Furnishing an office is a large one-off cost for something that earns nothing directly, which is precisely why businesses spread it.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes, though furniture is the softest of soft assets and it is fairer to say so. Desks, task chairs, storage and meeting tables lose most of their value the moment they are installed — the used office furniture market is heavily oversupplied and clearance often costs more than the items realise. Funders therefore lend against the company and its directors, with a personal guarantee usual for smaller businesses. Used furniture is rarely funded. The point that catches applicants out is that furniture alone often needs to be part of a wider fit-out package to interest a funder.
Used kit: Rarely — second-hand office furniture has negligible funder value and most applications for used furniture alone are declined.
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Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 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. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
Office furniture is where the soft asset argument is at its starkest. Second-hand desks and chairs flood the market every time a company downsizes, so recovery value is close to nothing once collection and storage are counted, and no funder is realistically sending a lorry for used workstations. What that means in practice is straightforward: the decision is a covenant decision. Filed accounts, bank conduct, sector, time trading and the directors’ credit files determine the outcome, and a personal guarantee is standard outside larger corporates. Two further points. Fitted or built-in furniture — reception desks, tea point joinery, bespoke storage walls — becomes a fixture of premises the business almost certainly leases, which the funder cannot touch. And small furniture-only requests often fall below minimum advance levels, so packaging matters.
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 |
|---|---|
| Herman Miller Aeron chair | Ergonomic task chair |
| Herman Miller Layout Studio desking | Modular office desking system |
| Steelcase Leap V2 chair | Adjustable ergonomic task chair |
| Steelcase Ology sit-stand desk | Height adjustable office desk |
| Orangebox Do task chair | British-built office task chair |
| Orangebox Air3 meeting pod | Acoustic meeting and focus pod |
| Senator desking systems | Bench desking and storage range |
| Humanscale Freedom chair | Self adjusting ergonomic chair |
| Boss Design Kruze seating | Breakout and meeting seating |
| Bisley storage and lockers | Office filing and personal lockers |
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Usually a growing company taking its first proper office or moving to a larger one, buying desks, chairs and storage in one go against a lease start date. Professional practices refreshing a tired floor are the other common case. The trigger is almost always a move or a headcount jump, where furniture is needed before the revenue from that growth arrives.
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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.
Because the business still needs it and the cash is better deployed elsewhere. Funders write this business on the strength of the company, not the desks, and they price for that. The honest framing is that it is closer to unsecured lending with an asset schedule attached than to traditional equipment finance.
Often yes, and bundling is usually necessary to reach a workable total. Be aware cabling is unrecoverable and IT hardware depreciates fast, so the schedule as a whole is soft. That is not a reason to avoid it, but it explains why the funder focuses on your accounts.
Not for credit purposes. They cost more and have electric mechanisms, but the used market for them is no kinder than for fixed desks. Choose on ergonomics and staff needs. The only finance relevance is that a higher spend per desk brings the total to a fundable level more quickly.
It carries most of the weight here, given the assets carry none. A company with filed accounts and clean banking has a real choice of funders. A newly incorporated business with no figures is buying furniture on the strength of its directors alone, which narrows the options considerably.
Some businesses prefer a lease because furniture is a depreciating cost rather than something they want to own for a decade, and it keeps the commitment defined. Others want ownership from the start. It is an accounting and cash flow preference more than an asset question, so take your accountant’s view.
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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A decline from one lender reflects that lender’s appetite, not the whole market’s.