When should I start preparing to sell?
Short answer
Ideally two to three years before you want to sell. Most value is lost to issues that were fixable a few years earlier.
What to know
- Clean numbers take at least a year of history.
- Reducing owner dependence takes time.
- Starting early means you sell when you choose.
What to do next
- 1Get your number today.
- 2List the issues a buyer would find.
- 3Fix the biggest ones first.
Last reviewed September 2026 by the Horizon team. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.