What assets can I fund with asset finance?

UK asset finance covers almost any business-use asset with a resale value: commercial vehicles and HGVs, plant and machinery, manufacturing equipment, agricultural machinery, IT and telephony hardware, medical and dental equipment, refrigeration, kitchen and bar fit-out, signage, and even soft assets like software licences or fit-out costs through specialist lenders.

Mainstream asset finance lenders prefer hard assets with strong second-hand markets: HGVs, vans, forklifts, CNC machines, tractors. These get the best rates because the lender's downside is protected by easy resale. Soft assets like office furniture, software or shopfittings can still be funded through specialists like Time Finance or Aldermore, but expect higher rates and tighter terms.

Common UK asset finance ticket ranges sit between £10,000 and £1m. Hire purchase is the dominant structure: you own the asset at the end. Finance lease keeps it on the lender's books and is often used for IT or vehicles you intend to refresh. Operating lease is closer to a long-term rental and is rare for SMBs.

For specific equipment classes, see our asset finance guide. If you have existing equipment owned outright, refinancing it to release working capital is one of the most underused routes in UK SMB lending.