What it costs to buy an existing franchise in Australia

Existing franchises are listed from about $58,000 for a mowing round to $850,000 for a Brisbane fitness franchise, with most food and fitness stores asking $130,000 to $500,000. The price follows the years left on the franchise agreement and lease, plus fit-out and stock, not the brand's entry fee for a new licence.

A resale franchise is priced on what the store earns and how long you get to keep earning it, not on the fee a new franchisee would pay. That is why a Boost Juice kiosk with under four years left asks $190,000 while a Brisbane convenience franchise with sales of $42,000 a week asks $500,000 plus stock. The remaining agreement term, the lease, the fit-out and the franchisor's consent move the price and decide whether a lender will fund it. This guide sets out what 12 live listings ask, what the price covers, the franchisor approval process under the Franchising Code, the checks to run, and how the purchase is funded.

What existing franchises sell for

The franchise brand you read about on a franchisor's own site is the price of a new licence. A resale is a different product: you pay an existing owner for a trading store, the fit-out in it and the years left on its agreement. Our franchise costs guide covers the new-entry fees by brand, and we do not repeat that table here. For the equivalent independent business, see buying a cafe.

Bsale's franchise category shows 1,660 franchise businesses for sale with an average asking price of $355,426, and its separate Franchise Re-Sale category held 91 listings on 28 October 2026. The table samples 12 of them across five states and territories. Figures are the vendor's, indicative market data and not Ventas offers. SAV means stock at valuation, paid on top of the price. Bsale marks the key features on each listing as AI-generated and tells buyers to confirm them with the seller.

Four patterns stand out. First, price tracks the cost of the site and the system, not just profit: the two food kiosks and shopping centre stores (Boost, Muffin Break) ask $139,000 to $190,000, while a Brisbane convenience store with $42,000 a week of sales asks $500,000 plus stock. Second, vendors publish profit rarely. Only the Sushi Izu listing gives an owner earnings estimate, and it is the vendor's estimate for an owner working 30 to 35 hours a week. Third, mobile and home-based franchises are cheap because there is no site: Gutter Knight asks $80,000 against $232,000 of turnover, and Jim's Mowing asks $58,190 plus equipment against $88,050 of estimated income. Fourth, the BFT listing contradicts itself on turnover ($700,000 plus in one place, over $785,000 in another) and gives no profit figure at $850,000, which is the kind of listing to question before anything else.

Where the listing shows both price and turnover, asking price runs at about 0.2 to 0.34 times annual turnover for the food and mobile businesses: Red Rooster 0.20, Sushi Izu 0.23, NightOwl 0.23 (turnover of $42,000 a week times 52), Muffin Break 0.25 and Gutter Knight 0.34 (our arithmetic, before SAV and GST). Jim's Mowing is higher at 0.66, and Sushi Izu's price is 0.8 to 1.0 times the owner earnings the vendor claims (our arithmetic). Treat these as questions to ask, not a price list.

What the price covers

The asking price is rarely one thing. A resale contract splits it into goodwill, plant and equipment, and stock, and the split matters for tax and for what a lender will fund against.

The key point is the clock. A new franchisee buys a full term. A resale buyer inherits whatever is left. The Boost Juice Busselton listing states its lease and franchise agreement run to July 2030, so a buyer today gets about 3 years and 9 months (our arithmetic) unless the franchisor offers a renewal. Gutter Knight's agreement is 2.5 years with options to renew for five-year periods, and a renewal option belongs to the franchisee and may need the franchisor's agreement. NightOwl's agreement runs to 2031. Pay for the years you will actually trade.

Franchisor approval and transfer costs

You cannot simply buy a franchise. The franchisor has to consent to the transfer, and the Franchising Code of Conduct sets the minimum process. The Code sits in the Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes, Franchising) Regulations 2024, as compiled on 21 October 2025.

• Request in writing. Section 48 lets a person ask the franchisor in writing to consent to a transfer, with the information the franchisor would reasonably need. The franchisor can ask for more.
• Documents first. Under section 24, where the transfer does not involve a new agreement, the franchisor must give the buyer a copy of the existing franchise agreement and any other documents the buyer must sign. It must not consent until 14 days after the buyer receives them. The buyer can opt out of certain disclosure documents in writing.
• Franchisor answers in writing. Section 49 says the franchisor must not unreasonably withhold consent and must give reasons if it refuses. If it does not refuse in writing within 42 days of the request, or of the last information provided if it asked for more, consent is taken to be given. It can revoke consent within 14 days, but not unreasonably.
• Reasonable grounds to refuse. The Code lists a buyer unlikely to meet the financial obligations, a buyer who fails the franchisor's selection criteria, a buyer who will not agree in writing to the agreement's obligations, and a seller who owes the franchisor money or has an unremedied breach.
• Cooling off. Under sections 52 and 53, a buyer of a transferred agreement can give written notice and walk away until the earlier of 14 days after becoming the franchisee or the day they take possession and control. The franchisor must repay what the buyer paid it within 14 days, less reasonable expenses set out in the agreement.

The Code does not set a transfer fee. Each franchise agreement sets its own, and a law firm explainer describes it as a flat fee or a percentage of the sale price that covers assessing the buyer, with training and document costs on top. None of the 12 listings states an amount. Ongoing fees are the other half of the number. The Busselton Boost Juice listing states royalties of 8 per cent of gross and marketing fees of 3 per cent of gross, which is 11 per cent of every dollar of sales before rent and wages. Buyers can also be asked for a refurbishment at transfer. The Code limits significant capital expenditure during the term to items disclosed in the disclosure document, approved by a majority of franchisees, required by law, or agreed by the franchisee (section 60), so ask what has been disclosed and what falls due.

Checks before you sign

Before paying a deposit, run the same checks a lender will run.

Take the franchise agreement and lease to a solicitor who works in franchising, and the financials to an accountant. Stamp duty, GST treatment and how the price is split between goodwill, plant and stock vary by state and by contract, so ask your accountant before you sign. Our restaurant guide covers the same transfer costs for a food business. Resales suit three kinds of buyer: a first-time owner who wants trading figures instead of a forecast, an existing operator adding a second site, and a manager buying the store they already run. Each should expect the franchisor to test their experience and finances.

Financing a franchise resale

Lenders like franchises more than independents in one respect: there is a system, a trading history and a franchisor who has approved the buyer. They like them less in others. The goodwill is only worth what the remaining agreement term and lease support, the franchisor can refuse the transfer, and a weak brand can lose value fast. Strong, established systems get more appetite than brands in trouble, and the major chains publish their own borrowing frameworks, as our franchise costs guide notes. Ventas is a finance broker, not a lender, so we do not quote rates here. They change with the lender, the security and the file.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A resale at a $200,000 asking price plus stock:

And how it is typically funded across lender types:

Debt here is about 55 per cent of total cash needed (our arithmetic). Equipment finance is valued on what used gear would resell for, which can be less than the vendor allocates, and fit-out resells poorly. A property-backed loan secured on your home or other property can fund the equity gap or most of the purchase, at the cost of putting that property at risk.

What makes a franchise resale fundable:

• Trading history. Two to three years of financials that reconcile to BAS and bank statements.
• Agreement and lease. A remaining term that at least matches the loan term, and the franchisor's written consent.
• Your experience. Relevant industry or management experience that the franchisor will also test.
• Security. Property, equipment and cash you can put in.
• Owner dependence. Staff and training that hold the profit when the vendor leaves.

To get a number from Ventas, send the listing, the franchise agreement with its remaining term, the lease, the last two to three years of figures and BAS, your experience, and the security you can offer. Start at business acquisition finance or read how to fund a franchise purchase. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.