"And then, on deregistration, you will need to account for VAT on the value of any retained assets, so there is no money to be made that way."

A business must pay output tax on any standard rated stock and assets it owns at the time of deregistration. The relevant figure is the market value of the asset, so the calculations take into account wear and tear, obsolescence and damage to the items in question. However, the good news is that a lot of items can be omitted. And output tax is only payable if the total market value of the items that remain is more than £5,000 (i.e. VAT payable exceeds £1,000). Here are the basic rules:
•Stock and assets are excluded if no input tax was claimed when they were purchased e.g. a computer bought from a friend or supplier who was not VAT registered.
•Output tax is declared on the final VAT return on all relevant stock and assets if the £5,000 limit is exceeded.

So, provided that the market value of your equipment does not exceed £5,000, there will be no output tax to pay on deregistration. However should the value be determined at say £5020 - then VAT will be payable on that amount.