ACER LETTINGS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
08883530 · ltd · incorporated 2014-02-10
Investment thesis
Property vehicle with leveraged stack — refinance / partial-release angle.
Why interesting: Asset-backed; value largely in underlying property; lender engagement likely possible.
Why risky: Multiple lenders to manage; inter-creditor friction and partial-release cost possible.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Sector: Real estate
Investor take
Pursue
Property-backed borrower with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

12 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 9.0y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 9.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (73/100)

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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
12 charges (12/12 with lender, 12/12 with type)
90
Directors & officers
3 officers (2 active, 3 linked, 3 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
44 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
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
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-02-28
Average employees0

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
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-09
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AAMD
  2. 2025-11-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-04-09
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  4. 2025-04-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #12
    Lender: Aldermore Bank PLC
  5. 2024-11-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-10-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-11-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-08-10
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  9. 2022-08-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: Paragon Bank PLC
  10. 2021-09-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-02-08
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  12. 2021-02-08
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2021-02-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #9
  14. 2021-02-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  15. 2021-02-05
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  16. 2021-02-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Redwood Bank Limited
  17. 2020-10-08
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  18. 2020-10-05
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  19. 2020-10-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Ultimate Bridging Finance Limited
  20. 2020-09-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Ultimate Bridging Finance Limited
  21. 2020-08-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2020-03-15
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  23. 2020-03-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
  24. 2020-03-07
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  25. 2020-03-07
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  26. 2020-03-07
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  27. 2020-03-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
  28. 2020-03-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
  29. 2020-03-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
  30. 2020-01-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
  31. 2017-07-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Paragon Bank PLC
  32. 2017-07-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Paragon Bank PLC
  33. 2014-02-10
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACER LETTINGS LIMITED
  34. 2014-02-10
    ➕
    HOULTON, Anne Elizabeth appointed
    director
  35. 2014-02-10
    ➕
    HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr appointed
    director
  36. 2014-02-10
    ➕
    HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr appointed
    director
  37. 2014-02-10
    ➖
    HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr resigned
    director

Owner dependency

81/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

69/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 12 years.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med · 1 low
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

10 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Dr Stephen Christopher Houlton
Individual · British · DOB 11/1961 · age 65
25–50%
—25-50% shares08/02/2017
Mrs Anne Elizabeth Houlton
Individual · British · DOB 08/1960 · age 66
25–50%
—25-50% shares08/02/2017

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 →

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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
Incorporated2014-02-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC68209 — Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate

Registered office

69a Hardy Barn
Shipley
Heanor
Derbyshire
DE75 7LY
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-22
Last: 2026-02-08

Officers (2 active · 1 resigned)

HOULTON, Anne Elizabeth→
director · ~66y · appointed 2014-02-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr→
director · ~65y · appointed 2014-02-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr→
director · ~65y · appointed 2014-02-10 · resigned 2014-02-10
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

12
Total charges
10
Outstanding
4
Active lenders
Status:Lender:12 of 12 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Aldermore
Aldermore Bank PLC
A registered charge4 properties09/04/2025—
outstanding
Paragon
Paragon Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property10/08/2022—
outstanding
Redwood Bank
Redwood Bank Limited
A registered charge1 property01/02/2021—
satisfied
Ultimate Bridging Finance
Ultimate Bridging Finance Limited
A registered charge1 property02/10/202008/02/2021
satisfied
Ultimate Bridging Finance
Ultimate Bridging Finance Limited
A registered charge—30/09/202008/02/2021
outstanding
Precise Mortgages
Charter Court Financial Services Limited
A registered charge1 property11/03/2020—
outstanding
Precise Mortgages
Charter Court Financial Services Limited
A registered charge1 property04/03/2020—
outstanding
Precise Mortgages
Charter Court Financial Services Limited
A registered charge1 property04/03/2020—
outstanding
Precise Mortgages
Charter Court Financial Services Limited
A registered charge1 property04/03/2020—
outstanding
Precise Mortgages
Charter Court Financial Services Limited
A registered charge1 property10/01/2020—
outstanding
Paragon
Paragon Bank PLC / Paragon Mortgages (2010) Limited
A registered charge—18/07/2017—
outstanding
Paragon
Paragon Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property18/07/2017—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (44 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-23
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2026-01-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-25
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-28
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-08-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-15
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2021-02-08