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.
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.
How to Negotiate House Price: 7 Scripts That Work
Negotiating a house price is mostly about what you say to the agent and when. Lead with evidence, make the agent carry your reasoning to the seller, and always pair a number with a justification. Here are seven scripts — for the opening offer, the counter, the "best and final", and the walk-away — you can use verbatim.
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.