A J BARNES PLUMBING & HEATING LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04868526 · ltd · incorporated 2003-08-15
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 Nov 2025
Net worth
£579.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 10.0y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 10.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
70 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £579,725
Cash YoY
-3%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£455k
↓ 2.8% YoY
Net Worth
£580k
↑ 2.6% YoY
Current Assets
£459k
↓ 2.9% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£116k£232k£348k£464k£580kNov 2024Nov 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-11-302024-11-30
Total assets£588.2k£571.4k
Current assets£459.2k£473.0k
Cash£454.7k£467.6k
Net assets£579.7k£565.3k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 signals 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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-06-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-08-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-06-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-05-06
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  7. 2022-03-25
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AAMD
  8. 2022-03-22
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  9. 2022-03-21
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2021-11-29
    ➖
    BARNES, Rachael Jane resigned
    secretary
  11. 2021-07-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-09-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-08-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-06-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-03-30
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  17. 2016-10-25
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  18. 2016-10-25
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  19. 2016-07-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  20. 2006-03-31
    ➖
    BARNES, Rachael Jane resigned
    director
  21. 2004-01-01
    ➕
    BARNES, Rachael Jane appointed
    secretary
  22. 2004-01-01
    ➖
    TELFER, Amanda Joan resigned
    secretary
  23. 2004-01-01
    ➕
    BARNES, Rachael Jane appointed
    director
  24. 2003-08-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A J BARNES PLUMBING & HEATING LIMITED
  25. 2003-08-15
    ➕
    BARNES, Andrew John appointed
    director
  26. 2003-08-15
    ➕
    TELFER, Amanda Joan appointed
    secretary
  27. 2003-08-15
    ➕
    SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2003-08-15
    ➖
    SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2003-08-15
    ➕
    CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2003-08-15
    ➖
    CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BARNES" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Andrew John Barnes
Individual · British · DOB 12/1961 · age 65
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mrs Rachel Jane Barnesceased 25/08/2020· 25-50% shares

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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———————
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2003-08-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC43220 — Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation

Registered office

Unit 5 6 Darklake View
Estover
Plymouth
PL6 7FB
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-08-31
Last made up to: 2025-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last: 2025-08-15

Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)

BARNES, Andrew John→
director · ~65y · appointed 2003-08-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARNES, Rachael Jane→
secretary · appointed 2004-01-01 · resigned 2021-11-29
Resigned
TELFER, Amanda Joan→
secretary · appointed 2003-08-15 · resigned 2004-01-01
Resigned
SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-08-15 · resigned 2003-08-15
Resigned
BARNES, Rachael Jane→
director · ~54y · appointed 2004-01-01 · resigned 2006-03-31
Resigned
CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-08-15 · resigned 2003-08-15
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge—22/07/201625/10/2016

Recent filings (70 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-08
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-05-06
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2022-03-25
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2022-03-22
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-03-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-07-23