Making an offer on a home

Once you have found a property to buy, you will need to make an offer to the seller. Find out what the process is for making an offer on a property and the different kinds of offer you can make.

Working with estate agents

Using an estate agent is a common way to find a property to buy. Different estate agents specialise in different types of property, so choose one that sells the type of property you are interested in.
Estate agents enter into a contract with the seller (or ‘vendor’) to sell their property. Be aware that estate agents will therefore be acting in the best interests of the seller. However, they must also treat buyers fairly.
Find out more about estate agents, their contracts and fees in ‘Using an estate agent – selling a property’.

How to decide how much to offer

You can offer the exact asking price or more or less than the asking price. What you offer will depend on:

• whether you think the seller is asking a fair price for the property
• how quickly the seller wants to sell the property
• how many other offers the seller has had
• how much you want to buy the property
• how much repair or renovation work you will need to do

You can find house prices for a particular area by searching the Land Registry's house price index.
Search online or ask your estate agent for more advice about deciding on an offer price and negotiating with sellers.

How to make an offer

If the seller is using an estate agent, you will have to make the offer through the estate agent. If the property is being sold privately, make the offer directly to the seller. You can make the offer verbally (over the phone or in person) or in writing.
Clearly explain your reasons if you are offering less than the asking price. You can also explain any factors you think will make your offer more attractive – for example, if you can move quickly.
Make sure your offer is 'subject to contract'. This means you can pull out of the deal if there are any problems.

Estate agents’ obligations to pass on offers

Under the Estate Agents Act, an estate agent is legally bound to present any offer promptly and in writing to the person selling the house. This must happen unless the seller has said in writing that there are some offers they don’t want to receive.
A buyer's offer is not legally binding in England and Wales, even if it's accepted by the seller. This means the agent is legally obliged to pass on any other offer received for the property up to when contracts are exchanged.

Having your offer accepted

If your offer is accepted, the seller will let you know in writing, and the process of transferring ownership, or ‘conveyancing’, will begin. To find out what conveyancing involves, see ‘Conveyancing for buyers’.

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