In brief
- Many vet practices for sale are marketed privately through specialist agents or sold to vets already working there, so let your network know what you are looking for.
- Most of the price is usually goodwill, so lenders look at client numbers, the mix of companion animal, equine and farm work, pet health plan income and how much depends on the selling vet.
- The RCVS says that when the owner of practice premises changes, the previous owner removes their practice account and the new owner registers the practice again under their ownership.
- The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme is a voluntary accreditation. Whether a practice holds it can still matter to a buyer and a lender.
- Purchases usually combine a term loan for goodwill with equipment, premises and working capital finance, and lining up finance before you offer makes your offer more credible.
How do you buy a vet practice in the UK?
To buy a vet practice in the UK, you find a practice, line up finance, agree heads of terms with the seller, complete due diligence with veterinary advisers, re-register the premises with the RCVS in your own name and complete the legal work. Professional Practice Loans, a specialist whole-of-market broker for professional practices, arranges the acquisition finance with lenders who understand veterinary income.
- Decide what you want to own. Companion animal, mixed, equine or farm work; one site or several branches; a whole practice, or a share of the practice you already work in through partner buy-in finance.
- Find the practice. Register with specialist veterinary sales agents, watch the veterinary press and tell accountants and solicitors with veterinary clients what you are looking for. The next section explains where vet practices for sale are found.
- Get an early view on finance. Before you offer, find out what lenders are likely to support given your experience, your own contribution and the practice’s figures. Instant Quotes shows indicative options without a credit search.
- Agree heads of terms. Price, what is included (goodwill, equipment, drug stock and any freehold), any deferred consideration and how long the seller stays for the handover.
- Instruct advisers and run due diligence. A solicitor and an accountant with veterinary experience test the accounts, the mix of work, client numbers, staff contracts, the lease and any finance outstanding on equipment.
- Apply for finance. Lenders usually want the practice accounts, the valuation, your CV, a personal financial statement and forecasts. Our guide to what lenders look for in a practice finance application sets out the pack.
- Register with the RCVS. The RCVS guidance on registering a practice says the seller removes their practice account and the new owner registers the premises again, receiving a new registration number.
- Complete. Staff usually transfer on their existing terms under TUPE, the lender releases funds once its conditions are met, and the practice is yours.
It suits assistant vets ready to own, partners buying out a retiring principal and owners adding a branch. What to watch: how much of the income depends on the selling vet, the cost of out-of-hours cover, the age of imaging, laboratory and theatre equipment, and the remaining lease term. Independent buyers often compete with veterinary groups, and a seller weighing offers looks at how certain each buyer is to complete, not only the price.
Most purchases combine a term loan for the goodwill through practice acquisition finance with equipment finance, premises finance where the freehold is included and working capital for drug stock. See veterinary practice loans for everything we arrange for vets.
Veterinary practices for sale: where to find them
If you are looking at veterinary practices for sale, it helps to know that not every practice is advertised widely. Independent practices are often sold confidentially, and some change hands privately, often to an assistant vet or partner already working there. Buyers in the UK usually find a vet practice for sale through a mix of channels:
- Specialist veterinary practice sales agents: firms that value and market practices for sellers and keep registers of buyers. Expect to sign a confidentiality agreement before you see the practice’s name or figures.
- The veterinary press: veterinary publications and their websites carry practice for sale adverts.
- Accountants and solicitors with veterinary clients: they often hear early when a principal is planning to retire or sell.
- Your own practice: the practice you work in may be the best opportunity, either as a full purchase or a buy-in.
Independent buyers often compete with veterinary groups for good practices, so being ready to move matters. Lenders that fund veterinary purchases work across the UK, and the finance process is broadly the same wherever the practice is.
How to judge a vet practice for sale
Look past the headline price and ask for the information a lender will also want:
- The mix of work: companion animal, equine and farm work, and how each has moved over recent years.
- Clients: active client numbers, pet health plan membership and income, and how loyal the client base is.
- Who does the work: how much of the income comes from the selling vet personally, how many vets and nurses there are, and who is expected to stay.
- Out-of-hours: how out-of-hours cover is provided and what it costs.
- Branches and equipment: the number of sites, the age of the imaging, laboratory and theatre equipment, and any finance outstanding on it.
- Accreditation: whether the practice is in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, and at what level.
- The premises: freehold or lease, the remaining term, the rent and whether the landlord’s consent is needed.
- The basis of the price: how the asking price was arrived at, whether it is an asset or a share sale, and whether any of the price is deferred.
Valuing a veterinary practice
A veterinary practice valuation is usually prepared by a specialist valuer or agent. Most of the price is normally goodwill: the value of the client base, the income it generates and the practice’s reputation. Equipment, drug stock and, where included, the freehold are valued separately.
Valuers look at sustainable profits, the mix of work, client numbers and trends, the team, the premises and how much of the income depends on the seller. The buyer’s lender will make its own assessment of how the goodwill will hold up under new ownership and how much of the price it will fund. See goodwill finance.
RCVS premises registration on a change of owner
The RCVS says that if a veterinary practice supplies or stores medicines, it is legally required to be registered, and the RCVS keeps that register on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Its guidance on registering a practice says that re-registration is needed if the owner, management or operational running of the practice premises is changing.
- The seller removes their practice account from the register by completing a removal form.
- The buyer registers the practice again under their ownership by completing an application form, and receives a new account and registration number for the premises.
- Moving premises: registration cannot be transferred between locations, and if you are in the Practice Standards Scheme your accreditation does not transfer to a new location.
The Practice Standards Scheme is a voluntary accreditation. The RCVS says practices in the scheme are not inspected by the VMD; compliance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations is assessed during the PSS inspection instead. Build the registration steps into your timetable, because lenders usually want them in hand before completion.
Staff and TUPE
When a business changes owner, GOV.UK’s guidance on business transfers, takeovers and TUPE explains that employees may be protected: their terms and conditions transfer to the new owner and their continuity of employment is maintained. For the buyer and the lender, the team matters because it supports client retention, so expect to review contracts, notice periods and who is expected to stay.
How vet practice purchases are usually funded
Most purchases combine several types of finance:
- A term loan for the goodwill, repaid from the practice’s profits. See practice acquisition finance.
- Equipment finance for imaging, laboratory, theatre and monitoring equipment. See equipment finance.
- Property lending where the freehold is included, through practice premises finance.
- Working capital for drug stock and the first months under new ownership.
- Deferred consideration, where the seller agrees to receive part of the price after completion.
Most lenders expect the buyer to contribute some of their own money, and a stronger case can reduce what is required. Lenders look at the practice’s accounts, the mix of work, the clinical team, the premises and your own clinical and management experience.
Buying into a vet practice instead
Not every vet buys a whole practice. Buying a share of the practice you work in, as a partner or shareholder, can be a lower-cost route to ownership. Lenders look at the practice’s accounts, your expected share of profits and how the price was calculated. See partner buy-in finance and our partner capital loans guide.
Line up the finance before you offer
A seller choosing between buyers is likely to look at how certain each one is to complete, not just the price. Talk to us before you offer and we will search the market for lenders that fund veterinary acquisitions, so you know what is likely to be supported for that practice given your experience, your contribution and the practice’s figures. Have your CV, a personal financial statement and evidence of where your contribution comes from ready.
An early indication is not a formal offer of finance, which follows a full application and the lender’s own assessment. Our guide to buying a professional practice covers every cost you need to fund.
How we can help
We arrange finance for veterinary practice purchases, buy-ins, equipment and premises. We search the market across the whole of the market, with access to 300+ lenders including specialist professions lenders, high-street and challenger banks, and present each case to the lenders most likely to suit it. Finance is subject to status, lender criteria and approval.
See veterinary practice loans, read how it works, or get instant quotes.
Common questions
How do I buy a vet practice in the UK?
Find a practice through specialist agents or your network, get an early view on finance, agree heads of terms, run due diligence with veterinary advisers, apply for finance, re-register the premises with the RCVS under your ownership and complete. Professional Practice Loans, a specialist whole-of-market broker, arranges the purchase finance. See veterinary practice loans or get instant quotes.
Where can I find vet practices for sale in the UK?
Most vet practices for sale are marketed through specialist veterinary practice sales agents and adverts in the veterinary press. Others are sold privately, often to a vet already working in the practice, so let your accountant, solicitor and network know what you are looking for.
Do I need to register the practice with the RCVS when I buy it?
Yes, where the practice supplies or stores medicines. The RCVS says that when the owner changes, the previous owner removes their practice account and the new owner registers the practice again under their ownership. See the RCVS guidance on registering a practice.
How is a veterinary practice valued?
Usually by a specialist valuer or agent, who looks at sustainable profits, the mix of companion animal, equine and farm work, client numbers, the team, the premises and how much depends on the selling vet. Most of the price is normally goodwill, and the buyer’s lender will make its own assessment of it.
Can I get a loan to buy a vet practice?
Yes. Purchases are commonly funded with a term loan for the goodwill, alongside equipment, premises and working capital finance. We search the market for lenders that fund veterinary practice purchases. See veterinary practice loans.
Does the Practice Standards Scheme accreditation transfer when a practice is sold?
The RCVS says accreditation does not transfer to a new location. For a change of owner at the same premises, ask the RCVS and the seller how accreditation will be handled. The scheme is voluntary, but whether a practice holds it can matter to buyers and lenders.
Official sources
This guide is for general information only and should not be treated as legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Funding availability and lender requirements depend on individual circumstances.
