Kier Group plc (LSE:KIE) is closing in on the sale of its loss-making housebuilding division (Kier Living Ltd.) as it seeks to shore up its balance sheet. Sky News has learnt that London-listed Kier is within days of entering into exclusive talks about the disposal, with the private equity tycoon Guy Hands among the remaining bidders for the business. City sources said that a decision could be made by the company's board as soon as this week. Mr. Hands' Terra Firma Capital Partners Limited has been circling Kier Living Ltd. for months, having previously contemplated an acquisition of the business more than a year ago. The identity of other bidders for the division is unclear, although a source close to Kier said on January 18, 2021 night: "He [Hands] is not the only game in town". "Kier Living is a strong business but has limited operational synergies with other parts of the group," it said at the time. "There is a new management team in place who have reorganised the business into a smaller more cash-focused operation". If Terra Firma does clinch the purchase of Kier Living, it would be among Mr. Hands' most significant corporate purchases for years. Kier and Terra Firma declined to comment. Rothschild, the investment bank, is advising Kier on the sale.