How to Make an Offer on a House: A Step-by-Step Guide for UK Buyers

TL;DR: Making an offer on a house involves more than picking a number. You need to research sold prices, understand the seller's position, present yourself as a credible buyer, and know what happens after acceptance. This guide walks through each step, with advice drawn from our team's experience helping buyers across West Berkshire, Central Wiltshire, and South Oxfordshire.

Buying a house is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. It can also be one of the most stressful parts of the process, especially when it comes to making an offer. How do you know how much to offer? How do you negotiate with the seller? And how do you make sure you're not outmanoeuvred by a more prepared buyer?

In our experience working with buyers across Newbury, Didcot, Marlborough, and the surrounding villages, the offers that succeed aren't always the highest ones. They're the ones backed by preparation. This guide covers how to research the market, set your budget, structure your offer, and handle what comes next.

Why Working With a Local Estate Agent Matters

An estate agent is a professional who helps you buy or sell a property. At Jones Robinson, we can provide you with valuable advice, market insights, and access to properties that suit your needs and budget. We can also help you with the legal aspects of buying a house, such as preparing contracts, arranging surveys, and liaising with solicitors.

What a national portal can't tell you is whether a property in Thatcham is priced fairly relative to what's actually sold on that road in the last six months. Or whether a property near the Pewsey Wharf tends to attract buyers from Bristol as well as London, which changes the competitive picture entirely. Local knowledge changes how you approach an offer.

We follow the Property Ombudsman Code of Practice, which sets out the standards and obligations of estate agents in the UK.

How to Research the Local Property Market Before Making an Offer

Before you put a number to a seller, you need to understand what comparable properties have actually sold for, not just what they were listed at.

You can start by browsing our properties for sale online to get an idea of prices and features in your desired area. Rightmove's sold prices tool and HM Land Registry data are also useful free resources for checking recent completions. You can also use online mortgage calculators and budget planners to work out how much you can borrow and what your monthly repayments will be.

In our territory, pricing varies significantly even within short distances. The average sold price in Lambourn sits around £482,000, while Devizes averages closer to £331,000. A property in Great Western Park, Didcot, appeals to a very different buyer pool than one in Harwell village, even though they're a few miles apart. Understanding this micro-geography matters when you're deciding whether a property is fairly priced.

You should also visit the area in person and view as many properties as possible that match your criteria. This gives you a clearer sense of the neighbourhood, local amenities, and the condition of properties at different price points.

One question worth asking the agent before you view: how long has the property been on the market, and has the price been reduced? A property that has sat for three months without a reduction is a different negotiating situation to one that was listed last week.

How to Set a Budget

Once you have done your research, you need to set a budget. This depends on your income, savings, debts, lifestyle, and future plans. You should also factor in other costs: stamp duty, conveyancing fees, survey fees, removal costs, and insurance.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for a property within 10% of your maximum budget. This leaves room for negotiation and unexpected expenses. It also means you won't be stretched if the survey flags remedial work that needs pricing in.

Get a mortgage agreement in principle before you make an offer. This document confirms how much a lender is willing to offer based on your financial situation. It signals to the seller that you are serious and ready to proceed. If you haven't done this yet, our mortgage partner Firstxtra Financial Services offers a free initial consultation and can work with a wide range of buyer situations, including self-employed applicants and those with smaller deposits. You can book an appointment through our mortgage advice page.

How to Decide How Much to Offer

There is no universal answer to how much you should offer, but there is a method.

Start with the sold price evidence, not the asking price. Asking prices reflect seller ambition. Sold prices reflect what buyers actually paid. Look at the closest comparable sales in the last three to six months: similar size, similar condition, same road or neighbouring streets.

Then layer in the property's specific circumstances:

  • How long has it been on the market? Longer listings give you more leverage.

  • Has the price already been reduced? If so, the seller may have already adjusted expectations.

  • Are there other interested buyers? The agent is obliged to tell you if there are competing offers.

  • What is the seller's position? A seller who needs to move quickly may value a clean, chain-free buyer over a higher offer from someone in a complicated chain.

According to HomeOwners Alliance research, the most common negotiated discount is up to 5% below asking price. Offers more than 10% below are rarely accepted unless the property has been sitting unsold for some time or has specific issues flagged by a survey.

As a general guide: start with a considered offer rather than your maximum. Be prepared to negotiate. And don't make an offer so low it reads as unserious. That can damage your relationship with the seller before you've started.

How to Make Your Offer

When you have found the right property, you can make an offer verbally or in writing. Do both. Make it verbally through the agent, then follow up in writing by email for clarity and a paper trail.

The agent is legally obliged to pass every offer to the seller. You should also highlight what makes you a strong buyer:

  • Whether you have no chain

  • Your mortgage agreement in principle

  • Flexibility on the completion date

  • Your readiness to instruct a solicitor immediately on acceptance

Sellers don't just weigh price. A buyer who can demonstrate they are organised, funded, and unlikely to cause delays can secure a property at a lower price than a less-prepared buyer offering more.

On the question of offer letters: they are not a legal requirement, but a short, clear written summary of your offer, your financial position, and your timeline can help, particularly in competitive situations where the seller is weighing multiple bids. Keep it factual. Don't reveal your ceiling.

What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted

If the seller accepts your offer, congratulations. But the process is far from over. In England and Wales, an accepted offer is not legally binding. Either party can withdraw until contracts are exchanged.

The next steps are:

  • Instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal work. Early instruction speeds the process. Our conveyancing service uses a "Contract Ready" approach, preparing draft contracts before offer acceptance to reduce delays.

  • Arrange a survey. A homebuyer report or full structural survey identifies any issues before you're committed. If problems emerge, you may have grounds to renegotiate.

  • Finalise your mortgage application. Your lender will conduct a valuation of the property before issuing a formal offer.

  • Exchange contracts. This is when the sale becomes legally binding. You pay your deposit (typically 10%) and a completion date is set.

  • Complete. The remaining balance transfers, ownership passes to you, and you collect the keys.

The period between offer acceptance and exchange is where transactions most often stall. Slow solicitors, unresponsive lenders, and chain complications are the usual causes. Our dedicated sales progressors chase every link in the chain on your behalf, which is one reason our average time from offer to sale completion is around 11 weeks.

How We Can Help You

Making an offer on a house involves research, timing, negotiation, and then a significant amount of administration before you reach completion. It can also be emotionally draining, particularly if an offer falls through or a chain collapses.

Our team across Newbury, Didcot, Devizes, Marlborough, Lambourn, and Pewsey works with buyers at every stage of this process. We can:

  • Help you find the right property for your needs and budget

  • Advise on how much to offer and how to approach negotiation in the current local market

  • Give you an honest read on whether a property is competitively priced for its area

  • Handle any issues or problems that arise during the process

  • Keep you updated at every stage

  • Work with your solicitor, surveyor, and lender to keep things moving

If you are also selling, our Dedicated Sales Progressor manages your chain from both ends, chasing lenders, solicitors, and agents on the other side so you don't have to.

Browse our current properties for sale or get in touch with your local branch to talk through your search.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much below asking price should I offer on a house in the UK?

Most accepted offers fall within 5% below the asking price, according to HomeOwners Alliance research. Discounts above 10% are uncommon unless the property has been on the market for a long time or has structural issues. In a competitive local market like Newbury or Didcot, some properties receive multiple offers above asking price, particularly for well-presented homes in good school catchments.

Do I need a mortgage agreement in principle before making an offer?

You don't legally need one, but it significantly strengthens your position. It shows the seller you have your finances in order and are ready to proceed. Most sellers and agents will take an offer more seriously from a buyer who can provide an agreement in principle alongside it. If you need help arranging one, Firstxtra Financial Services offers a free initial consultation through Jones Robinson.

Can I make an offer on a house that is already sold subject to contract (STC)?

Yes. The agent is legally required to pass on any offer they receive to the seller, unless the seller has specifically instructed them not to. A sale only becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts, so it is possible to have an offer considered even after another buyer's offer has been accepted. That said, the seller is under no obligation to consider it.

What should I include in a written house offer?

Your written offer should state the amount you are offering, your financial position (mortgage agreement in principle or cash buyer status), your chain situation, your proposed timeline, and the name of your solicitor if you have already instructed one. Keep it clear and factual. Don't include your maximum budget.

How long does it take from offer to completion?

It varies, but the national average is around 12 to 16 weeks from offer acceptance to completion. At Jones Robinson, our average is around 11 weeks, supported by our Dedicated Sales Progressors who actively chase every stage of the chain. The main variables are how quickly solicitors work, how responsive the mortgage lender is, and whether there are complications in the chain.

What is the difference between exchange and completion?

Exchange of contracts is when the sale becomes legally binding. Both parties sign identical contracts, your deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price) is transferred, and a completion date is agreed. Completion is when the remaining balance is paid, ownership transfers to you, and you receive the keys. The gap between exchange and completion is usually one to four weeks.

If you are buying in West Berkshire, Central Wiltshire, or South Oxfordshire and would like local advice at any stage, contact your nearest Jones Robinson branch.

Our Branches

Newbury Estate Agents 

Devizes Estate Agents

Didcot Estate Agents

Lambourn & Hungerford Estate Agents

Marlborough Estate Agents

Pewsey Estate Agents