How do I get a landscape supply yard ready to sell?

Selling a yard is easier when the buyer can see how it runs without you in the cab. Most of the work happens before anyone calls: gathering records, tidying the site and deciding what is included. The steps below suit a bulk materials yard, which sells soil, stone and mulch to contractors. They differ from a landscaping crew or a plant nursery.

Gather the records buyers ask for

Make a list of every truck, loader, screen and scale, with age, condition and service history, and say which are owned and which are financed. Pull together the contractor accounts, how long each has been a customer and what terms they have. Have the lease ready if you rent the land. Your accountant can help present the statements clearly.

Decide how stockpiles will be counted

Stockpiles change from day to day, and an argument over them can sour a closing. Agree with the buyer in writing how the piles will be measured, by whom and on which date, and how a disagreement will be settled. Your lawyer should put this in the agreement. BDC’s inventory article is a plain primer.

Time the sale around the season

Keep records of the busy season, since buyers will ask about it and about timing. Ask your adviser whether the quiet months, when you have time to answer questions, suit a sale timeline. Keep serving customers throughout, because a drop in service during a sale is easy for buyers to notice.

Choose who helps you sell

If you use a broker, ask whom they act for, how they are paid and what they will do on your behalf. A broker is one option for reaching buyers. BDC’s advice on negotiating a sale covers the conversation that follows.