehicles:
A deal we did: £100k Range Rover on HP
Numbers make it real, so here's one of ours from June 2026. We sorted a hire purchase facility for a limited company client buying a Range Rover Autobiography, funded through a lender on our panel. Client anonymised, but the figures below are the actual terms of the agreement.
£0k
Advance
0 mths
Term
£0
A month
£0
Balloon
Clean and simple: a fixed rate hire purchase, 24 monthly payments of £4,845.22, no balloon, so £116,285.28 paid back over the two years and the company owns the car outright at the end. A director personal guarantee was a condition, which is standard on a deal this size. Lender said yes and the acceptance held for three months.
Client anonymised for privacy. Real terms from a completed agreement, shown as a past example of how a deal is structured. It is not a quote or an offer of finance to you. Your terms would depend on the lender, the asset and your business.
What it costs
We arrange asset finance from around £5,000 into seven figures, over terms of one to seven years. Deposits run anywhere from nothing to 20%, depending on the asset and your business.
It is usually quoted as a flat rate, which looks cheaper than it is because you pay it on the full amount even as the balance drops. Rough check: the real APR is close to double the flat rate, so always ask for the APR and the total payable, not just a monthly figure.
Asset finance calculator
A quick, illustrative idea of the monthly cost on a flat-rate hire purchase. Slide the figures to suit.
Estimated monthly payment
£1,238
- Amount financed
- £45,000
- Cost of finance
- £14,400
- Total payable
- £64,400
Illustration only, not a quote or an offer of finance. It uses a simple flat-rate hire purchase calculation and a rate you choose, which is why the flat rate looks lower than the equivalent APR. Your actual rate, deposit and payments depend on the lender, the asset and your business. VAT, fees and balloon payments are not included.
See how rates, fees and tax work
Who we can help
Lenders look at how long you've traded, your accounts or bank statements, director credit and the asset itself. Newer businesses and bumpier credit aren't automatic no answers with asset finance, because the kit is the security, but expect a bigger deposit and a personal guarantee.
A note on who we take on
We currently work with UK limited companies and LLPs only. We complete non-regulated introductions and we're not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, so we can't take on sole traders or partnerships right now. If that changes we'll update this page.
To move fast, have the asset details (make, model, age, price), recent bank statements, your latest accounts and director details ready. The cleaner the picture, the quicker the yes.
How it works
Tell us about the asset
What it is, rough cost, new or used, and a bit about your business. Two minutes on the form or a quick call.
We take it to lenders
We put your case to the funders on our panel best suited to that asset and your profile.
You compare the terms
Decisions on clean deals often land in 24 to 48 hours. We talk you through the rate, structure and total cost.
Sign and get the kit
You sign, the funder pays your supplier, you get the asset. Done.
Common questions
What is asset finance, in plain English?▼
It lets you spread the cost of kit like vehicles, machinery or equipment over monthly payments instead of paying the lot upfront. The asset itself acts as the security, which is why rates tend to be lower than unsecured borrowing and approval is often easier.
Hire purchase or lease, which one do I want?▼
Rough rule: hire purchase if you want to own the kit at the end and keep it, like machinery. Lease or contract hire if you replace it often, like vehicles or IT. If you are not sure, that is the call to have with us before you sign anything.
How fast can it happen?▼
For a clean limited company buying a mainstream asset, we often see a decision back in 24 to 48 hours, with funds out to the supplier a few working days after the paperwork is signed. Used, specialist or larger deals take a bit longer.
Can I finance used kit, not just new?▼
Yes. Most lenders do both. With older or specialist assets they look harder at the make, age and resale value, because that value is their security, so expect a bigger deposit on anything unusual.
Will I need a deposit or a personal guarantee?▼
Often a bit of both, especially for newer companies or larger amounts. Deposits commonly run between 0% and 20%, and a director personal guarantee is normal on bigger deals. We will tell you what to expect up front so there are no surprises.
Does CapExpand lend the money?▼
No. We are not a lender. We arrange the deal for you through a panel of asset finance lenders and we get paid a commission by the lender if it completes, never by you. We currently work with UK limited companies and LLPs only.
More questions answered in the full guide
Important information
CapExpand Ltd is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. We currently work with UK limited companies and LLPs only, for business purposes. We are not a lender and we do not provide financial, tax or legal advice.
We work with a panel of lenders whose particulars are available on request, and we receive commission from the lender if a deal completes, at no cost to you. Different lenders pay different amounts under different commission models, and further detail is disclosed during your journey. All finance is subject to status and the lender's own checks. Any deal example shown is an anonymised past case for illustration, not a quote or an offer of finance to you.
Got an asset in mind?
Tell us what you're after and we'll come back with the lenders on our panel best placed to fund it. Free to use, no obligation, and we'll be straight with you on the total cost.