Offers & negotiation
How to decide your number and hold it — offers, scripts, and the leverage the listing is hiding.
Most buyers arrive at an offer by starting from the asking price and taking off however much feels brave. That is a guess wearing the costume of a strategy, and an agent who does this for a living can tell the difference in one sentence. The guides here work in the other order: establish what the property and the seller's position actually justify, then decide the number, then work out how to say it.
They cover sizing an opening offer against evidence rather than nerve, what belongs in writing and why a written offer travels further than a phone call, how agents are obliged to handle what you send them, and when a deliberately low offer is worth making rather than merely rude. There are scripts, because the hard part of negotiating is rarely the analysis — it is finding the words while someone is waiting for you to speak.
The mistake that costs the most is not offering too low. It is walking into the conversation without a walk-away number and letting the conversation pick one for you. Decide it in advance, write down what supports it, and the rest of the negotiation becomes a question of holding a position you already know you can defend.
Offers Over, OIEO, OIRO or Guide Price: What to Offer
"Offers over" and "offers in excess of" name a floor the seller says they won't go under. "Offers in the region of" and "guide price" name a middle; offers below are expected. None is a valuation. Price the house from sold prices and its time on the market, then see where it sits against the label.
How Far Below Asking Price Can You Offer?
You can offer as far below asking as the evidence supports — there's no legal limit. In a typical UK market, achieved prices run a few percent under asking; on stale or overpriced listings, 10%+ is realistic. The ceiling on how low you go is set by demand for that specific home, not by etiquette.
How Much Should You Offer on a House?
As a rule, open 5-10% below asking on a typical UK home priced near the market, but the right offer is set by evidence, not a flat percentage. Anchor it to comparable sales, time on market, and seller pressure. Below are the four checks that turn a guess into a defensible number.
House Offer Rejected or Countered? Your Next Move
A first no is often where the negotiation starts. If the seller turned your offer down without a figure, ask what they would accept before you raise it. If they countered, compare their figure with your target and walk-away: agree, step once, or say your offer stands.
Best and Final Offer on a House: How to Set Yours
Best and final usually means the agent has more than one interested buyer and wants a last offer from each by a deadline, without showing anyone the rest. Send the most the house is worth to you, decided before the deadline, with proof you can proceed. It can be the offer already on the table.
Do Estate Agents Lie About Other Offers?
Sometimes the other offer is real, and it's rarely the whole story. From your end of the phone you usually can't tell, so don't raise on the word alone. Ask whether it's above yours and whether that buyer can proceed, and get your own offer confirmed in writing.
How to Negotiate House Price: 7 Scripts That Work
Decide three numbers before you speak to the agent: where you'll open, where you expect to agree and where you'll walk away. Give each one a reason the agent can repeat to the seller. Below are seven word-for-word scripts, one for each moment of the negotiation, with your numbers in them.
Making an Offer on a House: UK Step-by-Step
You make an offer on a UK house by telling the estate agent — verbally then in writing — how much you'll pay and on what terms. Have your deposit, mortgage agreement-in-principle and solicitor ready, because a "proceedable" buyer with proof of funds beats a higher offer that can't move. Here's the full sequence.
What Is a 'Cheeky Offer' — and When Does It Work?
A "cheeky offer" is a deliberately low bid — usually 10% or more below asking. It works when the evidence backs it: an overpriced home, one that's sat unsold for months, or one that needs work. It fails when it's just a low number with no reason behind it.