Used vans in Portsmouth – breakdown cover

If your used van is to become an essential part of your business, you need to ensure you are properly covered for breakdowns.

There’s nothing more frustrating or inconvenient than being stranded at the side of the road when you’re on your way to an important delivery or an urgent call-out. When your van is closely tied up with your livelihood, as it is for most of the UK’s small business owners, you need to get back on the road as quickly as possible.

Can I get breakdown cover for my used van?

Yes, you can. All the major breakdown services have products that are specially designed for business customers, and where you can pick and choose the elements of cover that you want to apply to you. Which of these are suitable for your business is largely dependent on how far you travel in your van, what sort of goods you carry and what time of day or night you are making your deliveries or customer visits. In general, the elements of cover available to you could include:

• General breakdown protection – attending your vehicle at the roadside when you break down and fixing the problem wherever possible. This may also include towing you to a garage if the problem is too complicated to fix.

• At your business – if you can’t get your van started in the morning, or you have a mechanical problem with it, the breakdown service can come out to your business base or your home to get you back on the road.

• Recovery – The recovery service offered by most breakdown services means that instead of being stranded when your vehicle breaks down, you can be towed to your destination or back to your office address.

• European travel – if your business requires you to travel in Europe, you can add European cover to the breakdown services you buy. This means that you will get assistance across the continent. European car breakdown cover is a great call.

There are many other elements that you can add to your breakdown service. It’s important to shop around and look at all the options available to you so that you get the elements you need at a price you can afford.

The benefits of contract hire for the individual

Owning a car is expensive and comes with many responsibilities. Your first and biggest expense will be the actual purchase of a car. Even a second-hand car can be expensive and buying outright is not an option for most people. Once you’ve bought the car, you have to pay for fuel, insurance, road tax, MOTs, servicing and general maintenance. Contract hire of cars provides a more flexible and cheaper alternative.

Personal contract hire, as it is known, is essentially the same as contract hire, but for private individuals. If you want fixed cost motoring, or have opted out of a company car scheme, then personal contract hire could provide you with hassle-free motoring without the residual risks associated with traditional ownership.

For the private individual, contract hire is an attractive option and if you’ve never considered it, perhaps you should. If you need persuading, have a look at the points below:

• Fixed cost motoring – The greatest advantage of contract car hire has to be that you have a much clearer idea of what you car is going to cost you to run on a monthly basis. All you have to pay for on top of the monthly rental are the direct costs of fuel and vehicle insurance, plus excess mileage charges if the vehicle exceeds the terminal mileage figure, which will have been agreed in your contract.
• Reduced administration – This is largely taken car of by the leasing company; you will have a minimal number of documents to fill out during the period of hire
• No responsibility for vehicle disposal – When you have finished with your contract hire car, you can just give it back and walk away, or you can swap it for another vehicle. Either way, unlike a car you actually own, you don’t have the hassle of disposing of your contract hire car
• Low initial outlay – The way contract hire normally works is that you will put down a deposit for the car, but you won’t be paying out the large amount of money that the purchase of a new car demands
• Low monthly outlay – Your contract hire fixed monthly rental will include the cost of vehicle funding, cost of vehicle depreciation, and road fund license

Contract hire facts and figures

Contract car hire is available for both private individuals and companies and is worth considering if you’re thinking about motorbike hire London or other vehicle hire. For the businessman, contract hire is the simple solution for vehicle funding. Cars or commercial vans can be hired and they are available to sole traders, partnerships and limited companies, enabling them to acquire their vehicles without the financial risk of depreciation on what would normally be a large capital outlay. For the individual, contract car hire has all the benefits of owning a car without the risks of ownership.

Have a look at some of the key facts and figures of contract hire:

• Frees up a large amount of working capital for other business projects. This removes the risk of depreciation or of any time-consuming disposal problems
• Minimum outlay, which is usually equivalent to three monthly rentals, improves cash flow
• Costs are fixed ensuring maximum control for accurate monthly and annual budgeting.
• Fixed interest rates mean inflation-proof rentals
• Vehicles do not show on balance sheet. Monthly rentals can therefore be offset against taxable profits
• Tax efficient, with up to 100% corporation tax relief on rentals proportional to the vehicle purchase price
• Because leasing companies can recover VAT on qualifying car purchases the reduction in capital outlay is passed on to the customer in lower monthly rentals.
• VAT is charged on monthly rentals, but VAT is reclaimable on monthly rentals, too
• Road tax is usually included for the duration of the lease
• Fixed maintenance charges are optional. Maintenance usually means routine services, plus consumables under fair wear and tear such as tyres, batteries, exhausts, windscreen wipers etc
• Fixed charges for a replacement vehicle in case of breakdown or accident are optional

• Fixed charges for breakdown rescue cover are optional
• VAT is chargeable on services and maintenance, but 100% of VAT is also recoverable on services and maintenances

• Certain lease agreements can be extended

Companies can take advantage of vehicle contract hire to create a regular turnover of new or nearly new and prestige cars, which improves mechanical reliability and portrays a professional image in the business market with the minimum capital outlay.

Car Insurance Northern Ireland – Let the Professionals Help

Want to pay less for your car insurance? Northern Ireland drivers aren’t alone in wanting great value policies for a reduced premium. Looking on comparison websites is all very well, but what about the policies that aren’t featured there – how do you access the best car insurance policy for your needs?

Finding the Right Car Insurance

Northern Ireland car insurance is best when it’s bought through a specialist. Brokers like Abbey Insurance are independent of any particular car insurance provider. That means that by using a broker, you can have access to a much wider range of policies – both from nationally-known brands and from smaller, niche providers. Just as you would contact a specialist to advise you on what double glazing to choose, or how to build an extension, so you should take advantage of the professional advice that’s on offer when it comes to your car insurance.

Northern Ireland Insurance Brokers

There was a time when people would just pop into their local insurance office to sort out their car insurance. Northern Ireland, like the rest of the world, has embraced internet technology, and many people get quotes and arrange their car insurance online. Brokers have adapted to this technology and most now offer a quick quote system on their websites – just like the one you’ll find on the Abbey Insurance site. The personal touch is still important to many, however. If you have particular requirements or problems and you don’t think that a standard policy is going to be right for you, it’s great to be able to go into your local insurance brokers and talk to a knowledgeable professional who can help you to find a policy that gives you the cover you need. They can help with a wide range of queries, such as:

• No claims bonus
• Young and new drivers
• Driving endorsements
• Insurance for driving outside the UK and Northern Ireland
• Drivers with disabilities

Whatever your car insurance needs, an independent broker is the best source of information about the products that will work for you.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/owningavehicle/motorinsurance/dg_067630

Touring caravan insurance – plan ahead

With camping and caravanning set to boom this summer as people save money by holidaying at home, you need to plan ahead. The year is creeping by, and whether you’re touring round the UK in the summer months, or waiting until September when things are a little quieter, your touring caravan insurance and other preparations need to be up to date. Just like car or cheap taxi cover it pays to do research.

Checking your touring caravan insurance

Now’s the time to check that your touring caravan insurance is up-to-date and meets your needs. If you renewed it earlier in the year as a matter of course, take a look at the policy to make sure it covers everything you need. This is particularly important if you are taking your caravan outside the UK, for example, or if you have recently re-fitted it, or upgraded the model. In addition to checking that your touring caravan insurance is valid, you’ll need to:

• Book a pitch in advance – increased numbers of caravanners on the road this summer means that there’s no guarantee you can turn up at a site and get a pitch. Be organised, and book your pitches in advance. That way, you know that you’ll have somewhere to stay. If you’re planning on touring around, and you don’t like to book in advance, you need to be prepared for the fact that you might have to use a site with fewer or no facilities in order to get a spot.

• Update your equipment – you might want to take this opportunity to look at the camping equipment you own and decide whether you need to buy anything new. From bedding to barbecues, you may find that things are starting to age, or that there’s a new version that’s more efficient, lighter, smaller or all three. Remember that if you upgrade your equipment significantly, or you buy something valuable, you’ll need to update your touring caravan insurance as well.

• Think about space – if you’ve been caravanning for a while and your family’s growing, you might be thinking about sticking the kids in a tent next to your caravan rather than having them inside. This might also appeal to your children – particularly if they’re at an age where they want to stay out later than you and you don’t want them disturbing you when they get in. Check that your touring caravan insurance covers you for additional structures so that if then tent or awning gets damaged, you have the cover you need.

Static caravan insurance – renting your caravan to others

If you’re thinking of renting your caravan out, you need to get the right static caravan insurance.

Whether you already own a static caravan and want to rent it out, or you’re thinking of investing, you need to consider static caravan insurance. The type of insurance you need will depend on what you’re planning to do with your caravan. If you’re just using it for yourself and your family, a traditional static caravan insurance policy should be enough. If, however, you want to rent your caravan out to other holiday makers, you’ll need to check that the insurance you have in place is good enough.

Choosing insurance for static caravans

All insurance providers will want to know how your caravan is being used so that they can advise you on the best insurance. Your static caravan will be based in a caravan park, and you will probably pay a maintenance fee to the park owners which will cover some level of security and maintenance on the site. All other maintenance is your responsibility, however, and if you’re renting your caravan out to holiday makers you must make sure that it is in good condition at all times. This includes essential safety checks of appliances and of any utilities that are connected to your caravan, including gas, water and electricity. If a leak, fire or any other damage occurs whilst someone else is renting your caravan, and you haven’t maintained it properly, your static caravan insurance may not pay out. You need to think about:

• Who you will be renting to
• How regularly you will rent your caravan
• How you will maintain it between rentals
• Who is responsible for safety checks
• How much rental income you can expect
• Whether renting your caravan will cover your costs

Static caravan insurance is something you need to consider before you commit to renting out your caravan. Insurance providers can give you invaluable advice on what you need to do as a caravan owner and what other costs you may incur. You will also need to know how much your static caravan insurance will cost so that you can add it to your budget when you’re working out how much rental income you will need in order to cover your costs. Experts suggest that most caravan owners don’t make a profit from renting their static caravans, but can help to pay for the costs of purchasing the caravan and parking it on a dedicated site. http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/