I bought mine, main reasons are the added costs when you hand it back if leased, scratches even the wrong brand of tyres.
Also don't forget your going to waterproof the floor and fix a tank in it.
THIS
Also the deposit for the Vat is the same as what i put down to buy , and i couldnt face re fitting roof bars and systems every 2-3 years . I dont have sign writing but that would be another pita
i might get rid early or once its bought but if im struggling i could keep it and run it into the ground
Leasing is a good idea in theory in practicality for me it was no good, one last thing is my monthly payments are similar with HP than most of the leasing ive seen , but i am paying over 5 years and most lease deals are 3 so no doubt thats why
Only thing is my van is 1 yr old not new .
With leasing you are paying for the depreciation of the van over a set period and specific mileage with admin fees etc. When outright purchasing you are buying the whole van and the depreciation element.
Depending on your mileage you can usually expect trouble free motoring up till around 5 or 6 years of age, then you will expect a higher maintenance cost with cambelt change, more tyres, exhaust and brakes on the list.
It does appear that leasing has changed a bit since I was in the trade. Rentals were typically 3/35 or 3/47 (3 being the initial rental of 3 times the monthly rental all + VAT.) It would now seem that they are looking for a much higher initial rentals to keep the month payments looking good. Many purchasing contracts do include a final balloon payment which make for lower monthly repayments but can be an issue at the end of the contract as you have to find/finance this if you want to retain owner ship for longer.
So now you have to consider that once the contract has ended and you start another you will have to find another 2 to 2.5 k deposit. To compare you need to look at buying a van outright and running it over a 6 year period and then leasing 2 new vans, each with a 3 year lease. This will give you a better idea from a costing point of view of comparing leasing with outright purchasing.
Remember a dealer salesman will be presenting his figures in the most favourable light. The next contract after the first will never be spoken about except that you will get another brand new van.