Finance question
Can I get finance to buy a home care business?
Sometimes, but expect to fund a large share yourself. A home care business has few hard assets, so most of the price is goodwill, and one broker guide puts the equity lenders typically want against goodwill at 30 to 50%. A property-backed loan can cover the gap, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
A client book and a registration are all you are buying
A home care business is priced on the profit left after the owner is paid, and since 1 November 2025 that profit depends on the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages. What you are buying is a client book, a workforce and a registration. None of that can be repossessed and resold, which is why lenders are cautious about it.
Our home care business guide surveys listings from $500,000 to $850,000 for operating Queensland and Victorian businesses. A Brisbane region franchise earning about $248,000 asks $500,000, which is 2.0 times profit, and a Cairns business tracking toward about $250,000 asks $649,000. Valuers quote 2x to 3x EBITDA for a small owner-operated provider, and the guide notes that sector margins are thin, with full-year FY26 operating results of $0.26 per client per day.
That thin margin is why lenders want security. Expect a registration held by the entity you are buying or a clear plan to obtain your own, no single funder carrying most of the revenue, and a coordinator and workers who stay through the handover. Half the guide's listings are franchise resales, so the franchisor's consent comes before the keys. Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders and charges you no upfront fee.
Do you qualify?
What a lender looks at on a home care purchase.
Reconciling accounts
Two to three years of figures that match BAS and bank statements.
Registration
Held by the entity you are buying, or a plan to obtain yours.
Spread of income
No single contract or funder carrying most of the revenue.
Sector experience
Care management experience, plus property or cash to put in.
How these deals usually come together
Equity does the heavy lifting
Your cash or property covers most of the goodwill.
Vehicles fund separately
Cars and office equipment can be financed on their own.
Consents come first
Franchisor and funder approvals need to be in hand early.
A worked example
Take the Brisbane region franchise at $500,000, almost all of it goodwill. At the 30 to 50% equity range the guide cites, a lender would want $150,000 to $250,000 from you against the goodwill (our arithmetic). Say you put in $200,000 from savings and borrow $300,000, with the lender relying on the business assets and a guarantee. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is a home care business hard to finance?
Most of the price is goodwill, a client book and a registration, with few assets a lender can sell. Thin sector margins add to the caution.
Does the franchisor have to agree?
For a franchise resale, yes. The franchisor must approve the transfer, and lenders will want to see that consent and read the fees and exit terms.
Can I use property I own as security?
Yes. A property-backed loan lets the lender rely on your property instead of the business, but the property is at risk if the business struggles.
Do I need care sector experience to be funded?
It strengthens a file. Lenders look for management experience in the sector, or a coordinator who stays through the handover.