An unusual opportunity to acquire an established specialist-care business as a going concern, together with Ivy House, a registered residential care and respite facility, its connected purpose-built day-care centre capable of accommodating up to approximately 20 attendees, and a separate newly completed development of 15 purpose-designed supported-living bungalows.

Offered as a single lot, the sale combines substantial freehold property assets, an established care operation and recently created accommodation providing considerable capacity for continued operation and future expansion.

The property and business will be offered in our online property auction on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

LOCATION

The property is situated in an established residential area on the eastern side of Hull, approximately three miles from the city centre.

Wansbeck Road lies close to Sutton Village and is readily accessible from the A1033 and the wider Hull road network. The surrounding area provides local shops, services, public transport connections, healthcare provision and community facilities.

Hull city centre provides a comprehensive range of shopping, leisure and commercial amenities, together with regional rail connections from Hull Paragon Interchange.

The location is well placed to serve Hull and the wider East Riding of Yorkshire and is particularly suited to the established specialist-care, respite and supported-living uses.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The sale comprises three complementary elements:

“Ivy House, an established residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to five younger adults, together with emergency and planned respite provision and a connected purpose-built day-care centre.

A separate adjoining development of 15 recently completed, self-contained supported-living bungalows, additional to the accommodation forming the day-care centre.

The established Harkins Care operating business, offered for sale as a going concern, together with its goodwill and those business assets, contracts and operational interests detailed within the legal and business sale documentation.

The combination provides an incoming operator with an established presence in Hull, existing care provision and significant purpose-built accommodation from which to continue and expand the service.

IVY HOUSE & CONNECTED DAY-CARE CENTRE

Ivy House is the established two-storey building occupying the Wansbeck Road frontage. It provides specialist residential and respite accommodation and is connected to the adjoining purpose-built day-care centre by enclosed corridors at both ground and first-floor levels.

The property is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to five younger adults who may have learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities or sensory impairments. The facility has also provided emergency and planned respite care.

The existing accommodation includes accessible bedrooms, ceiling-track lifting equipment, a purpose-designed wet room, communal kitchen and living facilities, staff and ancillary accommodation.

Ivy House is the established two-storey building occupying the Wansbeck Road frontage. It provides specialist residential and respite accommodation and is connected to the adjoining purpose-built day-care centre by enclosed corridors at both ground and first-floor levels.

The vendor advises that the original scheme provided for 18 bungalow units. The approved layout was subsequently amended so that the accommodation corresponding to three units was developed as the day-care centre, leaving a separate development of 15 self-contained supported-living bungalows. The day-care accommodation includes a substantial open-plan activity area, fitted kitchen, ancillary accommodation and additional first-floor space. Some final finishing works remain.

The vendor advises that there is strong local demand for this type of provision and that numerous enquiries have already been received. The centre has been designed to accommodate up to approximately 20 attendees and the vendor’s financial projection assumes a charge of £85 per person per day, operating at full capacity for six days per week. On this basis, the projected maximum gross income would be approximately £530,400 per annum, with potential additional pre-tax profit estimated by the vendor at approximately £250,000 per annum.

The day-care centre is not presently trading and these figures represent vendor projections rather than existing income. Actual performance will depend upon attendance levels, operating days, staffing costs, commissioning arrangements and other expenditure. The vendor advises that the proposed day-care service would not require separate CQC registration, although an incoming operator must satisfy itself regarding the regulatory position and obtain any approvals required for its intended use.

In addition to its potential as a separate income stream, the connected day-care centre would complement the existing residential, respite and supported-living services. It also offers a possible pathway into the wider Harkins Care operation for people whose care, support or accommodation requirements change over time.

THE SUPPORTED-LIVING DEVELOPMENT

Separate from Ivy House and the connected day-care centre, the development comprises a further 15 purpose-designed, self-contained supported-living bungalows. They are attractively arranged in several rows around an extensive central block-paved courtyard and along the Frome Road and Wansbeck Road frontages.

The courtyard provides parking, circulation and communal external space, with further individual garden areas serving parts of the development.

Three representative bungalow layouts are provided. Individual units extend to approximately 42.7 to 43.3 sq m, or 459 to 466 sq ft.

Each bungalow provides:

Living room

Separate fitted kitchen with integrated oven and hob

Principal bedroom

Second bedroom

Level-access shower room

The accommodation is arranged entirely at ground-floor level. Dormer features have been incorporated at selected points solely to provide architectural interest and variation within the roofline.

Individual layouts vary slightly according to their position within the development, with some units constructed to a handed arrangement.

The buildings have been finished in a clean, contemporary style and incorporate practical accommodation suited to supported-living occupation. The vendor advises that the units are available for immediate occupation, subject to any adaptations required for the individual needs of future service users or the operational requirements of an incoming provider.

THE HARKINS CARE BUSINESS

The Harkins Care business has operated from Ivy House since 2022 and provides specialist care, respite and support services.

The vendor reports sustained growth in the number of people supported by the business, increasing from seven service users in 2022 to 15 in 2024 and 20 during 2025. The vendor advises that the service is currently operating at full capacity and has an established waiting list.

Management information supplied by the vendor records turnover from banking receipts of £271,652 during the four months from May to August 2026.

A profit and loss report prepared by JT Accountancy Services and made up to 31 July 2026 records:

Sales: £613,383.70

Total income, including interest and employer’s National Insurance credit: £623,922.77

Gross profit: £196,305.25

Net profit: £143,341.51

A separate financial model prepared by JT Accountancy Services projects 2027 turnover of approximately £805,685 and gross profit of approximately £346,355. This projection is based upon an extrapolation of the 2026 trading figures followed by an assumed turnover growth rate of 20%.

All financial figures and projections are supplied for general guidance. Interested parties must undertake their own financial, legal and commercial due diligence and must not rely upon projections as a guarantee of future performance.

TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT

The vendor is willing to provide reasonable assistance to an incoming purchaser during an agreed transitional period. This may include introductions to relevant contacts and practical guidance concerning the existing operation, CQC requirements and other regulatory matters. The extent, duration and terms of any transitional support will be agreed separately between the parties and documented as part of the transaction.

STAFFING AND OPERATION

The vendor advises that the business employs 14 members of staff together with two bank staff. The team includes several long-serving employees, providing valuable operational experience and continuity.

A detailed staffing schedule and training matrix have been supplied and will be made available to bona fide interested parties as part of the business information. The training matrix covers areas including first aid, medication, safeguarding, moving and positioning, infection prevention and control, fire safety, mental capacity, learning disabilities, autism awareness and managing challenging behaviour.

Prospective purchasers should take their own professional advice concerning the proposed transfer of employees, TUPE obligations, employment contracts, pay arrangements, accrued entitlements and training requirements.

DEMAND AND DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

The vendor advises that demand for the existing care and respite service is strong and that the business has developed established working relationships with local authority representatives, social workers, service users and their families.

The vendor further advises that more than 100 prospective occupants have expressed an interest in accommodation within the newly completed bungalow development.

The combination of an existing care operation, Ivy House’s five-person residential and respite facility, the connected purpose-built day-care centre and a separate development of 15 supported-living bungalows provides substantial operating and growth potential. The opportunity should appeal particularly to an established operator seeking additional capacity or a purchaser wishing to enter or expand within the specialist social-care sector.

Any future occupation, expansion, commissioning arrangements or changes to the existing operating model will remain subject to the purchaser obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals, registrations, contracts and consents.

CQC REGISTRATION

Ivy House is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a care home without nursing care, providing accommodation and personal care for up to five younger adults.

The registered provider is currently recorded as Harkins Care Ltd. CQC registration and any registered manager approval do not transfer automatically with a property or business sale. An incoming operator will be responsible for satisfying the Care Quality Commission’s requirements and obtaining all necessary registrations and approvals.

Full CQC information and inspection reports are publicly available and should be reviewed by prospective purchasers as part of their due diligence.

PLANNING

The completed scheme provides 15 self-contained supported-living bungalows together with the connected day-care centre. The vendor advises that the earlier approved scheme provided for 18 bungalow units, with a subsequent approval allowing the accommodation corresponding to three units to be developed as the day-care centre.

The bungalow development has planning permission for use within Class C2 as a residential institution providing accommodation for people with learning difficulties and complex needs.

The planning permissions, approved drawings and associated documents will be included within the auction legal pack or supporting information.

Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves regarding the authorised use of every part of the property, compliance with the planning permissions and conditions, and the suitability of the site for their intended operational model.

TENURE AND SALE STRUCTURE

The freehold property assets and the Harkins Care operating business are offered together as a single auction lot.

Ivy House is owned personally by the vendor. The adjoining bungalow development is held separately by a company connected with the operating business.

The precise structure of the transaction, including whether the business transfers by way of a sale of shares or a transfer of specified trade and assets, together with the treatment of contracts, goodwill, equipment, employees and other business assets, will be detailed within the legal pack and supporting sale documentation.

FINANCIAL AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Further financial, staffing, contractual and operational information will be made available to bona fide interested parties, subject where appropriate to satisfactory identification, evidence of funding and a confidentiality agreement.

VIEWING

Strictly by appointment through the auctioneers, although access to some areas may be restricted.

Prospective purchasers should allow sufficient time before the auction to inspect the properties, review the legal pack, examine the business information and obtain specialist legal, financial, regulatory, employment and planning advice. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The financial information, service-user numbers, waiting-list information, business projections and operational statements have been supplied by the vendor and have not been independently audited or verified by the auctioneers.

Neither the auctioneers nor the vendor provides any warranty regarding future turnover, profitability, occupancy, commissioning arrangements, regulatory approval or the continued availability of existing contracts or referrals.

The business and properties are sold subject to the auction contract, legal pack and business sale documentation.

Solicitor