When it comes to buying your first new van, there are quite a number of factors to consider.

There are the obvious things such as:

• Number of people in the van
• Nature of journeys - e.g. short town trips vs long hauls down the motorway
• Height limitations in access
• Communication featuers - e.g. phone links and satnav
• The weight and the volume of load that your van will need to transport

On top of these, there’s the overshadowing issue of costs.

Because the way you intend to use the van will affect the running costs, and fuel associated with your use of the van. Adding these all up and comparing them against the value you hope to create through using the van is critical.

But the real hidden danger that you may not have thought of is this: depreciation.

Depreciation: a reduction in the value of an asset over time, due in particular to wear and tear.

So with all the focus being on what you need to do to purchase your first new van, don’t forget the equally important consideration of what you’ll need to do to maintain your van.