Used van values bounced back above the £8,000 mark in August as stronger buyer demand helped push average prices up by more than £400, according to BCA.
The average used light commercial vehicle sold by BCA achieved £8,358 during the month, an increase of £424, or 5.3%, compared with July.
It represents a sharp turnaround from July, when average values dropped 2.3% to £7,934 – the first time they had fallen below £8,000 since August 2025.
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BCA said the used LCV market bucked some of the seasonal pressures seen elsewhere in the used vehicle sector during August, with buyer numbers climbing to their highest level since April.
Performance against price guide expectations also improved by 1.9% to 103.4%, the strongest result since March.
Used LCV values were £466, or 5.9%, higher than in August last year, while the number of vehicles sold increased by 4.2% year-on-year.
Across the first eight months of 2026, used LCVs sold by BCA have averaged £8,294, compared with £7,974 over the same period in 2025. That represents an increase of £320, or 4.0%.
More than 7,700 individual buyers have purchased LCVs from BCA this year.
Stuart Pearson, BCA COO UK, said August had delivered “a welcome dose of positivity” to the used LCV market, with demand and sale conversion among the strongest seen since the spring.
“Buyer activity markedly improved in August and it felt like the wider LCV market was much better balanced than it had been over the previous weeks,” he said.
However, Pearson warned that buyers remained cautious about vans in poorer cosmetic or mechanical condition, while an oversupply of some models continued to put pressure on prices.
By contrast, well-presented stock was attracting strong competition and bidding, which BCA said suggested professional buyers were becoming more confident about retail demand.
"As always, when vehicles are priced accurately to reflect market dynamics, then sold volumes rise and sale conversions improve, which is good for buyers and sellers alike."
BCA said the stronger demand had continued into the opening days of September, raising the prospect of further strengthening in the used LCV market as the industry heads into autumn.
