What is residual value?
It corresponds to the value of a property at the end of its rental period (leasing). It is used by companies to determine the value of their fixed assets (furniture, vehicles, etc.) when they have been depreciated. Therefore, the residual value can be said to be equal to the acquisition cost of the asset, minus the accumulated depreciation during the lease or use period.
The residual value cannot be negative, it can be positive or zero.
Residual value: how does it work?
The residual value is one of the most important elements of leasing contracts. It allows a company or an individual to rent equipment (office equipment, vehicles, machinery and tools, etc.) and to become the owner of them at the end of the contract if they wish to do so (purchase option = residual value). This trade-in amount is set in advance by the leasing provider (this can however be negotiated upwards or downwards).
In lease contracts with an option to purchase, it is possible to lease a new car for a fixed period of time without it being intended to be sold to the contractor. The residual value is an important parameter when it comes to setting the rental amount. The lower the residual value, the higher the monthly payment, conversely, the higher the residual value, the lower the monthly payment.
That is, if the vehicle can be resold at a good price at the end of the contract, the person renting the vehicle will offer a lower monthly payment because the risk of not reselling the vehicle is low. And so if this residual value is low, the lessor takes "more risk" and less return on the sale of the vehicle, so the monthly payments will be higher.
In a leasing-purchase contract, the residual value is included in the price of the monthly payment, i.e. you will become the owner of the property at the end of the contract, so the monthly payment is of course higher. As an alternative to leasing sales, we recommend a car loan, so you will immediately become the owner of the vehicle and you will be able to deduct the interest from taxes and do what you want with the car because it belongs to you, unlike leasing where it belongs to the bank that issues the lease.
To learn more about the differences between a lease and a car loan, we invite you to read this article.
What is the amount of reimbursement for a property in the event of a claim?
If a loss occurs, the "reimbursement" of the damaged property will be based on the residual value, more precisely on the current appraised value of the property. For a car, this will usually be the value of the Argus and the amount will be paid directly to the leasing company.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it's up to you to decide what you're looking for when you want to buy a new vehicle.
If you want to pay a small monthly fee and become a homeowner at the end of the lease, opt for a lease with an option to purchase where you have negotiated a large residual value with the seller.
Do you just want to pay a small monthly fee? Then go for a lease with no residual value (without an option to buy).
However, if you want to own the vehicle at the end of the contract, opt for a car loan, or possibly a lease-to-purchase.
Do you want to take out a car loan? Make your free request in 2 minutes on our website or call us on 021 620 60 00.