Briga Capital buys freehold buildings already trading as nurseries, and buildings that suit conversion to nursery use, and lets them long-term to established childcare providers. When a building meets our requirements, we move quickly and we complete.

What we do

We are nursery property investors, not brokers. We buy across England on our own balance sheet, and every acquisition is decided by us.

  • Sale and leaseback

    We buy freeholds from operators who stay in occupation on a new long lease.

  • Conversion

    We acquire buildings not currently in nursery use, take them through planning and deliver them for operators to fit out to their own specification.

  • Long-term ownership

    What we buy, we keep. We do not assemble a portfolio for onward sale, nor do we need an exit to make an acquisition work.

  • Release capital by selling your building and taking a twenty-year lease. Retain the setting, staff and registration. Zero operational changes.
  • Remain in control to sell the operating business whenever you are ready. A separate decision on your timeline.
  • A direct, two-party transaction. No marketing period, chain, broker fees or waiting on a business buyer.

How we transact

Funds are committed before we make an offer. We do not go to market for finance after agreeing a price and we do not renegotiate on the way to completion.

  1. 01

    First contact

    Day 0

  2. 02

    Decision in principle

    5-10 days

  3. 03

    Heads of terms

    10-15 days

  4. 04

    Completion

    3-5 weeks

Our requirements

If a building meets either set below, send it to us. We'll evaluate and provide our insights quickly and precisely.

  • In nursery use

    • £0-1m
    • 50+ registered places
    • Freehold or long leasehold
    • Clear operator in occupation
    • Single settings or small groups
    • Established trading history & inspection record

  • Suited to nursery use

    • £0-1m
    • 2,000+ sq ft range
    • Freehold or long leasehold
    • Outdoor space and parking
    • Class E (or credible planning path)
    • Offices, community halls, places of worship etc

Terms,
published

So you can judge us before you speak to us. These are the terms we work to, not an opening position.

  • Twenty-year FRI lease, with security of tenure.
  • Five-yearly reviews. Index-linked, capped and collared.
  • The price is agreed once. We do not revise our offer before completion.
  • We buy the building, not the business. The business stays yours.
  • Tax treatment varies by structure. We will send you to your own accountant rather than advise you ourselves.

We engage selectively. Most of what we see, we decline.

Who we work with

The further conversations we are set up to have.

  • Operators

    • Tell us where you want to be & we’ll look for you.
    • Long leases. We are a landlord for the life of the building, not the length of a hold period.
    • Shell delivered to your specification.

  • Local authorities

    • We are a long-term owner, not a trader.
    • Where a building can stay in childcare or education use, we are structured to deliver.
    • Freehold or long leasehold. Both work.

Questions from operators and agents

What types of nursery property do you buy?

We buy freehold and long-leasehold buildings already trading as nurseries, as well as vacant buildings in England with a credible route to nursery use.

Do you buy the nursery business as well as the building?

No. We buy the property, not the operating business. In a sale and leaseback, the nursery business remains with the operator.

How does a nursery sale and leaseback work?

We buy the freehold and the operator stays in occupation under a new twenty-year full repairing and insuring lease. The setting, staff and registration continue with the operator.

Where do you invest?

We consider nursery property opportunities across England, including single settings, small groups and buildings suited to conversion.

How quickly can you complete?

We aim to give a decision in principle within five to ten days, agree heads of terms within ten to fifteen days and complete in three to five weeks.

Do you work with agents and intermediaries?

Yes. Agents and intermediaries are welcome, we pay fees and we do not go around the introducer.

Perspectives,
an operator's view

We publish a small number of pieces each year on the property market within the early years sector.

Read more
A pale stone building with mullioned windows, chimneys and climbing plants, framed by trees.

What nursery property investors assess before buying a building

A red-brick building with a tiled roof and a clock tower, seen from an asphalt path.

Nursery sale and leaseback: how it works for operators

A modern tan-brick building with dark-framed windows against a pale sky.

Everyone is talking about the shift to leasehold. Two different things are happening.

A red-brick house with decorative white bargeboards and ivy, behind an iron fence, with a glass tower behind it.

Is keeping your freehold as a pension still worth it?

Discuss sites, transactions or opportunities.

If you own, or are aware of, any suitable opportunities, or would like to discuss our requirements in greater detail, please get in touch.

Agents and intermediaries welcome. We pay fees and we do not go around you.

investments@brigacapital.co.uk