Making an offer

Make the offer through the estate agent and explain your position clearly: whether you have a property to sell, the status of that sale, your mortgage arrangements and your preferred timescale. A well-presented offer is more persuasive than a figure on its own.

There is no rule that says it should be. After all, this is about what the property is worth to you. However, you should take into account comparable evidence, competing interest and market conditions. Offering low simply for the sake of negotiating can sometimes alienate a seller, and you may lose a property you genuinely want.

There is no standard percentage. Some homes sell below asking price, others at it and competitive properties can sell above it. Ask the agent about the level of interest and make an offer you can justify and would be comfortable paying if accepted.

Provide your full buying position, evidence of your funding when requested, solicitor details if available and any conditions attached to the offer. If you are selling, give details of your chain. This helps the seller assess the quality of your offer as well as its amount.

No. The seller can choose whichever offer they prefer. They may favour a buyer with no chain, stronger finance or a timescale that suits them, even where another buyer has offered more.

Usually not without the seller’s authority. The agent can explain whether there is competing interest and may invite best and final offers.

The seller may negotiate with buyers individually or ask everyone to submit a best and final offer by a deadline. Your buying position will normally be considered alongside price, so make sure the agent understands the strength of your circumstances.

Interested buyers are invited to submit the best offer they are prepared to make, usually by a stated deadline. It is not an auction, and the seller does not have to choose the highest figure.

At Ashtons, we believe in complete transparency. So, it's quite normal for us to ask for these to be provided in writing, in sealed envelopes, which we will then open in front of the property seller.

In England and Wales, an accepted offer is not normally legally binding until contracts are exchanged. Before exchange, either side can generally withdraw, although they may lose money already spent on legal work, surveys or mortgage arrangements.

Gazumping is when a seller accepts a later offer from another buyer after previously accepting yours. You cannot eliminate the risk before exchange, but being well prepared, progressing quickly and asking for the property to be taken off the market can help.

If you are buying a property through Ashtons which is being sold with Assured Move, the seller will not be able to gazump you, as they will have signed a lockout agreement giving you a period of exclusivity.