Finance Assets arranges office furniture and fit-out finance for UK businesses buying desks and seating, partitions and glazing, office fittings and shopfittings for a new or refurbished workplace or shop.
Office furniture and fit-out finance spreads the cost of furnishing and fitting out premises over 2 to 5 years, so a business can move, expand or refresh its office or shop without paying for it all on day one. We arrange hire purchase, leasing and contract hire for furniture, fittings and the installation that goes with them. If you make furniture rather than buy it, see our asset finance for furniture manufacturers guide.
Written by Marcus Wright, founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, in financial services since 2008 and a commercial finance broker since 2019. Last reviewed October 2026.
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The short version
- Office furniture and fit-out finance spreads the cost of furniture, partitions, fittings and shopfittings over 2 to 5 years.
- Furniture and fittings are soft assets with a low resale value, so lenders fund them mainly on the strength of the business.
- Installation can usually be included, but lenders want the equipment to make up most of the cost.
- Items fixed to the building can become the landlord’s property, so lenders look at your premises lease.
- Finance Assets arranges fit-out finance for limited companies and LLPs, and for sole traders and partnerships on agreements over £25,000.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Items covered | Office furniture, demountable partitions and glazing, office fittings, meeting room technology and shopfittings |
| Deal sizes | From furnishing a single floor to a full multi-site office or shop fit-out |
| Terms | Usually 2 to 5 years, and no longer than the time left on your premises lease |
| Paid upfront | Hire purchase: often a 10% deposit plus VAT. Leases and contract hire: usually 1 to 3 rentals in advance |
| New or used | Mainly new, from furniture suppliers, fit-out contractors and shopfitters |
| Who we help | Limited companies and LLPs, plus sole traders and partnerships on business agreements over £25,000 |
Office furniture and fittings we finance
Lenders will fund most furniture and fit-out items, provided they come from an established supplier on a clear, itemised quote.
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Office furniture | Desks and benching, sit-stand desks, task and meeting chairs, storage, lockers, reception furniture and breakout seating |
| Partitions and glazing | Demountable partitions, glass partitions and doors, acoustic meeting pods and phone booths |
| Office fittings | Tea points and kitchens, lighting, air conditioning units, access control, and meeting room screens and video conferencing |
| Shopfittings | Shelving and gondolas, counters, display units and cabinets, checkouts, fitting rooms, lighting and signage |
Soft assets, fixtures and your premises lease
Furniture and fit-outs are funded differently from machinery or vehicles, for a few reasons.
- Soft assets. Lenders call furniture, fittings and shopfittings soft assets, because they are worth little once installed and used. They lend mainly on the strength of the business, so terms are shorter, typically 2 to 5 years, and newer businesses may need a larger deposit or personal guarantees.
- Installation and labour. Delivery, installation and some labour can usually go on the agreement, but lenders want the furniture and fittings themselves to make up most of the cost. A fit-out that is mostly building work, such as ceilings, flooring and decoration, may suit a business loan better.
- Fixtures and the landlord. Items fixed to the building can legally become part of it, and so the landlord’s. Lenders prefer free-standing and demountable items, and for fixed items they may ask the landlord to sign a waiver confirming the lender can remove them.
- Your premises lease. Lenders check how long is left on your lease and any break clauses, and usually want the finance to end before you could move out.
In office lettings, a Category A fit-out is the landlord’s basic finish, and a Category B fit-out is the tenant’s own layout, furniture and fittings. It is usually the Category B work that a business finances.
Finance options for office furniture and fit-outs
Businesses use all four main types of finance for furniture and fit-outs. Our types of asset finance guide covers each option in more depth.
| Type | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase | A deposit, then fixed monthly payments. You own the items after the last one | Furniture you will keep for years and take with you if you move |
| Finance lease | Rentals with VAT added to each one. The lender owns the items | Spreading the VAT on a full fit-out or shopfit |
| Operating lease | Rentals for part of the items’ life. Hand back or refresh at the end | Businesses that refresh furniture on a set cycle |
| Contract hire | A fixed rental that can include delivery, maintenance and replacement | Serviced offices and multi-site businesses wanting one fixed cost |
| Type | VAT | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase | VAT on the full price is paid at the start, and a VAT-registered business usually reclaims it on its next return | The business is treated as the owner, so it may be able to claim capital allowances, such as the annual investment allowance |
| Finance lease | VAT is added to each rental and reclaimed as normal | Rentals are usually deductible as a business expense |
| Operating lease and contract hire | VAT is added to each rental | Rentals are usually deductible, and the lender claims the capital allowances |
Your accountant can confirm how each option works for your tax position.
Hire purchase for office furniture
Hire purchase for office furniture suits a business that will keep its desks, seating and storage for many years and take them along if it moves. You pay a deposit, often around 10% plus the VAT, then fixed monthly payments, and the furniture becomes yours after the final payment and a small option fee.
Finance lease for office fittings and partitions
A finance lease for office fittings and partitions spreads the VAT across the rentals, which helps on a full fit-out where the VAT bill is large. The lender owns the items, and at the end you can usually carry on at a small secondary rental. Demountable partitions and glazing are easier to fund than fixed walls, because they can be taken down and moved.
Operating lease and contract hire for office furniture
An operating lease or contract hire for office furniture suits a business that wants to refresh its furniture every few years, or keep one fixed monthly cost across several sites. Contract hire can include delivery, maintenance and replacing damaged items, and you hand everything back or upgrade at the end. Fewer lenders offer it on furniture than on vehicles, so it is usually arranged through specialist suppliers.
Shopfitting finance
Shopfitting finance covers shelving, counters, display units, checkouts, lighting and signage for a new shop or a refit, usually on hire purchase or a finance lease over 2 to 5 years. Lenders look at the shop’s trading record, the length of the shop lease and how much of the quote is fittings rather than building work. Retailers opening several sites can often fund each fit-out under one facility.
Office fit-out finance costs: a worked example
A Category B office fit-out at £85,000, with £42,000 of furniture, £28,000 of demountable glass partitions and £15,000 of installation, costs about £2,433 a month on a 3-year hire purchase, or about £1,588 a month over 5 years.
| Item | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Price (excl. VAT) | £85,000 | £85,000 |
| Deposit (10%) | £8,500 | £8,500 |
| VAT paid upfront | £17,000 | £17,000 |
| Monthly payment | £2,432.68 (36 months) | £1,588.01 (60 months) |
| Total interest | £11,076 | £18,781 |
The longer term lowers the monthly payment by about £845 but adds around £7,705 of interest. A 5-year term is only possible if at least 5 years remain on the premises lease.
Illustration calculated in October 2026, assuming an interest rate of 9% a year. It is not a quote. Your rate depends on your trading history, credit profile and the items being financed, and rates on soft assets are often higher than on machinery.
What lenders look for in fit-out finance applications
Because furniture and fittings have little resale value, lenders focus on the business itself.
- Accounts and bank statements. The last two years of accounts, recent management accounts and three to six months of business bank statements.
- Itemised quote. A quote that separates furniture, partitions, fittings and installation, so the lender can see how much is equipment and how much is labour.
- Premises lease. The length of your lease, any break clauses and, for fixed items, whether the landlord will sign a waiver.
- Owner or director history. Lenders check the credit records of the directors, partners or owner, and may ask for personal guarantees on newer businesses or larger fit-outs.
Related guides
- IT equipment finance, for laptops, PCs and networking in a new office
- Point of sale and payment machine finance, for tills and card terminals in a new shop
- Asset finance for furniture manufacturers
- Commercial refrigeration finance
- Asset finance for electrical contractors
- Types of asset finance
- All sectors we finance
Who we can help
We arrange office furniture and fit-out finance for UK limited companies and LLPs, and for sole traders and partnerships on agreements over £25,000 that are for business purposes. We are not authorised by the FCA, so we cannot arrange agreements of £25,000 or less for sole traders or partnerships of two or three partners, or finance for personal use.
Office furniture and fit-out finance FAQs
Can I lease office furniture?
Yes. Office furniture can be funded on a finance lease, an operating lease or contract hire, as well as hire purchase. Leasing suits businesses that want to spread the VAT or refresh furniture every few years, while hire purchase suits furniture you plan to keep and own.
Is office furniture a soft asset?
Yes. Lenders treat furniture, office fittings and shopfittings as soft assets, because they have little resale value once installed and used. Machinery and vehicles are hard assets. Soft assets are funded mainly on the strength of the business, usually over shorter terms and sometimes at higher rates.
Can installation be included in fit-out finance?
Usually, yes. Delivery, installation and some labour can go on the same agreement as the furniture and fittings, as long as the items themselves make up most of the cost. Fit-outs that are mostly building work, such as ceilings, flooring and decoration, may suit a business loan better.
Can I finance shopfittings for a new shop?
Yes. Shelving, counters, display units, checkouts, lighting and signage can all be funded. For a new shop, lenders look at the business’s wider trading record, the shop lease and the owners’ experience, and may ask for a larger deposit or personal guarantees.
What happens to financed fittings if I move premises?
Free-standing furniture and demountable partitions can usually move with you, with the lender’s agreement. Items fixed to the building may have to stay, so the agreement would need to be settled or the items replaced. This is why lenders match the term to the time left on your premises lease.
Can a new business get office fit-out finance?
Yes, although lenders look harder at businesses with less than two years of accounts, especially for soft assets. They may ask for a larger deposit, personal guarantees or evidence of contracts and income. A signed lease on the new premises and a clear, itemised quote both help.
Get an office furniture and fit-out finance quote
Tell us about the fit-out
Send us the supplier or contractor quote and a few details about your business and premises. We will come back with the options that are realistic and what they are likely to cost.
About the author
Marcus Wright is the owner and founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, which trades as Finance Assets. He has worked in financial services since 2008, beginning his career at Santander, and has been a commercial finance broker since March 2019.
He founded Bolton Business Finance in 2020 to give businesses access to the whole lending market rather than one bank’s own product range. The firm is a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers and works with a panel of 135+ lenders. Call 0161 546 9128.
Finance Assets is a trading name of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, an independent commercial finance brokerage, not a lender. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. All lending is for business purposes only. Registered address: Westgate House, 1 Westgate Avenue, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1 4RF. Company number 12495909.