Garage Living sells a designed and installed system — epoxy or polyaspartic floor coatings, custom cabinetry, and slatwall storage — through a showroom consultation rather than off a shelf, so a resale carries an open project queue of jobs already sold and deposited but not yet installed. It's also a brand still building out its Ontario franchise footprint from its Woodbridge head office, so we lean more heavily on the individual unit's own project pipeline and supplier accounts than on a long track record of prior resales in the system.
Garage Living resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, conditioned on franchisor consent and a full accounting of the showroom's open installation queue — jobs already sold and deposited but not yet completed.
1–3 weeks†The Garage Living system reviews the incoming owner's background and financial standing, and typically holds a right of first refusal it can exercise before consenting to the transfer.
3–6 weeks†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's framed as a private deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The showroom's lease needs landlord consent to assign, alongside confirming how flammable epoxy and polyaspartic coating materials are stored on site under the Ontario Fire Code's limits for combustible liquids.
2–6 weeks†Garage Living's brand-specific training on its flooring systems and custom cabinetry/slatwall installation is distinct from general renovation experience, so the incoming owner or lead installer typically completes it before or shortly after taking over.
2–4 weeks†Funds and the showroom keys change hands, the open project queue and any deposits are reconciled, and the franchisor confirms the transfer is complete.
1 day, once conditions are met†Canadian-founded garage renovation company with its corporate head office, distribution centre and flagship showroom in Woodbridge, Ontario; operates a dedicated franchise-recruitment site (garageliving-franchises.com) alongside its owned Ontario showrooms.
Corporate head office in Woodbridge, plus additional showrooms in London and Ottawa, Ontario.
This is the first real decision in a Garage Living resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's showroom fixtures and displays, installation vehicles and equipment, the open project queue and deposits already collected, goodwill, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Franchise agreement | Consent required for the specific unit, often paired with a current-form agreement. | Consent required for the change of control itself. |
| Coating-material storage | A screening review of how flammable epoxy and polyaspartic coating products are stored under Ontario Fire Code limits is a standard part of diligence before the assets change hands. | Storage compliance attaches to the corporation, so how the seller has handled it historically still matters on a share sale. |
| Open project queue & deposits | In-progress installations and deposits already collected are itemized and allocated between seller and buyer as part of closing. | Generally continue uninterrupted, since the contracting corporation doesn't change. |
| The showroom lease | Needs the landlord's written consent to assign — the space typically combines retail-style showroom area with material storage and staging. | Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Typical use | The default for most single-territory resales. | Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds more than one territory under one company. |
The unit's showroom fixtures and displays, installation vehicles and equipment, the open project queue and deposits already collected, goodwill, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Consent required for the specific unit, often paired with a current-form agreement.
Consent required for the change of control itself.
A screening review of how flammable epoxy and polyaspartic coating products are stored under Ontario Fire Code limits is a standard part of diligence before the assets change hands.
Storage compliance attaches to the corporation, so how the seller has handled it historically still matters on a share sale.
In-progress installations and deposits already collected are itemized and allocated between seller and buyer as part of closing.
Generally continue uninterrupted, since the contracting corporation doesn't change.
Needs the landlord's written consent to assign — the space typically combines retail-style showroom area with material storage and staging.
Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
The default for most single-territory resales.
Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds more than one territory under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Garage Living showroom and territory changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with a modest open project queue and a straightforward showroom lease assignment.
Start my file →A territory with a substantial open project queue of sold-but-unfinished installations, a franchisor requiring showroom upgrades as a condition of consent, or a buyer taking on a territory before the surrounding network is fully built out and needing extra diligence on service-area boundaries.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
No, and it's one of the more heavily negotiated items in a Garage Living resale. In-progress floor coating and custom storage jobs, along with any deposits customers have already paid, need to be itemized and specifically allocated between seller and buyer before closing.
Epoxy and polyaspartic floor coating products are flammable, so the Ontario Fire Code sets storage limits for combustible liquids kept on site. A screening review of how the current owner has handled that storage is a standard, not exotic, part of diligence.
Honestly — it's earlier-stage than some of the trades brands we see resales for. The company is Ontario-headquartered, with its own showrooms in a handful of cities, and is actively recruiting franchise partners. That means less of a resale track record to lean on, so we put more weight on the specific unit's own project pipeline and supplier relationships.
Possibly, yes. Ontario courts have read the Arthur Wishart Act's resale exemption narrowly, so an existing relationship between the parties doesn't settle the question — we confirm whether disclosure applies to your specific transfer.
Most single-territory resales run about 45 to 90 days, shaped mainly by the franchisor's consent review and by how cleanly the open project queue and showroom lease assignment get sorted out before closing.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Garage Living or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Garage Living resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.