for sellersHow to sell flowers from home in the UK
You can sell flowers from home in the UK without a licence or council registration. You need to: source stems (a wholesaler, a flower market or your own garden), price each bouquet from stem cost plus your time (most home florists charge £25–£60), get public liability insurance, check your mortgage or tenancy allows a small business, and tell HMRC once you earn over £1,000 a year. Because fresh flowers are fragile and perishable, they sell best locally (collection or your own delivery) which is exactly how Cravers Eats works.
1. What you legally need
- No licence. Selling flowers from your home or online needs no licence and no council registration. (Selling on the street or a public pitch is different: that needs a street trading consent from your council.)
- Consumer law. Flowers must be as described and of satisfactory quality. Fresh flowers are exempt from the usual 14-day "change of mind" right for online orders because they deteriorate quickly, and so are personalised arrangements, but a customer is still entitled to a refund or replacement if what arrives is faulty or not what they ordered.
- Your details. Give customers your business name and a contact address, and be clear about prices, delivery charges and cut-off times before they pay.
- Insurance. Public and product liability cover is not compulsory but is sensible, especially if you deliver or do weddings and events.
- Your home. Check your mortgage lender or landlord. Planning permission is not normally needed for a small home business.
- Tax. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is tax-free; above that, register as self-employed with HMRC.
2. Where to get your flowers
- Wholesalers and flower markets: the cheapest per stem; most will sell to small businesses, and many deliver weekly boxes.
- British growers: seasonal, scented and a strong selling point. The Flowers from the Farm network lists small UK growers by area.
- Your own garden or allotment: the highest margin, but seasonal; many home florists mix home-grown foliage with bought-in focal flowers.
Buy for the orders you have plus a small margin. Unsold stems are the main way new flower businesses lose money.
3. Pricing a bouquet
A simple rule many florists use: stem and sundries cost × 2.5 to 3, then check it covers your time. Worked example: £12 of stems plus £2 of wrap, ribbon and water bag is £14; × 2.5 = £35. If it takes 25 minutes to make and 15 to deliver, that is around £21 for 40 minutes before costs like fuel: reasonable. Charge delivery separately so your bouquet price is the same for everyone.
| Product | Typical local price |
|---|---|
| Hand-tied bouquet | £25–£60 |
| Jar or vase arrangement | £30–£55 |
| Weekly or monthly subscription | £20–£40 per delivery |
| Dried flower arrangements | £20–£60 (keep for months, less waste) |
| Wedding and event flowers | Quoted per event |
4. The dates that make the year
Valentine's Day, Mother's Day (March in the UK), Eid, graduations, Christmas and wreath season, plus birthdays and anniversaries all year. Open pre-orders two to three weeks ahead of the big dates and cap numbers so you can buy stems accurately.
5. Taking orders and delivering
Flowers do not post well, so home florists sell locally. On Cravers Eats you get your own shop: list bouquets with sizes and add-ons, customers nearby order and pay by card, and you choose collection, your own delivery area and fee, or both. You keep 95% of each sale; joining is free with no monthly fees. Keep Instagram for photos and put your shop link in your bio.
Sell on Cravers Eats
A new local marketplace for anyone who makes and sells from home: bakers, cooks, florists, crafters and makers, opening across the UK in early 2027. Founding sellers join free now and set up before launch day. Customers order and pay by card, you keep 95%, and there are no monthly fees.
Join as a founding sellerQuestions people ask
Do I need a licence to sell flowers from home in the UK?
No. Selling flowers from home or online needs no licence or council registration. You only need a street trading consent if you sell from a pitch in a public street.
Can I sell flowers from my garden?
Yes. Home-grown flowers can be sold without a licence. Check your tenancy or allotment rules (some allotments do not allow selling produce commercially) and tell HMRC once your trading income passes £1,000 a year.
How much should I charge for a bouquet?
A common rule is stem and sundries cost multiplied by 2.5 to 3, checked against your time. Most home florists in the UK charge £25–£60 for a hand-tied bouquet, with delivery charged separately.
Can customers return fresh flowers bought online?
Fresh flowers are exempt from the 14-day cancellation right because they deteriorate quickly, as are personalised arrangements. Customers can still claim a refund or replacement if the flowers are faulty or not as described.
Where can I sell flowers online locally?
Cravers Eats lets UK florists open a free shop where customers nearby order and pay by card, with collection or the florist's own local delivery. Sellers keep 95% of each sale.
Sources: GOV.UK guidance on street trading and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (exemptions for perishable and personalised goods); HMRC trading allowance; Cravers Eats seller terms. Last reviewed 2026-11-05.