Category: Asset Values (page 2 of 4)

Tip for farm crime prevention

When winter is approaching and clocks go back an hour as British Summer Time officially ends, it is a good time for farmers to review their security.

Farms in the autumn and winter months are dark and secluded places and can prove an inviting target for thieves who will be looking to steal farm vehicles, fuel, tools and equipment.

Statistically, October and November are the two months of the year when police receive more reports of burglary than at any other time.

With their isolated countryside locations, farmhouses, outbuildings, barns, garages and sheds are all prey for would-be rural thieves, who use modern technology including drones, Google Earth and sat navs to pinpoint their entry and escape routes.

But there are a variety of measures you can take to protect your property, land and livestock and discourage potential thieves.

Fuel

Fuel thieves often target farms under the cover of darkness when they are able to drain tanks within minutes if they are not properly protected.

Thieves use anything from basic plastic tubes to pumping apparatus to siphon off hundreds of litres of red diesel from tanks and farm machinery, causing huge financial loss and inconvenience for farmers.

Tip

To prevent theft, fit fuel bowsers with wheel clamps or hitch locks. Tanks should be housed in a secure location – within a shed (in line with regulations) or in a compound, such as a locked metal cage.

Consider fitting a remote fuel monitoring gauge and alarm system. Install movement sensors, CCTV and lighting around the tank.

Store machinery inside sheds using layers of security and ensure tractors are locked up at night. If machines must be kept outside, park with fuel caps against a fence or wall.

Lighting and CCTV cameras

Isolated farm buildings down dark lanes are easy for thieves to approach and hide in the darkness. Make sure you light up areas in and around your home and buildings.

Tip

Motion-sensor security lighting and CCTV cameras are a good crime prevention and detection tool. Thieves don’t want to be seen.

Install lighting and CCTV in access locations, vulnerable areas and around the perimeter of farm buildings, yards and houses. Consider audible and monitored intruder alarm systems.

With improving technology in this area and a reduction in the cost of CCTV systems, they can be bought for fairly modest sums. Many suppliers offer subscription services with text alert systems linked to mobile phones, tablets or computers, allowing you to monitor the farm 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

Farmers are embracing new technology involving infrared beams that set off voice warning systems and relay live footage to mobile phones.

Considering a bridging loan?

If you are considering applying for a bridging funding, here are some helpful tips:

  • Compare products from different providers and be certain of the total cost of the loan, rather than just the interest rate. It’s tempting to go for the lowest interest rate, but lenders may charge large exit fees, fund management fees and other hidden costs. Always ask for a breakdown of the total cost before proceeding as this makes it much easier to evaluate different providers. Richmond Asset Finance are completely transparent and will always advise you.
  • When you are looking for a provider, make sure that the lender knows your timescales and check that they can deliver on time – don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t waste your time with a provider which won’t be able to deliver.
  • The amount of money that you can borrow as a bridging loan can vary widely between applicants and is dependent upon several factors. These include the type of property being purchased/renovated/converted; the value of the property; the loan term and interest rate offered by the lender; and your security and proposed exit strategy.
  • You will need to inform your lender about the property, as it is this that is used to secure the loan (the sale of which is your exit strategy for the loan repayment); having an exit strategy in place is crucial to avoid running into difficulty.
  • The repayment terms can often be amended to suit you, however, you are usually required to pay back the loan within a year. The application process is typically far simpler than for other types of borrowing and applications can complete very quickly, usually in five to 14 days.

Yorkshire Machinery Finance for Farms

From tractors, headers or balers, if it’s part of a working farm Richmond Asset Finance can finance it! At Richmond Asset Finance we have access to an experienced panel of lenders so we can bring you only the best finance options for your farm machinery and business.

Agriculture is very diverse and we also understand that that some farmers have seasonal income, so we can tailor seasonal loan structures for certain applicants if the situation calls for it.

We also understand that a 1998 tractor might still be in good working condition, so older farm machinery can be financed from both private sellers and dealers. Simply ask us for more details.

We can offer agriculture finance loans for the following vehicles and equipment:

  • Tractors
  • Harvesters
  • Spraying Equipment
  • Spreaders
  • Seeders
  • Offset Disc
  • Balers
  • Irrigation
  • Telehandlers

Have farm equipment or machinery that’s not on the list? Call us and we’ll be happy to help: 0113 288 3277

Your agricultural equipment finance options

Whatever you want to finance from biomass boilers to bailers, our range of equipment finance options are tailored to fit yours and our businesses needs. Read more about the ways in which we can help finance your farming assets or get in touch with our experts from Richmond Asset Finance for a quote.

Hire Purchase

Flexible interest rates – With a choice of fixed or variable rates, you could make the choice that suits you and your business best.

Finance Lease

Enjoy the benefits of ownership without the risk like depreciation or time and costs of disposal.

Operating Lease

Lease high value equipment and enjoy lower monthly repayments and reduced risks.

Sale & Leaseback

Release capital tied up in your assets and increase your cash reserves to invest in your business.

Why finance your agricultural equipment with us?

We know that different types of farming businesses have different needs. Our dedicated agricultural asset finance team specialises in finding the right solutions to help fund new and used farming equipment. And through our in-depth understanding of your business, our relationship managers could help you overcome the challenges of financing business growth.

Farm Finance & Farmland Loans

Commercial Bridging Loans for Farms from Richmond Asset Finance

As a lender that specialises in providing fast, non-status farm finance and farmland loans, including Commercial Bridging Loans, Richmond Asset Finance can help you develop your agricultural business. 

Agricultural financing is available for the purchase of land, while dedicated farm development facilities are available to provide loans and finance for barn conversions, new build developments and refurbishment projects. Richmond Asset Finance can help with your Commercial Bridging Loans.

Short-term farm and land loans are available to farmers and landowners for any business purpose, provided that you have suitable property (buildings or land) to offer as security (1st or 2nd charge) and a credible plan to repay the loan.

The funds your farm needs to grow with Richmond Asset Finance

Richmond Asset Finance are a consultant lender in Manchester, here to help your business survive, thrive and grow.

We offer a range of flexible funding solutions to allow you to upgrade or invest in new equipment, or release cash from your company’s existing assets. The decisions we make are not based on whether we have been able to tick a series of boxes on a form, or whether your situation neatly fits into a category that suits us. What your business needs will always come first.

How can asset finance Manchester help your business?

Whether you’re looking to fund new vehicles for your farm, equipment or machinery for your farm, enable expansion plans, consolidate debts or provide an injection of working capital; Richmond Asset Finance can help:

  • Hire Purchase
  • Leasing
  • Refinancing

Asset Types

Asset-based lending Manchester (ABL) encompasses business funding that releases capital using the value of an asset as security. This asset may be equipment or vehicles, and the capital raised on it can be used to buy more equipment, update or expand premises, or facilitate a management buy-in or buy-out.

What are the benefits of Agricultural Finance?

What are the benefits of agricultural finance?

As a farmer, it can be difficult  to purchase the equipment and machinery you need. The costs can be huge and can eat into capital that is much needed for other necessities. You may not be aware, but there is a solution to this in the form of agricultural finance. Outlined below is the importance of agricultural finance.

Farmers need to purchase new inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water and more. Agricultural finance can help to make these purchases easier for farmers. If the seed of a high yielding crop is readily available for farmers, then the productivity of the farm is improved.

Smaller farms may not have the need for agricultural finance for items such as seeds or pesticides but larger farms may need help with bulk purchases of these items. Seeds, fertilizers and irrigation water can prove to be a highly expensive continuing need which agricultural finance can help to meet.

You can cover land costs

If you are looking to buy new farmland as a budding farmer or simply increase the amount of land you already have, then agricultural finance can help cover the land costs you may incur. The land you need will depend on the type of farming you are planning on doing.

In order to apply for finance for land, you will need to calculate how much land you need and what kind of land you are looking for. Once you have your loan approved, you will be able to move forward with your endeavour. Buying land with your own money may not be feasible as a start-up farm, which is why finance is a good option.

You are better equipped for a crisis

Farming can be a difficult business. You are never able to predict what will happen to your crops or livestock, and are at the mercy of customers and competitors. Some farming is seasonal, which means you may only earn money during certain times of the year.

An agricultural loan can be used to protect yourself during the various ups and downs of your business. You can also use it for operational costs as well as costs that occur from damages. It is better to be prepared for every eventuality, which is why having agricultural finance is important to all working farms.

Agricultural assets we can help you finance

Richmond Asset Finance can help you with agricultural finance for the following:

  • Tractors & self propelled
  • ATV & RTV
  • Grassland machinery
  • Cultivation machinery
  • Drilling & planting machinery
  • Harvest machinery
  • Livestock handling systems
  • Robotic milking systems
  • Grading lines
  • Farm security
  • Food processing units
  • Bottling plants
  • Livestock feed systems
  • Irrigation equipment

Richmond Asset Finance can finance any new or used piece of agricultural machinery and equipment with no age limitation, supplied by either a specialist agricultural dealer or bought privately through a fellow farmer or auction. Manufacturers subsidised finance is periodically available through Richmond Asset Finance based in the North West, Leeds and Yorkshire.

We can finance any make and model of agricultural plant and machinery irrespective of age, please contact us with your requirements on 0113 288 3277

Richmond Asset Finance Guide to Farm and Agriculture Finance

Richmond Asset Finance is a specialist business lender to the agricultural sector that offers traditional, responsible lending to farmers throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Farm finance is on the rise again and is becoming an attractive sector as farmers need loans that can be secured on real assets as farmers now need to find new sources of capital to sustain, grow and improve their businesses. Again we can help with asset finance and for equipment and various land and property finance is available too. Click here to view our services and solutions here.

Here are a few reasons why you may require Richmond Asset Finance Agricultural Finance:

  • Diversification, farmers need capital to diversify and build new businesses. Diversifying your enterprise can increase revenue and reduce risk. We understand this and the benefits it brings in the current market, as our team has direct experience of building new businesses.
  • Purchasing new farmland when additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may come available and often at short notice. Additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may come available at any time and often at short notice. Richmond Asset can move quickly to help you secure this and expand your business.
  • Property finance allows farmers to develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation. Are you making the most from your property? A loan from us could help you develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation.
  • Renewable energy projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to under-utilised land on a farm, or even turn waste products into revenue. Renewable energy projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to under-utilised land on your farm, or even turn waste products into revenue.
  • Livestock Finance is utilised by farmers to expand their livestock holdings. Once you decide that you’d like to expand your livestock holdings, our facility can provide a flexible option that can be used repeatedly, allowing you to make judicious purchases or sales, depending on the market.

What is asset refinancing?

What Is Asset Refinancing?

Asset refinancing is an alternative finance arrangement that offers a simple and straightforward way to raise cash against an asset that your company already owns. Depending on the amount of funds required, you can refinance any single or multiple assets. You don’t even have to own the asset outright; refinancing arrangements can be offered on the equity tied up in company property. Refinancing a number of assets is also referred to as debt consolidation.

Richmond Asset Finance offer a number of different asset financing solutions for your business. Asset Finance is a very useful financing option because of the many benefits to your business. A business in any sector can have many financial assets and there are a number of ways to attain finance for these. In recent times this makes it the third most popular source of finance for UK Businesses.

What Are The Benefits Of Asset Refinancing?

Asset refinancing offers a simple, cost-effective and quick way to secure additional finance for ongoing business activities. You can continue to use the asset offered as security against the loan, whilst using the released funds to invest in new assets, such as a larger fleet of vehicles or new company premises. Most asset refinancing arrangements offer structured payment plans to help business owners budget effectively. Interest rates and charges are agreed upfront so you won’t incur any surprises during the lifetime of the loan. Once the loan amount has been agreed, along with associated rates and charges, you will be required to pay fixed instalments on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis.

ASSET FINANCE IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING FORMS OF FINANCE TODAY – Call us for more information.

Bridging Loans: Explained

Selling your home and buying a new property at the same time can be a little tricky.

It can sometimes take a while to sell your home, leaving you without the sales proceeds to buy your new property.

With a bridging loan, you can avoid the stress of matching up settlement dates, move quickly to buy your new home and give yourself more time to sell your existing property.

A stort-term bridging finance is also known as ‘relocation loan’.

Bridging loans explained: How does it work?

A bridging loan is basically finance that allows you to buy a new property without having to sell your existing property first.

Banks work out the size of the loan by adding the value of your new home to your existing mortgage then subtracting the likely sale price of your existing home.

What you’re left with is your “ongoing balance” or “end debt” which represents the principal of your bridging loan. Banks will assess your ability to make mortgage repayments on this end debt.

Lenders use both properties as security and you’ll have one loan (peak debt) to cover both the existing debt and the new purchase.

Between when your bridging loan is advanced until you sell your existing home, most lenders capitalise interest-only repayments on the peak debt which means that you’ll only have to worry about continuing to make principal and interest (P&I) on your current mortgage, rather than trying to manage repayments on two home loans.

After your property is sold, you simply continue to make normal home loan repayments, plus the compounded bridge loan interest, on the new loan.

Will Coronavirus affect my loan?

Loan and credit card payments to be frozen for three months in UK.

The financial regulator has announced plans to freeze loan and credit card payments for up to three months as part of emergency measures for consumers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. They have also announced plans to help businesses that are struggling in the current climate.

The new measures which could come into force by 9th April is aimed at consumers and renters who are not benefiting from existing relief measures that have targeted homeowners – with mortgage payment holidays – or business owners.

The FCA has advised that banks and credit card providers will have to ensure that consumer credit ratings are unaffected by any of the measures.

If you are looking for a loan or bridging finance for your business in the agricultural sector. Feel free to give us a call or email us today and we will be happy to help!

UK banks set out details of Covid-19 mortgage holidays

Households hit by coronavirus will not lose credit ratings if they delay payments as the government gives a 3-month mortgage holiday.

The unpaid interest will still be recovered later, but individual credit ratings will not be affected.

The Guardian has suggested that ‘firms will help customers the best way for the individual, but an automatic payment holiday may to always be the most suitable approach and may not be required by all customers’.

Full payment of the arrears will still assume an eventual full repayment of arrears. While a person is taking a payment holiday, the interest that would have been paid will still rack up, and the capital sum of the loan remains.

These holidays are not a long term solution but they are designed to help the temporary income shortfall. If this is a smooth and seamless process that will enable homeowners to self-isolate without having to worry about their mortgage payments then clearly it is a significant move in the right direction.

Tips for improving your HGV’s fuel efficiency

Whilst you can’t control the price of fuel, you can control the amount you use with these driving tips for better fuel efficiency.

HGVs can guzzle up fuel, which isn’t only bad for your business’ budget, but also for the environment.

HGV drivers can learn to improve their vehicle’s fuel efficiency by making a few simple changes to their driving habits, here’s how.

Use cruise control

Most modern HGVs are equipped with a cruise control function for keeping the vehicle running at a constant speed. Reducing unnecessary fluctuations using cruise control can help you to save a significant amount of fuel.

Plan the route

Careful route planning can help you to get from a to b quickly and efficiently, preventing you from using unnecessary fuel whilst getting lost and taking detours. It can also help you to avoid routes featuring sharp inclines which require more fuel to navigate.

Reduce speed

The speed that you drive at can have a significant impact on the amount of fuel that your HGV uses. Studies have shown that reducing your speed to an average of 50mph on the motorway can help to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%!

Don’t idle

Whilst it may be tempting, particularly on very cold days, to keep your engine idling and your heater and radio switched on when you are stationery, this is one of the worst ways to waste fuel!

Avoid braking sharply

Hitting the brakes sharply and rapidly accelerating can both eat up fuel far faster than driving at consistent, steady speeds. Simply paying closer attention to what is happening ahead of you on the road and anticipating when to brake sooner can make for a smoother ride, use less fuel, and reduce the risk of an accident.

Sometimes, if you’re driving a very old HGV, then the most effective way of increasing its fuel efficiency is to upgrade to a newer model.

If you require financial help or advice with upgrading your HGV, speak to our team here at Richmond Asset Finance by giving us a call on 0113 288 3277. We provide a range of flexible vehicle finance and asset finance services.

How to protect your tractor from theft

Your tractor is one of your farm’s most valuable and useful pieces of machinery, so it’s important to protect it from thieves.

Last year, rural crime in Britain hit a seven-year high, with theft of farm vehicles and livestock costing the UK £50m according to the insurance company NFU Mutual.

The report found that the sharp rise in rural crime was mainly caused by a huge increase in theft of tractors, quad bikes and farm vehicles, which rose by 26% between 2018 and 2019.

Tractors and other farm vehicles are often targeted by thieves because they have been left unsecured in an isolated and remote location, making them easy targets.

A stolen tractor is not only very expensive to replace, it will also cost your farm business in downtime as well as causing you a headache.

Don’t leave your tractor or other valuable farm vehicles unsecured, use the following tips to protect them from criminals.

Always store your tractor indoors

Where possible, always store your tractor in a locked building. Not only will this make it harder for thieves to access it, it will also help to maintain its condition and extend its lifespan.

Secure your boundaries

Don’t leave your perimeter open to thieves, install a high fence to make access more difficult. If your property is too large to install a boundary around the whole thing, then ensure that the area or building that your tractor is stored in is secured by a fence.

Use a wheel clamp

Always fit a wheel lock on your tractor when it is not in use to prevent thieves from driving it away.

Fit an alarm and tracking device

Fitting your tractor with a motion-detector alarm is an effective way of deterring criminals and preventing theft.

Security mark your vehicles

Use a service like DataTag to get a unique security ID to mark your tractor with, making it easy to identify if it is ever stolen.

If you require help or advice with financing a new tractor, speak to our team here at Richmond Asset Finance. We provide a range of flexible agricultural finance services to help you to grow your business. To discuss your requirements in more detail, give our team a call on 0113 288 3277.

« Older posts Newer posts »