[dazmond]

My van(connect L2 240 limited)is  going for £38k including VAT in 2026 for a brand new one!

Even if I keep my van for another 6 years(it's 9 years old at present with 30k on the clock)I'll have paid around £28k for mine as im paying a reduced rate of £60 a month rental and lex autolease reduce ESV by £114 a month every month until I decide to get rid so it'll be worth virtually nothing in 6 years time!😄

It works out at around £156 per month spread out over 15 years. Not the cheapest way to run a van but easily affordable and 100% tax deductible.

[deeege]

What was the list price of your van  when you bought it 9 years ago Daz? That’s a hell of a lot of wasted money on interest you’ve paid there. Far far more cost effective way of owning a new van than the route that you have taken.

[dd]

New pre reg citroen berlingo diesel lwb £18k plus VAT

[zesty]

Madness to buy a new van, get a pre reg or ex demo and save ££££.

You’ve ended up paying a fortune for your little connect daz!

[dazmond]

New pre reg citroen berlingo diesel lwb £18k plus VAT

No heated drivers seat in a Citroën...😄

[dazmond]

What was the list price of your van  when you bought it 9 years ago Daz? That’s a hell of a lot of wasted money on interest you’ve paid there. Far far more cost effective way of owning a new van than the route that you have taken.

No idea but leasing suited me at the time. Still does for easy accounting

[dazmond]

Having a decent van is the number one requirement for WFP cleaning IMO and the largest outlay is your van. If you don't want to spend a huge chunk all at once then leasing for a small rental amount every month that's 100% tax deductable is ok. Its easily affordable for most businesses.

I just see it as a legitimate business expense every month now.

[KS Cleaning]

Having a decent van is the number one requirement for WFP cleaning IMO and the largest outlay is your van. If you don't want to spend a huge chunk all at once then leasing for a small rental amount every month that's 100% tax deductable is ok. Its easily affordable for most businesses.

I just see it as a legitimate business expense every month now.

You sound like a salesman’s dream Daz😆

[Stoots]

I went full circle and im back at old vans.

Only vehicle ive ever bought new, paid 24k plus vat in 2022 so 29k.

Was paying 450 a month ish plus 100 month ins then the tax. also it only did 23mpg

sold for 13k in 2025

the vat was lost as soon as i bought it as im not vat reg so total i lost in 3 years was 16k

16k! in 3 years what a mad decision it was to buy new, never again.

I now have a 2016 peugeot partner for 3k paid cash and last year bought my old renault trafic back off the lad who i sold it to for £350 quid, i did loads of work on it so it cost me about a grand all in.

So now i have a van that does 40 mpg cost 400 quid a year to insure and no 450 quid a month payment im way over 500 quid a month better off plus i have a spare.

The only requirement i have for a van is air con, to me thats a non negotiable apart from that i really dont care anymore its just a mode of transport.

[deeege]

Having a decent van is the number one requirement for WFP cleaning IMO and the largest outlay is your van. If you don't want to spend a huge chunk all at once then leasing for a small rental amount every month that's 100% tax deductable is ok. Its easily affordable for most businesses.

I just see it as a legitimate business expense every month now.

I was telling you this for years Daz when you were driving old bangers. “No need for a new van, sod paying for a lease, I only do 50 miles a week yada yada”, you said this for years, until you finally  got a new van and it was suddenly the best thing you ever did. 

I prefer to buy a low mileage year old van, let someone else take the hit on the depreciation but still have all the benefits of the new van.

[dd]

I went full circle and im back at old vans.

Only vehicle ive ever bought new, paid 24k plus vat in 2022 so 29k.

Was paying 450 a month ish plus 100 month ins then the tax. also it only did 23mpg

sold for 13k in 2025

the vat was lost as soon as i bought it as im not vat reg so total i lost in 3 years was 16k

16k! in 3 years what a mad decision it was to buy new, never again.

I now have a 2016 peugeot partner for 3k paid cash and last year bought my old renault trafic back off the lad who i sold it to for £350 quid, i did loads of work on it so it cost me about a grand all in.

So now i have a van that does 40 mpg cost 400 quid a year to insure and no 450 quid a month payment im way over 500 quid a month better off plus i have a spare.

The only requirement i have for a van is air con, to me thats a non negotiable apart from that i really dont care anymore its just a mode of transport.

Mistake you made was buying the wrong van, not buying a new van. I bought my Dispatch new 20 years for £11,500 incl VAT.
In the 20 years I have owned it has never let me down
Main expenses was clutch at 113k and 2 timing belt changes.

[dazmond]

Having a decent van is the number one requirement for WFP cleaning IMO and the largest outlay is your van. If you don't want to spend a huge chunk all at once then leasing for a small rental amount every month that's 100% tax deductable is ok. Its easily affordable for most businesses.

I just see it as a legitimate business expense every month now.

I was telling you this for years Daz when you were driving old bangers. “No need for a new van, sod paying for a lease, I only do 50 miles a week yada yada”, you said this for years, until you finally  got a new van and it was suddenly the best thing you ever did. 

I prefer to buy a low mileage year old van, let someone else take the hit on the depreciation but still have all the benefits of the new van.

I'm allowed to change my mind.....

I spent a few years with old vans when I switched to wfp but then realised that I had to swap systems  over every couple of years (when they finally gave up the ghost)which is a real pain.

I also wanted a diesel heater after faffing about with cheap(and dangerous!) gas shower units so it's not worth installing one in anything other than a brand new van IMO.

I ve got my dream van and system and I still love it 9 years on. I will get the timing belt and water pump changed next year.

[martinw]

This thread makes me wonder if any of you with a leased van actually have written permission to modify it to bolt on tanks. Last time I checked in 2021, ten leasing companies had refused to provide it. I ended up buying pre-reg, as it was working out cheaper overall over five years.

[dazmond]

This thread makes me wonder if any of you with a leased van actually have written permission to modify it to bolt on tanks. Last time I checked in 2021, ten leasing companies had refused to provide it. I ended up buying pre-reg, as it was working out cheaper overall over five years.

Mine is a business finance lease. You can do what you want to it if your running it for 15 years!