[John Mart]

How many times have we  spent money on old vans that have been battered about for years before we finally get them?(usually with the best part of 100,000 miles on the clock!).I have....loads of times....

It's nice to start with a fresh new van,service it regularly and look after it...then it should last a very long time.....

It's not as black and white as that though Daz. Nobody is talking about an pld bangor with 100k on the clock. Plus a warranty direct policy is actually far better than the manufacturers one!! So, for a third of what you are paying, you could have as good a van with a better warranty! Both options are also fully tax deductable.
If you just fancy a new van then that's a different matter but from a purely business decsision then it's not so black or white. It's not about how much you earn, only how much of that YOU get to keep!!👍

True, but from a business point of view if you buy new and intend to run until it dies, you’ll get 4/5 years more out of it and hopefully those will also be the most reliable years running, if you buy on HP, loan or cash that is. Obviously a lease is different.

[harv deek]

if youre feeling flush you might do well to plough a few thou into reviving a tired van-so you dont look flash

 i  know one of the richest men in East Anglia,drives a really battered old landie-but its fitted with the latest Ford mechanics

[dazmond]

if youre feeling flush you might do well to plough a few thou into reviving a tired van-so you dont look flash

 i  know one of the richest men in East Anglia,drives a really battered old landie-but its fitted with the latest Ford mechanics

I like nice things,cars,vans,window cleaning equipment,clothes and eating out at nice restaurants as well luxury holidays....you can't take the money with you when you pop your clogs......

Spend it all now while your still alive is my motto!

[Stoots]

if youre feeling flush you might do well to plough a few thou into reviving a tired van-so you dont look flash

 i  know one of the richest men in East Anglia,drives a really battered old landie-but its fitted with the latest Ford mechanics

I just want a nice new van mate not a blinged up old banger.

I also want to look flash tbh

[harv deek]

i can understand that you want to look flash,everybody wants to look nice.   and thats great if your market is purely high end youll "fit in" on a driveway with the mercs

   thats reminded me ,  a biz near me been going 20 yrs had a 3 van set up of escort vans  ,old by anyones standards but very shiny . a couple of years ago they upgraded to 3 brand new connect lwb and very smart looking.  but then i notice i hardly ever see them around.  a chance conversation with one of the firms ex employees  tother week enlightened me "theyre in deep sh/t mate " 

[Shrek]

i can understand that you want to look flash,everybody wants to look nice.   and thats great if your market is purely high end youll "fit in" on a driveway with the mercs

   thats reminded me ,  a biz near me been going 20 yrs had a 3 van set up of escort vans  ,old by anyones standards but very shiny . a couple of years ago they upgraded to 3 brand new connect lwb and very smart looking.  but then i notice i hardly ever see them around.  a chance conversation with one of the firms ex employees  tother week enlightened me "theyre in deep sh/t mate "

Because they got 3 new vans 

[pikeman]

Bought a Renault traffic about a month ago. 17 plate pre registerd  only 10 miles on the clock. Remaing 3 years on warranty. no mot for 2 years. Just under 14000 with vat. A fair amount of money but hopefully trouble free for a few years. Protecktakoted it the weekend going to have it fitted out now either waterworks or grippa  not decided yet. No need for a new van I suppose but it is nice if you are in a position to have one. Family growed up and mortgage paid off so why not

[harv deek]

i can understand that you want to look flash,everybody wants to look nice.   and thats great if your market is purely high end youll "fit in" on a driveway with the mercs

   thats reminded me ,  a biz near me been going 20 yrs had a 3 van set up of escort vans  ,old by anyones standards but very shiny . a couple of years ago they upgraded to 3 brand new connect lwb and very smart looking.  but then i notice i hardly ever see them around.  a chance conversation with one of the firms ex employees  tother week enlightened me "theyre in deep sh/t mate "

Because they got 3 new vans 

i dont know ,but that Could be a factor .  the repayments i mean. or a drop in work for whatever reason the gamble on the new van image not working out - i dunno what 3 connects cost per month but it wont be cheap .
   theres another thing to consider when buying new,what happens if  a fault occurs.  going back about 5yrs now i was boasting to another windie about the reliabilty of the Berlingo engine ,bloody bombproof it is mate .Well he went out and leased a brand spanker Berlingo from the dealer.  After a  short while something on the central locking started playing up, no prob its under warranty but youll have to leave it with us a full day . This is a real inconvenience of course.  And they cant deal with your vehicle at the drop of a hat,or at your convenience- it might be next Monday . or Friday .  After getting a real bellyfull of  to and fro back to the dealer fixes  over several months he ended up handing it back , how much it cost him lord knows- he hasnt spoke to me since

[pikeman]

Yes that's right even a new van can go wrong. Think they give you a courtesy van while being fixed though. Thats why I'll keep my 500 litre tank and pump box and can then transfer to courtesy van. Hope it don't come to that though.

[zesty]

Daz, there’s no right or wrong way, but for me living in Essex my monthly bills aren’t cheap, and adding on £250 or more for a transit custom every month is too much for me. I could afford it, but I’d much rather that £250 go on things I want rather than a van.

It’s all dependent on your lifestyle and earnings, I’m 29, enjoy a lot of hobbies and want the money I earn to go on the things I enjoy, for me adding £250 odd a month for van would just annoy me lol!

You can afford it daz coz you live up north, have soft water and aren’t supporting a family (or are you? I’m just guessing as you said your in a flat and the girlfriend visits every now and then) 

Imagine having a TDS of 480 and paying a huge water bill, RO’s, resin etc, you don’t know your born daz 

True....I'm DI only,no wife or kids,don't smoke,very rarely drink and my rent is £300 a month......my choice though....

£300 a month? You can’t rent a shed for that down here!

No wonder you can afford all those luxuries! I need to move up north! Flipping eck! I’d be rolling in it!

To put it in perspective a 2 bed house round my way is around £750 a month plus. Add on all your bills and council tax and you end up with huge outgoings.

I’d be working 3 days a week with £300 rent, fair play to you Daz. Can’t knock that, being a window cleaner up north seems like the dream!

[dazmond]

Daz, there’s no right or wrong way, but for me living in Essex my monthly bills aren’t cheap, and adding on £250 or more for a transit custom every month is too much for me. I could afford it, but I’d much rather that £250 go on things I want rather than a van.

It’s all dependent on your lifestyle and earnings, I’m 29, enjoy a lot of hobbies and want the money I earn to go on the things I enjoy, for me adding £250 odd a month for van would just annoy me lol!

You can afford it daz coz you live up north, have soft water and aren’t supporting a family (or are you? I’m just guessing as you said your in a flat and the girlfriend visits every now and then) 

Imagine having a TDS of 480 and paying a huge water bill, RO’s, resin etc, you don’t know your born daz 

True....I'm DI only,no wife or kids,don't smoke,very rarely drink and my rent is £300 a month......my choice though....

£300 a month? You can’t rent a shed for that down here!

No wonder you can afford all those luxuries! I need to move up north! Flipping eck! I’d be rolling in it!

To put it in perspective a 2 bed house round my way is around £750 a month plus. Add on all your bills and council tax and you end up with huge outgoings.

I’d be working 3 days a week with £300 rent, fair play to you Daz. Can’t knock that, being a window cleaner up north seems like the dream!

The rents are higher than that mate where I work!!!

The trick is to live in the more affordable areas and work in the affluent areas that are virtually on your doorstep(so Minimal  driving)higher prices....

[Shrek]

Just don’t go too far up north as in Scotland 

[Stoots]

£300 a month is very nice daz

Mines not quite so good but I can't moan. We pay £550 pm for a privately rented 3 bed semi with a drive and garage.

Still it the kids that skint me.

[dazmond]

My outgoings for leasing my van and car come to just over £500 a month all together which is easily affordable(2 full days work a month)paying £300 a month rent....

[dazmond]

I used to spend at least £100 a week on cigs and booze years ago! ....

[deeege]

Daz, there’s no right or wrong way, but for me living in Essex my monthly bills aren’t cheap, and adding on £250 or more for a transit custom every month is too much for me. I could afford it, but I’d much rather that £250 go on things I want rather than a van.

It’s all dependent on your lifestyle and earnings, I’m 29, enjoy a lot of hobbies and want the money I earn to go on the things I enjoy, for me adding £250 odd a month for van would just annoy me lol!

You can afford it daz coz you live up north, have soft water and aren’t supporting a family (or are you? I’m just guessing as you said your in a flat and the girlfriend visits every now and then) 

Imagine having a TDS of 480 and paying a huge water bill, RO’s, resin etc, you don’t know your born daz 

True....I'm DI only,no wife or kids,don't smoke,very rarely drink and my rent is £300 a month......my choice though....

£300 a month? You can’t rent a shed for that down here!

No wonder you can afford all those luxuries! I need to move up north! Flipping eck! I’d be rolling in it!

To put it in perspective a 2 bed house round my way is around £750 a month plus. Add on all your bills and council tax and you end up with huge outgoings.

I’d be working 3 days a week with £300 rent, fair play to you Daz. Can’t knock that, being a window cleaner up north seems like the dream!

The rents are higher than that mate where I work!!!

The trick is to live in the more affordable areas and work in the affluent areas that are virtually on your doorstep(so Minimal  driving)higher prices....

£300 /month is far from average here in the North West.  2 bed houses in not so nice areas rent for £550 - £600 here too.

Regarding the bolded bit above, personally I prefer to live in a nice area, have nice neighbours, not worry too much about things getting stolen by opportunist passing theives etc, the usual worries that people have when living in a rubbish area. I lived in one for 10 years or so and definitely wouldn’t want too again.

[dazmond]

Danny all the house and car thieves that live near me mate.they don't rob on their own doorstep...they travel to the nicer areas .....

[deeege]

Danny all the house and car thieves that live near me mate.they don't rob on their own doorstep...they travel to the nicer areas .....

Daz I lived in a crappy area of Warrington for nearly 10 years. Constantly being wary of the scroungers and dossers gets tiring very quickly, quality of life was rubbish.

Living and owning a property now in a “affluent area” is easily the best life decision I’ve made, and my mortgage is only a couple hundred quid a month more than you pay to rent your flat, and I’ll own it outright in 20 years so payments stop altogether then.

Owning >>>>>>>> Renting

[John Mart]

Jeez, my mortgage is £1,700 a month. Makes me laugh when northerners get jealous of pricing down here. That said, I doubt salaries are vastly different.

[deeege]

Jeez, my mortgage is £1,700 a month. Makes me laugh when northerners get jealous of pricing down here. That said, I doubt salaries are vastly different.

😱 Very few people i know up here have that sort of mortgage, mainly because mortgage companies will only lend 4 or 5x salary so you must be able to show very healthy income. I’d hate that level of debt but you’ll be laughing once it’s paid off.