How to make an offer on a house in the UK

Making an offer on a house is part research, part strategy, and part nerve. Offer too much and you overpay; too little and you lose the home — or annoy the seller. Here’s how to put in an offer the right way and give it the best chance of being accepted.

Start with research, not a number

Before you name a figure, work out what the property is actually worth. Look at what similar homes nearby have sold for recently — not what they’re listed at, which can be wishful thinking. Check how long the property has been on the market: a home listed for months has less competition and a more motivated seller than one that came up last week.

Our guide on how much it costs to buy a house covers the wider budget, but for the offer itself, comparable sold prices are your anchor.

How much should you offer — below, at, or above asking?

There’s no universal rule — it depends on the market and the property:

• Below asking makes sense when the property has been on the market a while, needs work, the market is slow, or there’s little competing interest. Opening 5–10% below asking is common, leaving room to negotiate up. On a £300,000 home, that’s an opening offer of roughly £270,000–£285,000.
• At or near asking is sensible for a fairly priced home in a normal market — especially if you love it and don’t want to lose it over a small sum.
• Above asking comes into play in a hot market, or when a property is deliberately priced low to invite a bidding war. If you’re competing, your offer has to stand out on more than price.

Whatever you open with, leave room to move and decide your walk-away figure in advance, so you negotiate with a clear head.

Make your offer stand out

Sellers don’t just take the highest number — they take the offer most likely to actually complete. You can win on strength, not just price:

• Get a mortgage in principle first. It proves you can afford the property and marks you out as a serious buyer.
• Be clear about your position in the chain. A chain-free or first-time buyer is gold to a seller — if you’ve nothing to sell, say so loudly.
• Have your conveyancer lined up. Being ready to start the legal work immediately signals you mean business.
• Be flexible on dates. Fitting around the seller’s timeline can be worth more to them than a few thousand pounds.

How to put in your offer (verbal then written)

You make an offer through the estate agent, who is legally obliged to pass every offer to the seller. Make yours verbally first, then follow up in writing (email is fine) to confirm the detail. Neither is legally binding — in England and Wales nothing is until exchange of contracts — but a clear written offer is harder to misrepresent and shows you’re organised.

Your written offer should state:

• The amount you’re offering, and that it’s “subject to contract and survey” (standard wording that protects you until you’re ready to commit).
• Your buying position — chain-free, first-time buyer, or your chain status — and that you have a mortgage in principle.
• Your proposed timeline and any flexibility on the completion date.
• Any conditions, such as asking for the property to be taken off the market once your offer is accepted.

Do you need a mortgage in principle to make an offer?

No — you can offer without one, but you’ll be a weaker candidate, and many agents now ask for proof of funding before they’ll put an offer forward. Getting a mortgage in principle first costs nothing and makes your offer far more credible. Cash buyers should be ready to show proof of funds.

After your offer is accepted — and how to protect it

Acceptance is a milestone, not the finish line. The agent issues a memorandum of sale, both sides instruct solicitors, and conveyancing begins. But the sale isn’t legally binding until exchange of contracts, which means until then you can still be gazumped by a higher offer. To protect your position:

• Ask for the property to be taken off the market (marked “sold subject to contract”) as a condition of your offer.
• Move quickly toward exchange — the longer the gap, the more exposed you are.
• Consider a lock-out agreement — a short exclusivity deal that stops the seller negotiating with anyone else for a set period while you proceed.

The bottom line

A strong offer is a credible offer. Do your homework on price, be honest and clear about your position, and get yourself ready to move. A seller will often take a slightly lower offer from a buyer they trust to complete over a higher one that looks shaky.