Asset refinance in Bristol
Asset refinance releases cash from equipment a Bristol business already owns. A lender values the plant, machinery or vehicles, advances a percentage against them and takes a charge over the asset, and you repay over an agreed term. CoreFi matches your case to lenders who fund Bristol firms. Advance levels depend on the asset, its age and the business.
Bristol businesses are often asset-rich in ways that do not show up as available cash. Aerospace and precision engineering suppliers around Filton run expensive machine tools, the distribution and logistics operators at Avonmouth and Portbury run fleets, and construction firms working the harbourside and Temple Quarter schemes hold plant. Asset refinance converts a share of that back into working capital without selling anything.
CoreFi is a commercial finance broker. We arrange asset refinance for Bristol businesses, principally limited companies, against plant, machinery, commercial vehicles and specialist equipment owned outright or with equity in it. We package the case, approach lenders whose criteria fit, and manage it to drawdown.
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Tell us what you need
Tell us what you own, roughly what you paid and when, any finance still outstanding, and what the money is for. It costs nothing to start and there is no obligation.
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We match you with suitable lenders
We assess your situation against our whole-of-market panel and identify the lenders whose criteria actually fit, rather than applying everywhere.
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We package and submit
We prepare the case with the documents the lender will ask for and put it in front of the lenders most likely to fund it.
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Offer and drawdown
The lender issues terms and, on acceptance, releases the facility. We manage the process through to completion.
What asset refinance does
A lender values equipment you already own, advances a percentage of that value as a lump sum, takes a charge over the asset, and you repay monthly, usually over two to five years. Where the lender buys the asset and leases it back to you the arrangement is called sale and leaseback, but the effect on your cash position is the same.
Crucially the asset carries the deal rather than your general creditworthiness. A Filton-area engineering firm coming off a thin year can often refinance a five-axis machining centre when the same business would not get an unsecured facility of that size. Common uses are a tax bill landing awkwardly, funding early works on a contract before the first payment application, buying out a shareholder, or replacing several expensive short-term facilities with one.
What Bristol lenders will refinance
Lenders want identifiable, durable, resaleable assets: serial-numbered plant and machinery, HGVs and trailers, commercial vehicles, materials handling, CNC and fabrication equipment, and some specialist aerospace and marine kit given the local base.
They are cautious about anything bolted into premises you do not own, bespoke one-off rigs, IT hardware and tooling with no secondary market. Age matters: most want useful life comfortably beyond the term, so a fifteen-year-old machine is a harder case than a five-year-old one. Assets part-way through an existing hire purchase can often still be refinanced, with the lender settling the balance and advancing against the equity.
Why a broker changes the outcome here
Valuation approach, advance percentage, tolerance of asset age and sector appetite vary more on refinance than on almost any other product. A case one lender declines flat another will write at a sensible rate, so the choice of lender often decides whether the deal happens at all.
Applying to several lenders yourself leaves a trail of searches and declines. We take one packaged case to the lenders whose criteria genuinely fit. We will also tell you when refinance is the wrong answer: if the business is loss-making rather than illiquid, releasing capital from the plant buys a few months and adds a monthly payment.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cover all of Bristol and the surrounding area?
Yes. We work with businesses across Bristol and the West of England, from Filton and Avonmouth to Temple Quarter, Portbury and the wider North Somerset and South Gloucestershire fringe. The lenders we match you to will confirm whether they fund your specific sector and asset type.
Can I refinance equipment that still has finance on it?
Often yes. A lender can settle the outstanding balance on an existing agreement and advance against the remaining equity. The cash released is smaller than on an asset owned outright, and the numbers only work where there is genuine equity.
How much can I release?
It depends on the lender's view of resale value rather than on what you paid or the book value. An honest asset schedule at the start avoids a disappointing offer later. We will give you a realistic range before you commit to anything.
Will this stop me funding new equipment later?
It can. The lender takes a charge over the refinanced assets, so they are no longer free security for a later facility. If you expect to need new kit within the year, tell us at the outset, because a smaller release now or a different product may serve you better.
Do you lend the money yourselves?
No. CoreFi is a broker, not a lender. We arrange the facility with lenders on our panel and are paid a commission by the lender on completion.
Get matched with lenders for your Bristol business
Tell us what your business needs and we will match you with lenders whose criteria fit. No obligation, no cost to start the conversation, and a straight answer about what is realistic for your situation.
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