Office fit-out finance
Everything in a fit-out becomes part of a building you do not own, which is the single most important thing to understand before applying.
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Can you finance an office fit-out?
Sometimes, and this is the honest answer rather than the comfortable one. An office fit-out is almost entirely unrecoverable: partitioning, ceilings, lighting, flooring, cabling, air conditioning and joinery become fixtures of a building the business usually leases, and a funder cannot repossess a suspended ceiling. So fit-out is funded as a covenant decision, not an asset decision, and it needs a strong company behind it. Loose furniture and equipment within the project are the only genuinely recoverable parts. The landlord’s position and the remaining lease term both matter.
Used kit: No — fit-out works are not resaleable and there is no second-hand market, so used fit-out is not a category funders will consider.
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What would an office fit-out 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
Fit-out is the clearest illustration of why this sector cannot be sold on asset security. Once the works are complete, there is nothing for a funder to recover: partitioning cannot be lifted out and resold, cabling is worthless the moment it is pulled, and the improvements legally attach to the landlord’s building. Funders who write fit-out are lending on the company’s financial strength, and they will want filed accounts, healthy banking and usually a personal guarantee or a parent company guarantee. Two specifics come up repeatedly. The lease term needs to extend beyond the agreement, because a funder is uncomfortable with works being written off before the payments end. And landlord contributions are worth flagging, since many leases include a fit-out allowance that reduces the amount needing finance.
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 |
|---|---|
| Optima Revolution 100 glazed partitioning | Single glazed office partitioning |
| Komfort Polar glazed partitions | Frameless glass partition system |
| Kingspan RMG600 raised access flooring | Raised access floor installation |
| Armstrong Dune suspended ceiling | Suspended ceiling grid and tiles |
| Excel Networking Cat 6A cabling | Structured data cabling installation |
| Thorlux Smart LED lighting | Controlled LED office lighting scheme |
| Zumtobel Mirel LED panels | Recessed LED lighting panels |
| Interface carpet tiles | Commercial carpet tile flooring |
| Daikin VRV air conditioning system | Office heating and cooling system |
| Bushboard tea point joinery | Kitchen and tea point installation |
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Who buys one
Typically a company that has signed a lease on a Category A shell and needs Category B works — partitions, meeting rooms, kitchen, cabling and finishes — completed before staff move in. Professional firms reconfiguring for hybrid working are the other case. The trigger is a lease start date and a rent-free period that only covers part of the build.
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.
Office fit-out finance questions
Why is fit-out harder to fund than equipment?
Because there is nothing to take back. A funder lending against a van or a washer-extractor can recover and sell it. A funder lending against a partitioned office has nothing but the company’s promise to pay, since the works belong to the building. That shifts the whole decision onto your financial strength.
Does my lease length affect the application?
Significantly. Funders want the lease to run beyond the finance agreement, because a business that vacates leaves the works behind while payments continue. A break clause partway through is a fair question for an underwriter to ask, so be ready to explain your intentions on it.
Will my landlord need to be involved?
Almost certainly for the works themselves, since alterations require consent under most commercial leases, often through a licence to alter. The funder may separately want confirmation about any loose or removable items being financed. It is worth starting the landlord conversation as soon as the project is defined.
Can furniture and fit-out be combined?
Yes, and most projects are presented that way because they happen together. The furniture and loose equipment are the only parts with any recovery value, so a mixed package reads slightly better than works alone. It does not change the fundamental point that the decision rests on your accounts.
What if the landlord is contributing to the cost?
Tell the funder, because it reduces the amount to be financed and shows the landlord is invested in the project. Contributions are often paid on completion, which can create a timing gap the business needs to bridge. Mapping out when money flows in and out avoids surprises mid-build.
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.
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A decline from one lender reflects that lender’s appetite, not the whole market’s.