Making an Offer

Once you've chosen your dream house, it's time to put your offer in to the estate agent or direct to the seller, depending who you are buying from. You will need to take into account factors such as the condition of the property, how long it has been on the market, and whether or not the price has been dropped. Good research at this point will always pay off. Your offer should be based on sound judgement, on what the property is worth - not on your desire to secure the property at any cost. You should always be prepared to walk away from a deal rather than pay over the odds.

Buying property is one of the few times when you're expected to haggle - vendors rarely expect to receive the asking price. Don't try to rush into the deal and panic into over-bidding - you can always raise an offer that's too low, but you won't be able to lower an offer once it has been accepted. Remember that your bargaining position may be strengthened if you aren't part of a chain.

Base your offer on sound reasoning and provide a rationalisation for your offer, if it is considerably lower than the asking price. You should make it clear that your offer is subject to contract and survey.

In this section, you'll find some great advice and tips on researching your offer and negotiating the deal, along with some handy information on sealed bids and every house buyers nightmare - gazumping.