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What Really Happens on Completion Day When Selling Your Day Nursery?
After months of planning, preparation, negotiation, and due diligence, completion day marks the moment your nursery officially changes hands. While many sellers imagine it will be a day of excitement and instant relief, the reality is often a little more understated — and, at times, slower than expected.
Understanding the steps involved on completion day can help manage expectations and ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. Whether you’re selling a freehold nursery or assigning a leasehold, it’s important to be aware of what happens behind the scenes and how to prepare for your final responsibilities as the seller.
The Final Milestone in Selling Your Day Nursery
Completion day is the culmination of a complex process involving multiple professionals — solicitors, accountants, agents, lenders, and sometimes regulatory bodies like Ofsted. By this point, your buyer has likely conducted full due diligence, negotiated the heads of terms, reviewed financial data, assessed property tenure, and agreed on your day nursery’s valuation, including factors such as fixed assets, freehold commercial value, and goodwill nursery valuation.
But on the day itself, things can feel deceptively quiet for the seller.
What Actually Happens on Completion Day?
1. Signing Legal Documentation
The first major task is the formal signing and circulation of all final legal documentation. This includes:
- Sale and purchase agreements
- Lease assignments (if applicable)
- Disclosure letters
- Regulatory documentation, including Ofsted notifications
- Any necessary Confidentiality Agreements or transition support agreements
Each party’s solicitor coordinates the process, ensuring all documents are completed and shared.
2. Bank and Solicitor Coordination
If bank funding is involved, there may be a wait for the formal RICS Valuation (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) to be confirmed. Then, the lender releases funds to the buyer’s solicitor, who checks all documents are in place before transferring the funds onward to the seller’s solicitor.
This stage can feel slow — especially with modern banking systems — but careful checks are essential to ensure compliance and accuracy, particularly where loan redemptions or final payments on fixed liabilities are involved.
3. Funds Transfer
Once the buyer’s solicitor confirms everything is in order, they release the purchase funds to the seller’s solicitor. The seller’s solicitor may then:
- Pay off any outstanding business loans or legal charges
- Allocate funds according to instructions
- Transfer the balance to the seller’s personal or business account
It’s not unusual for the seller to receive the full funds a day later, depending on cut-off times. But the transaction is still considered complete — the legal title has transferred, even if the money hits your account slightly after hours.
Final Steps on Site (and a Toast to the Future)
If completion happens early in the day, you may visit the setting alongside the buyer. This could include:
- Brief introductions to staff or parents
- A walkthrough of the setting (pointing out operational details)
- Providing keys, passwords, or security codes
Even at this late stage, a strong transition helps support staff morale and reassures families. Many sellers choose to stay involved briefly during the transition period before fully stepping away.
And then — the celebration. Champagne is optional, but well deserved. You are no longer a business owner. Your business for sale is now a successfully closed deal.
Beyond Completion: What Comes Next?
While completion day is a major milestone, a few remaining steps often follow. These may include:
- Preparing completion statements with your accountant
- Finalising financial records
- Ensuring all regulatory notifications are submitted (e.g. Ofsted, HMRC)
- Wrapping up any outstanding pre-sale improvements
- Providing limited transition support, if agreed in the Letter of Intent (LOI)
We explore these steps in more detail in our Post-Completion Guide, but in short — you’re nearly there.
Key Takeaways for Completion Day
- Be patient: Much of the activity is in the hands of solicitors and lenders
- Stay available: Keep your phone on in case signatures or confirmations are needed
- Trust your advisors: Your expert advisors are working hard to finalise everything
- Prepare for delays: Don’t be alarmed if final payments arrive the next business day
The best thing you can do is remain calm, responsive, and ready to celebrate once the formalities are done.
Ready to Sell Your Day Nursery?
If you’re preparing to sell your day nursery, ensure you’re supported by professional advisors who understand every step — from benchmarking, marketing materials, and occupancy rates to property tenure and net profit multiples. Whether you’re navigating legal documentation, choosing between flat-fee vs commission services, or managing your pipeline and acquisition strategy, expert support makes all the difference.
Looking to learn more? Get in touch for guidance on:
- Expert valuation and pricing strategies
- Preparing for due diligence
- Managing transition support professionally
- Crafting high-quality confidential listings and buyer qualification processes
Contact us today to begin your journey toward a successful, stress-free sale — and to enjoy that well-earned glass of champagne on your own completion day.
