How long does it take to sell a business in the UK?

If you are thinking about selling your business, you will want to know how long it will take. The honest answer is that it depends on how ready the business is, who buys it and what turns up along the way, but there are well-established ranges you can plan around.

This guide sets out the typical timeline, how long each stage tends to take, and what slows a sale down or speeds it up. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For what actually happens at each step, read our guide to the M&A process explained.

The short answer: six to twelve months

Several UK advisers publish the same broad range. BTG Eddisons Business Sales says most UK businesses take between six and twelve months to sell from initial instruction to completion, with some transactions completing in as little as three months and complex corporate sales extending beyond eighteen months.

CapEQ says most business sales complete within six to twelve months of formally engaging an adviser, that well-prepared businesses at the simpler end of the market can transact in as little as four months, and that complex deals have been known to run to twelve to eighteen months or beyond. Mergers.co.uk describes six to twelve months, from the start of preparation to money in the bank, as a reasonable planning assumption for many owner-managed sales, and stresses that it is not a promise.

Treat these figures as a planning range, not a target.

The stages and how long each takes

Every adviser divides the process slightly differently, and the stages overlap. The table below brings together published ranges from three UK advisers.

Preparation

Preparation covers tidying up the accounts and management information, gathering contracts and records, getting a valuation and producing the information buyers will see. Mergers.co.uk calls this the work that determines how the rest of the process goes. Our checklist for preparing a business for sale sets out what to gather.

Finding and approaching buyers

Buyers are usually approached selectively and confidentially, and detailed information is shared only after a non-disclosure agreement is signed. Our guide to confidentiality in business sales explains how to do this without the market finding out.

Offers and heads of terms

Once interested buyers have met you, they make offers. These are not binding and can be structured very differently, so they need comparing on structure as well as headline price. The chosen buyer and you then agree heads of terms, which record the main commercial terms and usually start a period of exclusivity. CapEQ says getting to signed heads typically takes four to eight weeks.

Due diligence

Due diligence is where the buyer tests what you have told them. ETSC describes it as covering financial, legal and commercial checks, and says it typically takes six to twelve weeks. CapEQ calls it the longest, most demanding and most unpredictable stage, and says every gap in your documents generates a question and every question adds time. Our guide to what to expect in due diligence covers it in detail.

Legal documents and completion

The sale agreement, disclosure letter and other documents are negotiated by solicitors, largely alongside due diligence. Law firm Harper James says a typical straightforward share or asset deal will usually take a minimum of six to eight weeks from agreeing heads of terms, and a typical transaction eight to twelve weeks. Completion may happen on the same day as signing, or later if conditions still need to be met.

What slows a sale down

The same causes come up again and again in published guidance:

• Accounts and records that are not ready. BTG Eddisons says well-prepared businesses with organised financial records, resolved legal issues and clear procedures sell considerably faster. ETSC says businesses that go to market without preparation frequently take longer or receive no offers.
• An unrealistic price. BTG Eddisons notes that overpriced businesses often end up selling for less than they might have achieved with an accurate asking price.
• Complexity. Multiple sites, complex ownership, property, international operations or technology and intellectual property all tend to extend due diligence, according to BTG Eddisons and CapEQ.
• Consents and licences. Harper James lists pre-sale restructuring, employment issues such as TUPE consultations, cross-border elements and third-party consents as reasons a deal can take a lot longer. Some sectors add their own steps. For example, a haulage operator's licence cannot be transferred, so in an asset sale the buyer needs its own, and GOV.UK advises applying at least nine weeks before it is needed. Our guide to the operator's licence when you sell explains this.
• Buyer funding and market conditions. BTG Eddisons says restricted lending and economic uncertainty can lengthen the process as buyers become more cautious.
• Trading dipping during the sale. BTG Eddisons warns that a dip in performance during the process can trigger price renegotiation or cause buyers to withdraw.

What speeds a sale up

Most of what shortens a sale happens before you go to market:

• Prepare first. Have recent accounts, management information, contracts and staff records ready from day one. BTG Eddisons says this can cut several months from the timeline.
• Set up a data room early. CapEQ says a well-prepared data room, meaning a secure, organised store of the business's documents, materially reduces the due diligence stage.
• Price realistically. A professional valuation helps you start from a figure that serious buyers will engage with. Our valuations page explains how we approach this.
• Keep running the business well. Strong recent trading protects both the timetable and the price.

Should you try to sell quickly?

A faster sale is not always a better one. A short process can leave you with fewer buyers to compare, and once you sign heads of terms and grant exclusivity, you usually cannot talk to other buyers for a set period. ETSC notes that due diligence is the most common point at which buyers try to reduce the agreed price, and that sellers who have done their own financial analysis beforehand are far better placed to defend it.

Planning backwards from your exit date

Because the sale itself often takes six to twelve months, the total lead time from deciding to sell to completion can be much longer once preparation is added. BTG Eddisons says the owners who achieve the strongest outcomes typically begin planning two to five years in advance. Our guide to exit planning strategies covers longer-term preparation, and our article on the right time to sell looks at timing from a market point of view.

Tax timing is worth raising with your accountant early, because some reliefs depend on conditions being met for a period before the sale. For example, GOV.UK says that to qualify for Business Asset Disposal Relief on a share sale, conditions such as being an employee or office holder and holding at least 5% of the shares and voting rights must apply for at least two years up to the date you sell. It also says the rate is 18% on qualifying gains from 6 April 2026. Questions to ask your accountant include:

• Do I currently meet the conditions for any relief, and for how long have I met them?
• Would selling before or after a particular date change the tax I pay?
• Does the structure of the deal, such as deferred payments or an earn-out, affect when tax is due?

To see what you might take home after costs and tax, try our net proceeds calculator. Any figure it gives is an indicative estimate, not advice.

FAQs

Talk to us in confidence

If you are planning a sale and want a realistic timetable for your business, our sell-side M&A team can talk through your options in confidence, with no obligation. Contact us to arrange a conversation.

Disclaimer: This guide is general information for UK business owners and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Timelines vary with every business and deal, and tax rules change, so take advice from a solicitor and an accountant before acting. See our full disclaimer.

Written by Charlie Norton, VAMOS.

Sources

1. BTG Eddisons Business Sales, How long does it take to sell a business in the UK?: https://www.eddisonsbusinesssales.com/insights/how-long-does-it-take-to-sell-a-business-in-the-uk (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
2. BTG Eddisons Business Sales, Business succession planning: how to prepare for a sale years in advance: https://www.eddisonsbusinesssales.com/insights/business-succession-planning-how-to-prepare-for-a-sale-years-in-advance (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
3. CapEQ, How long does it take to sell a business?: https://capeq.com/insights/how-long-does-it-take-to-sell-a-business (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
4. Mergers.co.uk, How long does it take to sell a business?: https://mergers.co.uk/how-long-does-it-take-to-sell-a-business (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
5. ETSC Company Sales, Selling a business FAQ: https://www.etsc.co.uk/selling-a-business-faq (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
6. Harper James, Mastering mergers and acquisition: a seven step guide: https://harperjames.co.uk/article/the-merger-and-acquisition-process/ (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
7. GOV.UK, Business Asset Disposal Relief: eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/business-asset-disposal-relief/eligibility (accessed 23 Oct 2026)
8. GOV.UK, Goods vehicle operator licensing guide: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-vehicle-operator-licensing-guide (accessed 23 Oct 2026)