How to put an offer on a house

When is the right time to make an offer?

Easy answer – when you’ve found a property you’re interested in. Hopefully you’ve done your due diligence on Rightmove or Zoopla or Onthemarket, and you’ve viewed the property. It’s given you that feeling in the pit of your stomach that says, you could live here, this is your house. That’s when you make an offer.

Do I need a Mortgage in Principle before making an offer?

A lot of estate agents, brokers and lenders will tell you that you do need a Decision in Principle to be taken as a serious buyer. That said, lenders often do that to tie you into going back to them.

I tend to do it a bit differently, as long as your circumstances are fairly straightforward. If you were to call me at 4.45pm on a Friday to request a Mortgage in Principle, I can have one in your emails within 10 or 15 minutes.

You will have already completed a fact-find, so I’ve got all the information I need. I’ll source the lender and do a Decision in Principle with them. The benefit is that we’re not leaving lots of credit footprints, and we’re using the lender we’re intending to take a mortgage with.

If the circumstances are more involved or difficult – perhaps with missed or late payments, an unusual property type or you’re working on a fixed-term contract, it’s beneficial to organise one sooner rather than later. Some of these cases may need referral, which means it could be 24 or 48 hours before you get a decision.

How much should I offer on a house?

This is where I do a lot of coaching with first-time buyers – it’s far more than just finding you a mortgage. I’ll chat with the client on what they should be looking at, the vendor’s circumstances and how long the house has been up for sale. Those two factors are so important.

If I put my house up for sale last week, I’ve had 20 viewings and I’ve nowhere to move to, there’s no point making me an offer that’s £20,000 under the asking price. There’s no motivation for me as the seller – I haven’t found an onward purchase and I’m hoping to get the asking price. That’s why I put the house up for sale at that figure.

On the flip side, maybe a house has been up for sale for nine months. The vendor has a property lined up and their own sale has just fallen through. The house they’re buying won’t be taken off the market until they secure another buyer. This vendor needs a quick sale – and that’s where you would go in lower than the asking price.

It’s very much horses for courses – you’re guided by the vendor’s circumstances. But first-time buyers might not think like that. They look at a property and stay very quiet because they don’t know what to say, then make an offer to the estate agent. They often don’t take into account the circumstances.

When you’re looking to make an offer, you should make yourself as attractive as possible to that vendor. In the first example I gave, where the vendor has just put the house up for sale, you’d make an offer and say you’re not in a rush – you will wait until the vendor finds a property. The vendor thinks, wow, these first-time buyers are brilliant. They’ll wait as long as I need.

In the second example, where the vendor needs a quick sale, you say that if your offer is accepted you can have a Decision in Principle by five o’clock and will have instructed a solicitor by 5.15pm. You’ll pay search fees and have this done as quickly as feasibly possible.

The vendor thinks you’re perfect. They can move quickly – and even though your offer’s under the asking price, the circumstances are so good.

Selling yourself as a buyer is so important, and so is tailoring your offer to the vendor’s needs.

Should I view the property more than once before offering?

I would say yes, but a lot depends on the market. A couple of years ago, property might only be up for sale for a week or 10 days. You only had one option to view it, and you might only have 10 or 15 minutes. You had to make a quick decision.

The market now, in November 2025, is softer. At this point, it’s usually safe to have another look. There will be things you’ve completely forgotten, and there are also certain things you can say or ask on a second viewing.

Should I offer the asking price, below it, or above it?

I probably covered that in the earlier question about how much you should offer on a property. It’s very much down to the vendor’s circumstances and your own. You’ve got to match your offer to the vendor’s needs, as we discussed before.

Can I make an offer with conditions? For example, subject to survey?

You don’t need to, because under UK law, if the valuation or survey is really poor you just pull out. You don’t have to say this is subject to valuation because every accepted offer is always subject to valuation.

How do I submit an offer? Verbally, in writing or through my agent?

You don’t have an agent: the estate agent works for the vendor. They never work for the purchaser and it’s important to remember that. The estate agent is the enemy. You may laugh and joke with them, but their job is to get the most money they can from you.

Most people submit an offer by telephone. You’d ring the estate agent and chat through your circumstances, because it’s really important to show why you’re a good buyer.

If we were playing Top Trumps on best buyers, it would be a cash offer – where there’s no valuation, no survey, no house to sell and no mortgage involved. Second best is a first-time buyer with a very large deposit.

If you’ve got a big deposit, you need to tell the estate agent. If you have a £100,000 deposit and somebody else only has a £40,000 deposit, you look a lot better. You might decide not to use all that £100,000 as a deposit, but when putting the offer in, tell them how much you’ve got.

I’ve got a first-time buyer client who made an offer of £285,000 on a £300,000 home, which was accepted. They told the estate agent they’re putting £100,000 down, but they’re actually keeping £25,000 back to do the house up. We’re putting £75,000 down and the rest will be on a mortgage.

But the estate agent at this stage doesn’t need to know that. If there are two buyers, one with a £100,000 deposit and one with £60,000, the higher deposit will win as long as the offers are the same.

An estate agent is always going to try and nudge you to increase your offer – that’s what they do. But you’ll want to put the lower offer in and see what happens.

Should I include a deadline for the seller to respond?

Most vendors will respond in a reasonably quick time. The estate agent wants to sell as fast as possible, so they would ring the vendor straight away. But if you’re getting messed about, you could request a response from the vendor within the next 24 or 48 hours, or you’ll withdraw the offer.

If you make that statement, you need to adhere to it. But if you feel you’ve been messed about by the estate agent or vendor, you may need to put that deadline in place.

A lot of buyers think the estate agent is their best friend and end up putting higher offers in than they need to. They get talked into increasing an offer, getting browbeaten or even bullied by the estate agent. Their job is to get the greatest price for that house.

What information should be included in an offer?

Your circumstances… “We are first-time buyers, we can move in five weeks – or we will wait as long as your vendor takes to find a house. We’ve got a £100,000 deposit. We’ve got a Mortgage in Principle in place.” Attach that information and be as businesslike as you can.

Can I make an offer directly to the seller without an agent?

If the vendor’s showing you around, you’re getting on quite well and you feel confident enough to do it, then absolutely. If you can, negotiate with them. They will want as much money as possible.

That’s where buyers mistakenly think that an estate agent is on their side or can get it for £10,000 less. They’re probably playing a game with you. But if you can negotiate directly with the vendor, sometimes that pays dividends. It depends whether they’re showing you around or not, really.

What else do we need to know about putting an offer on a house?

If you’re dealing with a good mortgage broker, we will talk you through all these points.

We make sure your ducks are in a row before you start offering.

As we’ve been talking, a client has sent me a WhatsApp. They’ve found a property, but it’s only been up for sale for three weeks. They’ve asked about the vendor’s circumstances, so they’re already asking the right questions. They’ve looked at eight other properties, they really like this one and are hoping to make an offer.

Viewing those other properties has given them the confidence to start asking the right questions. I would always encourage people to look at as many properties as possible, not just the ones you fall in love with on Rightmove.

Looking at properties helps you work out what you don’t want as well as what you do want. Then, what’s left is of more interest to you. So have a look at anything and everything.

Key Takeaways:

• Make an offer once you have viewed the property, felt a strong interest, and completed your due diligence.
• While some advise having a Decision in Principle early, for straightforward circumstances, your broker can often secure one quickly with the intended lender, which helps limit credit footprints. For complex cases, arrange it sooner.
• Determine the vendor’s circumstances (e.g., how long the property has been for sale, if they need a quick sale or are flexible) and adjust your offer price and terms to be the most attractive buyer.
• Remember that the estate agent works for the seller to get the highest price, not for you as the purchaser.
• When submitting an offer (typically by phone), clearly communicate your strength, such as a large deposit, first-time buyer status, and flexibility on timelines, as these factors are highly valued by sellers.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP WITH YOUR MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS.