How long does it take to sell a facilities management business?

The typical timeline from initial conversation to completion is 6 to 9 months. The early stages are valuation and buyer approaches, with the remainder spent on meetings, offers, due diligence, and legal completion. Every sale is different, and we never rush the process.

What happens to my TUPE staff when the business is sold?

If you sell the company's shares, the company stays the employer, so nobody transfers and everyone's terms carry on unchanged. If you sell the trade and assets, TUPE (the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) moves your staff to the new owner on their existing terms. Most buyers actively want to retain your operational team because the TUPE workforce is one of the most valuable assets in a facilities management business.

Does an initial conversation commit me to anything?

No. The first conversation is free, and it is a sensible way to understand what your business might be worth before you decide anything.

Do I need to prepare my business before speaking to you?

No preparation is needed for the first conversation. We want to understand your situation, your business, and your timeline. If you decide to proceed, we will guide you through what buyers typically want to see, including three years of accounts, contract lists, ISO and accreditation certificates, TUPE workforce records, and employee details.

How selling your facilities management business works.

Q: Will my staff find out I am considering a sale?

Not unless you choose to tell them. Confidentiality is the foundation of our process. We use anonymised teasers when approaching buyers, and no information about your business is shared until you have reviewed and approved each step. Your TUPE workforce, office staff, and contract holders will not know you are considering a sale.

A structured, confidential process designed to protect your business and maximise your outcome.

From first conversation to completion.

Every sale follows the same structured process. No surprises, no ambiguity, and complete confidentiality at every stage.

First Conversation

Everything starts with a free first conversation. We want to understand your situation: why you are considering a sale, your timeline, any concerns, even if you are only exploring your options.

Professional business meeting in a modern office setting

Understanding Your Business

We take a detailed look at your operation: your contract book, your workforce and how TUPE, the rules that move staff across on their existing terms when a contract changes hands, applies to it, accreditation portfolio (IWFM, ISO, SafeContractor, CHAS), the split between hard FM and soft FM, sector diversification, and financial performance. This helps us understand what makes your business valuable and how to position it to buyers.

Facilities management operations manager reviewing a client contract

Your Valuation

Based on our analysis, we provide a realistic valuation range. We explain the methodology and the factors driving the number. You then decide whether to proceed.

Finding the Right Buyers

We approach suitable buyers: platforms backed by private equity (investment firms that buy companies to grow and sell on) building multi-service FM portfolios, national facilities management groups expanding geographically or into new sectors, and FM firms looking for specific capability or contracts. Putting the business in front of several suitable buyers at once is what produces more than one offer, so they compete.

Completion and Beyond

We manage negotiations, due diligence (the buyer's detailed check of your business), and legal coordination through to completion. Most owners stay on for a handover period. Your workforce is protected either way: if the buyer buys your company's shares their employer does not change, and if it buys the business's assets TUPE moves them across on their existing terms. Your contract holders experience minimal disruption.

Typical Timeline

Week 1-2: Initial conversation and information gathering

Week 3-4: Valuation and positioning

Month 2-3: Buyer approaches and interest

Month 3-5: Meetings and offers

Month 5-9: Due diligence and completion

The steps above cover the sale itself. If yours is a few years away, the groundwork comes first, from contract length to TUPE-ready records, and the Reads Pre-Sale Programme helps you with it: see what happens at each stage.

Your privacy is protected at every stage.

Throughout the entire process, confidentiality is absolute. We use anonymised teasers, short summaries that do not name your business, when approaching buyers. No information about your business is shared until you have reviewed and approved each step. Your staff, clients, and competitors will not know you are considering a sale unless you choose to tell them.

A clear, structured process.

Free First Conversation

Start with a free first conversation with Simon or Emily, in confidence. For a written, indicative view of value and what to fix first, the Business Value & Exit Snapshot is the paid next step. Buying preparation does not commit you to selling, or to selling through Reads.

Qualified Buyer Matching

Our buyer register is open to PE-backed FM platforms, national multi-service providers, and FM operators looking to acquire, all specifically seeking facilities management businesses. We put your business in front of several suitable buyers at once, so they compete.

Managed Sale Process

From initial valuation through to completion, we manage every stage. Confidentiality agreements (NDAs), buyer meetings, negotiations, due diligence, when the buyer checks your business in detail, and legal coordination. You focus on running your business while we handle the sale.

Start with a free first conversation.

Tell us about your business and we will be in touch within two working days.

Thank you for getting in touch.

We have received your enquiry and will be in contact within two working days. Everything you have shared is treated in the strictest confidence.