How to work out what a property is worth, what to say to the agent, and how to handle a counteroffer.
Making an offer is where buying a home stops being research and starts being real. Most people either offer too close to asking price out of anxiety or pitch too low and lose a property they wanted. Getting it right means doing the work before the conversation, not during it.
The asking price is what the seller hopes to get. Sold prices are what buyers actually paid. Before offering on anything, check Rightmove's sold prices tool and the Land Registry price paid data for the street and surrounding streets — both are free and publicly available.
Look for properties of a similar type, size, and condition sold in the last 12 months. Hove's market moves, so sales from two or three years ago need adjusting mentally for any price movement since. Estate agents know this data too, and the good ones will price accurately against it. But not all do.
A property that went live last week and has had twelve viewings is in a different position to one that's been on for four months and has just had its third price reduction. The marketing history is useful information:
Rightmove and Zoopla both show listing history if you know where to look, and tools like Propertylog show price change history clearly.
Sellers and their agents take offers more seriously from buyers who have a mortgage Agreement in Principle in place and, ideally, a solicitor ready to instruct. If you're a cash buyer, be ready to evidence that. An offer from a proceedable buyer — one with nothing to sell, finance confirmed, and a solicitor lined up — is worth more than a higher offer from someone who still needs to sell their own property.
Call the agent rather than emailing — it's harder to ignore and you get an immediate read on reception. State your offer clearly, confirm your buying position (mortgage agreed in principle, nothing to sell, solicitor identified), and ask what the seller's preferred timeline is. Understanding their priorities — quick completion, a long completion to give them time to find somewhere, staying past a certain date — can give you a way to make your offer more attractive without necessarily increasing the number.
Follow up in writing immediately after the call so there's a clear record of what you offered and on what terms.
Before finalising your offer, ask what's included in the sale. Built-in wardrobes, curtains, white goods, and garden furniture are all negotiable and regularly become last-minute sources of friction. Getting clarity early is easier than arguing about it at exchange.
Ask the agent whether the seller would accept a revised offer, and if so, what they're looking for. Sometimes the gap is small. Sometimes the seller has been told to hold out for asking price regardless of the market. If you go back with a revised offer, do it once — repeated small increments waste time and signal that you'll keep going if pushed.
If a seller receives multiple offers and calls for best and final bids by a deadline, you have one shot. Submit your genuine maximum, confirm your buying position in writing, and consider including a brief personal note to the seller — it doesn't always make a difference, but occasionally it does.
In England, an offer is not legally binding until exchange of contracts. A seller can accept your offer and then accept a higher one from another buyer before exchange — this is legal and happens, particularly in competitive markets. The risk reduces the faster you move: instruct a solicitor the day your offer is accepted, push for a survey within the first two weeks, and keep communication with the agent open throughout.
Use our free valuation tool to get a market range for a property type before you start negotiating.
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