Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of leasing versus buying outright?
No, or low upfront cost: Leasing often requires no, or a small initial down payment compared to purchasing outright.
Cash flow benefits: With leasing, you preserve cash and existing lines of credit for new business development etc.. Also you’re spreading the cost and not committing a large sum to purchase the asset. Leasing provides accurate financial forecasting with fixed monthly payments and beats inflation.
Up-to-date Equipment: Leasing allows you to regularly upgrade equipment or assets to newer models without the need for a large Cap-Ex budget.
Tax benefits: Lease payments are often 100% tax deductible as business expenses, thus reducing taxable income.
Please speak to your accountant about your specific circumstances and requirements.
What lease terms and durations are available?
Terms (the lease period) usually range from 36 to 60 months – longer durations may be available subject to credit approval. Payments are made each month and sometimes quarterly.
What are the credit requirements and approval criteria?
Finance is available to Non-regulated Business customers – Limited companies, LLP, PLC etc.
Credit Score: Lenders or lessors usually require a good credit score, but this can vary based on the type of lease and the asset.
Business History: For businesses, underwriters often look at the business’s operational history and cash flow.
Deposit: Depending on your creditworthiness, a larger down payment might be required.
Depending on credit rating, it is common for no other information to be required.
What happens at the end of the lease term?
Typically at the end of the term the funder charges a nominal end of lease fee, typically one month’s rent. The agreement is terminated and payments stop. The asset can then continue in use, be sold, or disposed of. Increasingly there are companies that buy used pods and booths. If this is of interest to you, please let us know and we shall advise accordingly.
If you choose to return the asset to the lessor, usually you pay the costs of transport etc..
Are there options for upgrades or adjustments during the lease term?
Yes, you can look to upgrade the asset and roll any remaining settlement into a new agreement subject to credit approval.
What is the typical process and timeline for securing a lease?
A lease agreement can be agreed and signed within 24-48 hours. Firstly, the finance company will need to underwrite the customer and approve the credit. Once approved the documentation can be sent via e-sign and once returned and checked the asset can be ordered from the supplier.
How do pods and booths perform in terms of ventilation and comfort?
Modern acoustic office pods and booths integrate purpose-designed ventilation and comfort engineering to create truly habitable spaces. However the majority of ‘closed’ pods and booths, as opposed to those which are open-sided and don’t therefore require mechanical ventilation, deliver maximum comfort during short to medium term use. By this we mean one to two hours, and the greater the number of people in the pod, the shorter the period that maximum comfort will be maintained.
There is only one manufacturer that designs and makes pods and booths for 24/7 continuous use, and that is Vetrospace of Finland. This is achieved with their CO2 monitored and controlled environments, which has many considerable benefits including sharpness of thinking and concentration. Vetrospace also offers a genuine ‘Comfort Cooling’ solution, which is recommended for their larger pods, when occupancy rates are expected to be high. As a result, Vetrospace’s larger pods, for six+ people, provide a genuinely smart alternative to traditionally built rooms.
The higher specification closed pods and booths, incorporate quiet air-handling modules that deliver filtered air, meeting or exceeding most workplace indoor-air-quality standards, while keeping fan noise below 30 dBA they don’t interfere with calls or concentration. In such pods and booths air is drawn in through replaceable HEPA or carbon filters, and then gently distributed via low-velocity diffusers to avoid drafts.
Typically the air inside the higher specification closed pods and booths is cleaner than the air which surrounds it. In lower specification closed pods and booths, the ambient air from the surrounding area is drawn in and extracted out. The air isn’t filtered, but it is continuously refreshed.
Allied to comfortable seating and adjustable lighting, modern high quality pods and booths provide very comfortable spaces.
Is delivery and installation included in the Lease prices shown?
Delivery and installation costs are not included in the prices shown, but they can be included in the lease agreement. Typically delivery and installation adds £30 a month to payments. Final delivery and installation costs relate to the location and ease of access for the delivery and installation team. Confirmed costs can be provided on a project-by-project basis.
How easy are pods and booths to install and relocate?
Modern office pods and booths are designed to be easy to install and straightforward to relocate. Some of the smaller pods and booths are delivered pre-assembled whilst others are delivered in their component parts ready for assembly. It is highly recommended to use a professional installation team to assemble all pods and booths.
All pods and booths are designed to be relocated, either within an office space, or to a completely different location. Some of the smaller pods have built-in wheels or castors which can be lowered for easy repositioning and relocation. Other models are designed to be relocated using lifting devices, or with bespoke mobility kits, unique to each manufacturer. The largest pods and booths however must be disassembled, relocated and then reassembled.
Whichever method is required, the advantages of modern pods and booths over traditionally built meeting rooms and quiet spaces, is that all pods and booths can be relocated without any detrimental impact to the surfaces or structure of the location they are to be moved from or to. Pods and booths are assets that once invested in can move to suit your needs.
What’s the total cost of ownership?
Pods and booths are a very efficient and effective way of providing a first class working environment, due to the controlled space often being a lot smaller than a traditional meeting room or collaboration space.
All lighting is efficient LED lighting and modern fans for air circulation and air filtering systems are quiet and energy efficient.
It is however important to note that different pods and booths are designed for different periods of use. Only pods with controlled CO2 monitoring are recommended for longer periods of occupation, up to and including continuous 24/7 use.
What warranty, support, and service plans are offered?
Typically pods and booths come with a comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty of between two and five years, covering structural integrity, acoustic performance (STC/NRC ratings), and finishing materials against defects and premature wear. This includes free replacement of any faulty panels, seals or hardware, and in-situ repairs.
Additional Option:
Planned Maintenance – quoted separately: On-site visit by certified engineers to clean and recalibrate ventilation modules, replace HEPA filters, re-seal door gaskets, and retest acoustic performance etc..
Planned servicing and maintenance is aimed at keeping pods and booths consistently quiet, healthy and fully operational.
Business Branding - Can our existing pods and booths be wrapped?
Many existing pods and booths can be wrapped with bespoke business branding. All those with hard exterior surfaces can be wrapped, in varying degrees. Those with soft exterior finishes including felt and upholstery fabric etc. can’t be wrapped.
If you are in doubt please send us some images and we will give you our recommendation.
Being able to wrap (or re-wrap) your existing pods and booths enables you to give them a new look, or match them to any additional ones.
Business Branding - Can wraps be removed, updated or changed?
Yes. All vinyl wraps are designed to be removed without causing any damage.
This enables wrapping to provide a long-term finish, or one that gives the flexibility to update or change the look of pods and booths to suit an event, product launch or promotion, or to suit a new location if moved to another department or building.
Part or full wrap replacement can also be supplied and fitted if damage requires repair.
Business Branding - How much does bespoke business branding cost?
As a guide a bespoke design and exterior full wrap costs in the region of £1200. This sum can be included in the monthly lease cost.
Complex commissions and ones that include printing onto the interior upholstered surfaces etc. can cost more and are best priced on a project-by-project basis.
Please let us know what you’re considering and we will be able to advise accordingly.
Business Branding - Who supplies the images and logos for the bespoke branding?
A company or customer can supply their own specific images, logo, colour references or ideas, or work with our recommended graphics experts to create an attractive branding solution.
Business Branding - Can we apply wood, stone, metal or concrete-effect finishes?
Yes you can. In addition to having the option of bespoke graphics wraps, it is possible to choose finishes from an extensive range of architectural vinyl films.
Modern vinyl films are designed and manufactured to exacting standards for use in commercial interiors (and some for exterior use too). These vinyls meet fire regulations and are ideal for wrapping pods and booths.
You can choose from an exceptional range of wood effects to match any modern or traditional interior, or choose from marble, granite, steel and fabric effects to suit your requirement.