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The autumn 2026 working capital plan for property trades

UK asking prices fell 2% in August, and there are more homes for sale than at any August in 12 years. Here is what that means for the businesses that service property, and how to fund the work.

Reading time 5 min read
Category Business guides
Written by The bizbritain team
UK asking prices fell 2% in August. There are now more homes for sale than at any August in 12 years. If you fit kitchens, decorate, or manage lets, that is a pipeline forming. It is also a cash flow problem. The work has to be paid for before you get paid.

Section 01

What the August numbers say

According to Rightmove, the average asking price in the UK fell to £364,999 in August. That is a drop of 2%, or £7,360, in a single month. The usual August fall is 1.3%. Prices are 1% lower than a year ago.
Two other numbers matter more for your order book. The number of homes for sale is at a 12-year high for the time of year. In London it is the highest in 16 years.
Rightmove has also cut its forecast for the year. It now expects national average prices to finish flat, or up to 2% lower. It had previously forecast a rise of 2%.
£364,999average UK asking price in August, according to Rightmove
2%the fall in a month, against a 1.3% average for August
12 yearssince this many homes were on the market in August
26%fall in buy-to-let mortgage arrears over the year, according to UK Finance

Section 02

Why the arrears figures are the better news

According to UK Finance, 8,390 buy-to-let mortgages were in arrears in the second quarter of 2026. That is 26% fewer than a year earlier. Homeowner arrears fell as well, by 11% over the year, to 77,940.
Possessions are down too. 1,150 homeowner properties were taken into possession in the quarter, 8% fewer than in the previous quarter. UK Finance says homeowner possessions remain well below the long-term average.
So what does that tell you? Landlords are under less pressure than the headlines suggest. A landlord who is not in trouble is a landlord who will spend on a refurbishment.
Myth 01

“A falling market means less work”

Falling asking prices are not the same as falling activity. There are more homes on the market than at any August in 12 years. A seller who wants to move still has to make the property ready. A buyer who negotiates a discount often spends it on the work the last owner never did.

Softer prices tend to move work towards refurbishment, not away from it.

Section 03

The cash flow problem in a busy autumn

A busy autumn is harder to fund than a quiet one. Materials are bought up front. Labour is paid weekly. The invoice is settled once the job is signed off, and sometimes later than that.
The gap gets wider as you take on more work. That is the point where a good year starts to feel like a bad one.
Borrowing costs have edged up for your customers too. According to Rightmove, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.09%, up from 4.95% a month earlier. Expect more clients to ask to pay in stages.

Section 04

How to fund the work

The right finance depends on where the gap sits. This is the order we would work through it.

  1. Measure the gap before you fill it

    Add up what you pay out on your three biggest jobs before the first invoice clears. That number is what you need to cover. Your turnover is not.

  2. Fund the invoices, not the business

    If the delay is customers paying late, an invoice facility releases most of the value of an invoice when you raise it. You are borrowing against work you have already done.

  3. Keep the kit decision separate

    A van, a machine or a set of tools is a different question from working capital. Asset finance spreads that cost over the life of the thing you are buying. It also leaves your cash where it is useful.

  4. Hold a working capital line for the peaks

    A flexible facility is money you can draw on and repay as you go. It covers the weeks when three jobs start at once. That usually costs less than turning work away.

One thing worth doing before you commit to the biggest job of the autumn. Talk to a broker. We can look at the deal across a wider range of lenders than any single bank will, and help you put the case together properly. The place to start is our finance for business growth page.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Applications are subject to status, affordability and lender criteria.

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