Barber chair finance
Fund heavy cast-base barber chairs and the fittings around them without emptying the till in the quiet weeks after a shop opens.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a barber chair?
Yes. Barber chairs are routinely financed, normally on hire purchase alongside the rest of the shop’s fit-out. Unlike most salon seating, a genuine cast-iron reclining barber chair does hold some value second-hand, which slightly widens the funder pool — but not enough to change the underwriting, which still rests on the business and the owner. Used chairs, including reconditioned vintage models, can be funded where a VAT-registered dealer invoices them. The common surprise is that funders treat a barbershop as a cash-heavy retail business, so they will read bank statements closely rather than relying on the chairs as security.
Used kit: Yes, and more readily than most salon assets — reconditioned chairs from established dealers are widely accepted where the invoice and serial details are clear.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a barber chair cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Barbering sits in the soft asset bracket, with one useful exception: a heavy reclining chair from a recognised maker has a real second-hand market, so it is not quite the write-off that a styling chair or a nail bar is. Even so, funders price this on covenant, not collateral. Expect a personal guarantee as standard and expect the credit team to look hard at card takings versus cash. New shops with no filed accounts are hard, and the chairs alone will not rescue a thin application. Where the deal includes mirrors, backwash units, joinery and flooring, remember that everything fixed into a leased unit becomes a fixture in practice — a funder cannot realistically recover a bonded floor or a fitted station, so that portion is unsecured in all but name.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Takara Belmont Apollo 2 | Classic hydraulic barber chair |
| Takara Belmont Legacy 90 | Heritage style barber chair |
| Takara Belmont Maxim barber chair | Reclining barbering chair |
| REM barbering chairs | British-built barber seating |
| REM Emperor barber chair | Hydraulic barber chair with footrest |
| Pietranera barber chairs | Italian barbering chair range |
| Reconditioned Koken barber chairs | Restored vintage barber chairs |
| Gamma & Bross barber chairs | Contemporary barbering seating |
| Maletti barber chairs | Italian built barber chair range |
| Salon Ambience barber chairs | Value barbering chair range |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
Usually a barber going from a rented chair in someone else’s shop to their own unit, or a growing shop adding a third and fourth station because the waiting area is full on Saturdays. Franchise operators opening a second site are the other regular case. The trigger is a signed lease with a rent-free period running down and a fit-out date that cannot slip.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Barber chair finance questions
Are vintage restored chairs acceptable to funders?
Often yes, provided they are bought from a restorer or dealer who can issue a proper invoice and describe the chair, its maker and its condition. What funders will not do is fund a private purchase from a classified ad with no paperwork, because there is no way to evidence the asset exists or what was paid.
I take a lot of cash — does that hurt my application?
It does not disqualify you, but it changes the evidence. Underwriters want to see turnover landing in the business account. If most takings are cash and banked irregularly, the filed accounts and VAT returns carry more weight. Consistent banking over several months is the single most useful thing a barbershop can show.
Can I add the mirrors and stations to the same agreement?
Usually, and it is normally a better approach. Funders prefer one agreement covering a coherent fit-out to a series of small ones, and bundling brings the total up to a workable size. The caveat is that fitted joinery in a rented unit has no recovery value, so it affects how the whole file is assessed.
Do I need to be VAT registered?
No. Plenty of barbershops sit below the threshold and are financed perfectly normally. VAT registration simply gives underwriters another data source. If you are not registered, filed accounts and bank statements do the same job, and a clear picture of takings matters more than the registration itself.
What if I am renting a chair rather than running the shop?
Chair renters are difficult. You are effectively a sole trader without premises, and funders will struggle to see where the asset lives or how it would be recovered. Some clippers and tool packages can be handled, but a full chair purchase generally needs you to hold the lease on a unit.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.
If the bank has already said no
A decline from one lender reflects that lender’s appetite, not the whole market’s.