Is asset finance suitable for front-of-house upgrades and signage?

Asset finance can fund front-of-house upgrades and signage, but the lender panel is narrower than for hard assets like vehicles or machinery. Signage, branding, decor, lighting and reception fittings are classed as soft assets because their second-hand resale value is low. Specialist fit-out lenders will fund them, mainstream asset finance often will not.

Three routes work in practice. First, bundle soft assets into a wider fit-out finance facility that includes mechanical, electrical and structural work. Lenders like Time Finance, Aldermore and Ultimate Finance will price the bundle as a single facility against an itemised supplier schedule. Second, use an unsecured term loan for the soft elements alongside HP for the hard. iwoca, Funding Circle or Fleximize will fund the £5k to £100k spend on branding, signage, AV and reception that asset finance refuses. Third, use a manufacturer or supplier finance plan: many UK signage and POS companies have white-label finance partners that will fund the spend in-house.

Typical ticket sizes for front-of-house specifically: a single retail or hospitality re-skin runs £15,000 to £75,000. Multi-site rebrands run £50,000 to £500,000. Office reception fit-outs run £25,000 to £150,000. Terms are usually 3 to 5 years on hire purchase, or 1 to 3 years on a working capital loan.

For larger fit-out projects that include front-of-house, see can I include HVAC, electrical, plumbing and compliance upgrades in the funding and our fit-out loan use case.