ABLECOM LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
02412202 · ltd · incorporated 1989-08-09
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£1.29M
book net assets
Opportunity
70/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Sector: Real estate
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 68320Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis
Investor take
PursueProperty-backed borrower with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
15 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 22.4y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
120 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
🔒Estimated company valuation
Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Opportunity Score
70/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
66
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Positive net assets
Net assets £1,285,586
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£1.3m
↑ 1.7% YoY
Current Assets
£16k
↓ 18% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.83M | £1.80M |
| Current assets | £16.4k | £20.0k |
| Net assets | £1.29M | £1.26M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (42 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2025-09-25🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans
- 2024-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-12-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-07📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-11-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-20📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-10-06📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-05-29📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-05-29📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2007-04-13🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2006-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2006-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2006-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2006-06-01🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Skipton Building Society
- 2006-06-01🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Skipton Building Society
- 2006-06-01🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Skipton Building Society
- 2006-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2006-01-19🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Skipton Building Society
- 2006-01-19🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Skipton Building Society
- 2004-05-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-05-04🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-05-04🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-01-05🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-09-05➕KELLAWAY, Emily Mary appointedsecretary
- 2002-03-31➖HOUGHTON, Ruth Marian resignedsecretary
- 2002-03-31➖HOUGHTON, Ruth Marian resigneddirector
- 1989-08-09🏢Company incorporatedAs ABLECOM LIMITED
Owner dependency
90/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 37 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
2 med · 1 low6 new charges in last 12 months
mediumHeavy recent charge activity can indicate refinancing pressure, aggressive leverage, or multiple lender rotation.
Evidence: 2025-09-25: A registered charge; 2025-09-25: A registered charge; 2025-09-25: A registered charge
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
10 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Michael Charles Houghton Individual · British · DOB 03/1958 · age 68 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Property · BS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90-96 EAST STREET MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 14995177 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 96 SHIREHAMPTON ROAD FREEHOLD COMPANY LIMITED→ 15713654 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A CACI & CO LTD→ 11614981 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| A4 BIBA LIMITED→ 16722411 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AADHAV LIMITED→ 16662081 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AAFAA LTD→ 14206622 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ABAVIEW PROPERTY RELOCATIONS LTD→ 13483791 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ABBASSI PROPERTIES LTD→ 11742149 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ABBEYFIELD HOMES LIMITED→ 15232509 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABCL PROPERTIES LIMITED→ 12656228 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABLE (SW) MANAGEMENT LTD.→ 12142943 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ABLEY PROPERTIES LIMITED→ 11871326 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
10 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1989-08-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC68209 — Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Registered office
87 High Street
Hanham
Bristol
BS15 3QG
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-12
Last: 2025-07-29
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
KELLAWAY, Emily Mary→
Activesecretary · appointed 2002-09-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOUGHTON, Ruth Marian→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2002-03-31
HOUGHTON, Ruth Marian→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · resigned 2002-03-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
15
Total charges
10
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Vida Bank T/a Vida Homeloans Vida Bank Limited T/a Vida Homeloans | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/09/2025 | — | |
| satisfied | Skipton Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/06/2006 | 13/04/2007 | |
| outstanding | Skipton Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/06/2006 | — | |
| outstanding | Skipton Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/06/2006 | — | |
| outstanding | Skipton Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/01/2006 | — | |
| outstanding | Skipton Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/01/2006 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 04/05/2004 | 03/06/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 04/05/2004 | 21/01/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 04/05/2004 | 03/06/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/01/2004 | 03/06/2006 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (120 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-10-20
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-14
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-10-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-25