A portable cabin is a small, towable or craneable box of accommodation, and that portability is exactly why funders like lending against one.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes, portable cabins are straightforward to fund. Each cabin carries a maker’s plate and a unique number, it can be lifted onto a hiab in minutes, and there is a constant national market of hirers and buyers wanting used stock. That combination gives a funder real recovery value, so hire purchase and lease are both readily available. Cabins are commonly funded in batches rather than singly, and a funder will happily write one agreement over eight or ten units on a single schedule listing every serial number.
Used kit: Yes — refurbished cabins are the mainstay of this market and funders regularly support units of fifteen years and older where the refurbishment is documented.
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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).
Funders value a cabin on the strength of the second-hand market rather than on the invoice, and that market is unusually liquid — refurbishers across the UK buy tired units, respray and refit them, and sell them on. Because of that, underwriting is quicker and more forgiving than for many construction assets. The catch is control. Cabins live on sites the funder never visits, they get moved without notice and occasionally disappear, so expect to be asked where units are kept, whether they are marked and insured on an all-risks basis away from base, and to supply serial numbers on every schedule. Funders who lend in this space price theft into the deal and expect you to take it seriously.
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 |
|---|---|
| Portakabin Pacemaker | Single storey portable building unit |
| Portakabin Titan | Wide span open plan portable building |
| Wernick Jackleg Cabin | Twenty foot jackleg site cabin |
| Wernick Steel Anti Vandal Cabin | Steel clad secure site cabin |
| Elliott Jackleg Cabin | Thirty two foot jackleg unit |
| Elliott Anti Vandal Cabin | Steel shuttered portable cabin |
| Thurston Jackleg Cabin | Steel framed portable site cabin |
| Boss Cabins Jackleg Unit | Steel welfare and office cabin |
| AJC EasyCabin Static | Static site cabin with onboard services |
| Mobile Mini Site Cabin | Ex hire refurbished portable cabin |
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Groundworkers, fencing firms, roofing contractors and small hire companies. The pattern is repetitive: a business has been hiring cabins for years, notices the annual hire spend now exceeds what a bought unit would cost to own, and buys two or three to cover its regular sites. Utility contractors on long framework agreements buy for the same reason, because the hire clock never stops.
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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.
Yes, and it is the usual way of doing it. The funder writes a single facility with a schedule listing each cabin by serial number, which keeps the paperwork light and often improves the terms because the total is larger. You can normally add further units to the same facility later without starting again.
You will be asked for a normal storage address at the outset, and you are not expected to report every move afterwards. What funders do want is a written promise that units stay in the UK, that you can identify where any given cabin is if asked, and that insurance follows the asset onto site rather than only covering the yard.
No. Ex-hire stock is the bread and butter of cabin funding and many funders prefer it, because the purchase price sits closer to recoverable value from day one. What matters is a proper invoice from a recognised supplier and evidence of the refurbishment done, not the age on the plate.
Your insurance responds, and the funder will expect the proceeds to clear or reduce the agreement. This is why all-risks cover including goods away from the premises is usually a condition. Tracking, ground anchors and marked serial plates all help both the claim and your standing with the funder next time.
Sole traders and partnerships are funded in this sector routinely. Brand new limited companies are harder and may need a director’s guarantee or a larger contribution, but the strength of the resale market means cabins are one of the easier asset types for a young business to raise funding against.
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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.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.