How to Make an Offer on a House

Making an offer on a house in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is informal — there's no legal commitment until contracts are exchanged weeks later. You tell the estate agent what you're willing to pay, they pass it to the seller, and the seller accepts, rejects, or counter-offers. The whole negotiation usually happens verbally over a few days.

Until contracts are exchanged, either side can walk away without penalty. That flexibility is useful but it also means offers can fall through — gazumping (seller accepting a higher offer from another buyer) and gazundering (buyer reducing their offer close to exchange) are both legal, if unpopular.

Scotland has a different system with legally binding "missives" and sealed bids — see the Scotland section below.

Before making any offer, make sure you have a Decision in Principle. Estate agents rarely pass on offers from buyers who don't have one.

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Before You Offer — Do Your Research

The offer you make should be grounded in evidence, not guesswork. Spending 30 minutes on research can save you thousands.

Check recent sold prices

Rightmove and Zoopla both show recent sold prices for properties in any area. The Land Registry is the official source and is free to search. Look at:

Prices of similar properties (same bedroom count, similar size) sold in the last 12 months
Price per square foot comparisons if floorplans are available
Whether the market is rising, flat, or falling in that specific area

Sold prices are more reliable than listed asking prices. Asking prices reflect what sellers hope to achieve; sold prices reflect what buyers actually paid.

Check how long the property has been on the market

Rightmove shows the original listing date if you know where to look (or use a property history tool). A property that's been on the market for six months with no price reductions has a seller who's likely become more realistic. A property listed last week has a seller who's probably hoping for close to asking.

General guidelines:

Less than 4 weeks on the market: Seller expects close to asking price
4-12 weeks: Some flexibility, especially if no offers have come in
12+ weeks: Significant flexibility, seller often motivated
Price reduced recently: Seller has already accepted reality, but may still be optimistic about the new price

Check the seller's situation

Ask the estate agent (directly or indirectly):

Why are the sellers moving?
Have they already found a property they're trying to buy?
Is there a chain?
How flexible are they on timing?
Are they under any time pressure?

Sellers who have already had an offer accepted on their next property are usually highly motivated because they risk losing that property if they can't sell quickly. Sellers with no onward purchase lined up can afford to hold out for their asking price.

Check the property itself

During viewings, look for:

Obvious repair needs (damp, cracks, old windows, dated kitchen/bathroom)
Signs of recent quick cosmetic work that might hide problems
Evidence of neglect (garden, guttering, exterior paint)
Anything you'd want to change, budget needed

Work you'd need to do gives you leverage. "The kitchen needs replacing and the boiler is old" is a legitimate basis for negotiating below asking price.

Check local market conditions

In a hot market with multiple buyers per property, offers go in quickly and often above asking. In a slower market, sellers wait longer and are more flexible. Your estate agent knows which kind of market you're in — ask them directly.

How Much Should You Offer?

This depends entirely on the situation. There's no single rule. Some frameworks that help:

The "10% below asking" starting point

A traditional rule of thumb is to start around 10% below asking price in a normal market. This leaves room for negotiation and signals you're serious without insulting the seller.

However, this only makes sense if:

The property has been on the market more than a few weeks
There aren't multiple interested buyers
The asking price is reasonable for the market

In a hot market or on a new listing, starting 10% below asking might get your offer rejected outright or dismissed as not serious.

Offer close to asking in a competitive market

If the property has only been listed days, has multiple viewings booked, and is priced reasonably, your opening offer should be close to asking or even at asking. Starting low in a competitive market just means someone else's stronger offer gets considered first.

Offer significantly below on stale listings

If a property has been listed for 4+ months with no takers, a 15-20% below asking offer is reasonable. The seller has had time to see the market's response — no buyers at that price — and is likely ready to accept less.

Offer based on comparables, not asking price

The best offers are based on evidence: "Similar 3-bed semi-detached houses in this postcode have sold for £285,000-£310,000 in the last year. Your asking price of £325,000 is above the recent market. I'm offering £300,000, which is at the upper end of recent comparable sales."

This approach is harder for a seller to dismiss because you're not just pulling a number out of the air.

Factor in what you'd need to spend

If you'd need £15,000 of work to make the property liveable to your standard, factor that into your offer. An agent can't easily argue against "the kitchen needs replacing so I need to offer £10,000 less to cover that cost."

The "one chance" offer

In competitive situations with multiple bidders, some sellers ask for "best and final" offers. Each buyer submits their highest offer by a deadline. This is where you need to decide your absolute maximum — the number you'd be gutted to lose at but wouldn't regret paying.

The Offer Process

1. Tell the estate agent

You make the offer to the estate agent, not the seller directly. Usually verbally — a phone call is standard. The agent then passes it on to the seller.

What to include in your offer:

The amount
Your position (first-time buyer, chain-free, mortgage in place, etc.)
Your timeline (how quickly you can proceed)
Any conditions (subject to survey, subject to mortgage)
Your proof of funds (DIP amount or cash proof)

Example: "I'd like to offer £285,000 for 42 The Oaks. I'm a first-time buyer with a Decision in Principle in place from [Lender] for the full amount. I'm chain-free and can proceed as quickly as the solicitors allow. The offer is subject to survey and mortgage finalisation."

Your position matters almost as much as your offer amount. A buyer offering £280,000 with a DIP, no chain, and readiness to move fast is often preferred over £285,000 from a buyer in a long chain with no DIP.

2. The agent presents it to the seller

The estate agent will present your offer, typically with their own recommendation on whether to accept, reject, or counter. Good agents will do this within hours of your offer. Some drag their feet — chase them if needed.

3. The seller responds

The seller can:

Accept — The property is now "sold subject to contract" (SSTC). The agent will ask both parties for solicitor details and start the legal process.

Reject outright — You can make a new higher offer, or walk away.

Counter-offer — They propose a different figure. You can accept, reject, or counter their counter.

Ask for "best and final" — If multiple buyers are interested, they may request everyone's best offer by a deadline.

4. Negotiation

Most offers go through 1-3 rounds of negotiation before landing on an agreed price. Typical patterns:

You offer 10% below, seller counters 5% below, you accept or counter at 7% below
You offer at asking, seller accepts
You offer 15% below, seller rejects, you come back at 10% below, seller counters at 7% below

Keep the negotiation focused on evidence and your position rather than emotional appeals. "I really love the house" is weaker than "I have a DIP, I can move quickly, and my offer reflects what similar houses have sold for."

5. Offer accepted

Once you agree a price, the estate agent produces a memorandum of sale. This is a document confirming:

The agreed price
Buyer and seller details
Solicitor details for both sides
Mortgage lender (if applicable)
Any agreed conditions (fixtures included, completion timeline)

The memorandum is sent to both solicitors and both parties. The property is now marked "sold subject to contract" (SSTC) on the listings.

Important: The memorandum is not legally binding. Either side can still pull out without penalty until exchange of contracts, which usually happens 8-12 weeks later.

What Happens Next (Immediately After Acceptance)

Day 1-2

Confirm your solicitor is ready and forward their details to the agent
Confirm your broker is ready to proceed with the full mortgage application
Pay any upfront solicitor fees (typically £200-£500 for initial searches)
Celebrate briefly

Week 1

Your solicitor makes contact with the seller's solicitor and requests the draft contract pack
Your broker submits the full mortgage application
You (or the lender) instruct a valuation survey
You decide whether to get an additional survey (Homebuyer Report or Building Survey)

Week 2-4

Mortgage application progresses — valuation happens, underwriter reviews
Solicitor reviews draft contracts and starts searches
First enquiries raised with the seller's solicitor

Week 4-6

Mortgage offer issued (assuming everything's clean)
Initial search results back
Further enquiries raised and resolved

Week 6-10

Final enquiries resolved
Contract becomes ready to exchange
Exchange date agreed between solicitors

Week 10-12

Exchange of contracts (now legally committed)
Completion date set (usually 1-2 weeks later)
Funds and keys transfer on completion day

Timeline varies significantly. Chain-free purchases with responsive solicitors can complete in 8 weeks. Complex purchases or long chains can take 6 months or more.

Gazumping, Gazundering, and Falling Through

Because offers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland aren't legally binding until exchange, things can go wrong.

Gazumping

What it is: The seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer after already agreeing a sale with you. This can happen any time before exchange.

How common is it: Relatively common in hot markets, rare in slow ones. Estimated 10-30% of transactions involve some element of gazumping during peak market conditions.

What you can do:

Move quickly — the faster you exchange, the less window for gazumping
Ask the estate agent to take the property off the market (no guarantee, but many agents agree)
Be responsive to solicitor and broker requests to avoid delays
Consider a lock-in agreement (rare but possible — a small mutual deposit held by solicitors)

What you can't do: There's no legal protection against gazumping in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. If the seller accepts a higher offer, your only options are match it or walk away.

Gazundering

What it is: The buyer reduces their offer close to exchange, often using the threat of walking away as leverage. This can happen weeks after an offer was originally accepted.

Why buyers do it: Survey issues, valuation concerns, budget tightening, or pure opportunism near the end of a long process.

Why sellers often accept: After weeks of work, a seller often feels trapped — restarting the process means months more delay and uncertainty. Accepting a lower price feels like the lesser evil.

Ethical considerations: Gazundering purely for financial gain is widely considered poor practice. Gazundering after a genuine issue is discovered (survey reveals subsidence, valuation comes in low) is reasonable.

Other reasons sales fall through

Mortgage application declined
Down-valuation by lender
Serious issues found in survey
Search results reveal legal problems
Buyer or seller circumstances change (job loss, relationship breakdown, bereavement)
Chain breakdown elsewhere in the chain

Approximately 30% of agreed sales fall through before completion in the UK. Building in emotional resilience for this possibility is useful — if your sale collapses, it's frustrating but common, not unusual.

Proof of Funds

Estate agents will ask for proof of funds to confirm you can actually pay for the property. This typically means:

For mortgage buyers

Your Decision in Principle showing the amount the lender is willing to offer
Evidence of your deposit (bank statement, investment statement, or solicitor confirmation if coming from inheritance/sale of another property)

For cash buyers

Bank statements showing the full purchase amount
Solicitor's letter confirming funds if funds are coming from a property sale or investment

The agent needs to verify proof of funds as part of their anti-money-laundering obligations. They can't legally progress your offer to the seller without it on many sales.

If you don't have a DIP, get one before making offers. Without it, most estate agents won't pass on your offer or will deprioritise it behind buyers who have one.

Making Multiple Offers on Multiple Properties

You can make offers on more than one property at a time, but it's risky and generally frowned upon.

Why it's risky:

Both might be accepted — you can only buy one, so you'd waste the other seller's time
Estate agents talk to each other — your reputation in a local market can suffer
You might end up paying more than you needed to on the one you keep

When it might be justified:

You have two properties you genuinely can't choose between
You're worried about losing both while deciding

If you do make multiple offers, be upfront with the agents. Surprise withdrawal after acceptance damages relationships and trust.

Scotland Is Different

The Scottish system is significantly different from England and Wales:

"Offers over" pricing. Many properties are listed with an "offers over" price rather than a fixed asking price. Buyers submit blind offers above the stated minimum.

Notes of interest. Before making an offer, buyers typically register a "note of interest" through their solicitor. The seller can set a closing date if multiple notes are registered.

Closing dates and sealed bids. On a closing date, all interested buyers submit their best offer in writing by a deadline. The seller chooses the offer they prefer (not necessarily the highest).

Missives. Offers in Scotland are made through solicitors via formal written "missives." Once concluded (equivalent of exchange in England), they are legally binding.

Legally binding point. Unlike England, Scottish missives become legally binding much earlier — sometimes just days after offer acceptance. Gazumping and gazundering are essentially impossible once missives conclude.

Practical implication: Scottish buyers need their mortgage, solicitor, and deposit completely ready before making an offer because the commitment is near-instant.

If you're buying in Scotland, work with a Scottish solicitor from the start — the process is legal from day one in a way that English purchases aren't.

Auctions Are Different Again

Buying at auction commits you instantly — when the hammer falls, you've legally bought the property and must complete (usually within 28 days). Different rules apply:

You must have finance in place before bidding — no "subject to mortgage" protection
Surveys need to be done before the auction, not after
Deposit (usually 10%) is paid on the day
Pulling out means losing your deposit and potentially being sued for damages

Auctions require a different approach and aren't covered in detail here. If you're considering buying at auction, get specific advice — the casual offer-negotiate-exchange process doesn't apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my offer legally binding?

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, no. Your offer isn't legally binding until contracts are exchanged, typically 8-12 weeks after offer acceptance. In Scotland, offers made via missives become legally binding much sooner.

How low can I offer without offending the seller?

There's no fixed rule, but in a normal market, 10-15% below asking is usually considered a reasonable opening offer. More than 20% below can be dismissed as not serious, unless there are genuine reasons (major repair needs, long time on market, changed market conditions). Your estate agent can advise on what's reasonable in your specific case.

Can I make an offer without a mortgage in principle?

You can, but you shouldn't expect to be taken seriously. Most estate agents won't pass on offers without proof of funds, and those that do will often prefer buyers who have their finance lined up. Get a DIP before making offers.

Do I need to pay anything when my offer is accepted?

Not immediately to the seller. You'll typically pay your solicitor an initial fee (£200-£500) to start searches, and sometimes a broker fee if your broker charges one. The deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) isn't paid until exchange of contracts, weeks later.

What's the difference between "sold" and "sold subject to contract"?

"Sold subject to contract" (SSTC) means an offer has been accepted but the legal process hasn't completed. The sale isn't legally binding. "Sold" means contracts have been exchanged and the transaction is legally committed. Most listings you see marked "sold" are actually SSTC until completion, which can be weeks later.

Can I withdraw my offer?

Yes, up until exchange of contracts. Until then, either side can walk away without legal or financial penalty. You'll lose any upfront fees you've paid (solicitor search fees, broker fees, survey costs) but that's all.

How many times can I offer?

There's no limit. You can make a starting offer, be rejected or countered, come back with a higher offer, and so on. Most negotiations land within 2-3 rounds.

Should I offer at asking price?

Only if the market justifies it. A new listing in a hot market where the asking price is reasonable? Offering at asking is sensible. A property that's been listed for 3 months with no takers? Offering at asking is overpaying.

What if my offer is accepted but I can't get a mortgage?

Your offer is subject to contract and usually subject to mortgage. If your mortgage application is declined, you can withdraw without penalty (losing only upfront fees paid). Try another lender — being declined by one lender doesn't mean every lender will decline.

Can I offer on a house before selling my own?

Yes, but most sellers are reluctant to accept offers from buyers in a position where their own sale hasn't started. You'd typically be at the back of the queue behind chain-free buyers. Some buyers deliberately sell first, then rent short-term, to become chain-free and maximise their offer strength.

What happens if there's a chain?

A chain is a sequence of linked property transactions — you're buying from someone who's buying from someone else, and so on. Chains slow everything down because every transaction must complete on the same day (or very close to it). Each additional link adds risk of delay or collapse.

Check Your Position Before You Offer

Before making any offer, make sure you know:

What 60+ lenders would offer you (run our affordability check)
Which lender you'll use for your DIP
How quickly you can move from offer to exchange
Your absolute maximum offer, not just your opening offer

The stronger your position, the stronger your offer. Buyers with DIPs, clear finance, and realistic expectations win more often than buyers with bigger budgets but weaker positions.

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Author & Last Updated

Written by a CeMAP qualified mortgage advisor Last updated: April 2026

Last updated: April 2026