Dentists Who Invest Podcast Buying A Practice In 2026 with Kevin Saunders [CPD Available]
UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club
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Interest rates have spooked a lot of dentists into hitting pause on practice ownership, but that pause can quietly become a habit. We talk through a calmer way to think about buying your first dental practice in the UK, using the lens lenders actually use: long-term serviceability, realistic stress-testing, and the underlying performance of the practice itself rather than a single base-rate snapshot.
Kevin, a specialist dental finance broker, shares what he has seen in the market over the last few years, including why first-time buyers all but disappeared when rates rose and why goodwill values softened at the same time. We dig into the idea that a practice purchase is usually a 15 to 25 year commitment, so “waiting for the perfect rate” can be the wrong game. If the numbers work today, banks typically model affordability at higher rates anyway, and the real question becomes whether the practice can fund the debt and still pay you what you need.
We also get honest about what new owners struggle with most. It’s often staff, leadership, and the first-year reality that you may earn less while you stabilise and grow the business. From there we move into practical funding detail: longer goodwill terms, renewed bank appetite, and when 100% finance is possible, including how loan term choices can matter more than small rate differences. We finish with what lenders look for in your personal finances, CV, and “background assets” like property, ISAs, pensions, or cash, plus what changes when you buy a second practice and how you split your time.
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