How much below the asking price should you offer?

By Kerblist · Updated 4 October 2026

What UK buyers actually pay

The average discount is modest. Zoopla found that the average home sold for 3.5% below the asking price in the first quarter of 2026, about £18,800. Averages hide a wide spread, though. In a HomeOwners Alliance survey of UK homeowners:

The most common discount was up to 5%, which a fifth of homeowners got; 14% got 5–10% off, and about 6% more than 10%. First-time buyers were less likely to negotiate: 35% paid below asking, against 42% of people who had bought before.

Local markets differ a lot. Rightmove’s September 2026 report shows homes taking an average of 64 days to find a buyer, with 91% of homes for sale in Scotland finding one, against 42% in London. A London flat that has sat for months and a Scottish family home with a closing date are very different negotiations.

Work out your offer in three steps

1. Check what similar homes really sold for

This is the anchor. HM Land Registry records every home sold in England and Wales. Take the same type of home (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat) sold on the same postcode or street, bring older prices to today’s money with the UK House Price Index, and look at the median. Our free tool does this in seconds:

Check an asking price against sold prices

Here’s what it showed for three real Oxford listings, all asking £550,000, in October 2026:

HM Land Registry doesn’t record floor area or bedrooms, so compare the same type of home on the same street, and look at floor plans to allow for size.

2. Check how long it’s been for sale

Time on the market is one of the few clues you get about the seller’s position. Rightmove only shows the latest change (“Reduced on…”), and a home that has been taken off and relisted can look brand new. See how to tell how long a house has been on the market and how to see when it was first listed on Rightmove.

3. Gauge the competition

Ask the agent how many viewings and offers there have been, and whether there is a deadline or a “best and final” round. If several buyers are interested in a home priced in line with sold prices, a low offer is likely to be turned down. If you’re the only one asking questions, you have more room.

How much to offer on a house that has been on the market for a long time

A long time on the market can mean more room to negotiate, but it isn’t a discount by itself. With a national average of 64 days to find a buyer, a home listed for several months is past the typical time, and a price cut is a sign the seller has already moved once. Before you offer:

• Ask why it hasn’t sold. Has a sale fallen through? How many viewings and offers have there been? Is the seller in a chain or already moved out?
• Compare with sold prices. A long time on the market plus an asking price above similar sales is the strongest case for a lower offer. A long time on the market at a fair price usually points to a problem worth finding before you buy.
• Explain your number. Name the sales you’re relying on and how long the home has been for sale. A figure backed by evidence is harder to dismiss than a round number.

Your position as a buyer matters too

Sellers weigh certainty as well as price. A buyer with no chain, a mortgage agreement in principle and flexibility on dates can sometimes win with a lower offer than a buyer who still has a home to sell. Say so when you offer.

Making the offer

• Make it through the agent, and in writing. Estate agents in England and Wales must pass every offer to the seller promptly and in writing, unless the seller has told them in writing not to pass on offers of that kind (Estate Agents (Undesirable Practices) (No. 2) Order 1991).
• Make it “subject to contract and survey”. In England and Wales an accepted offer isn’t legally binding until contracts are exchanged, so either side can still pull out or renegotiate before then.
• Don’t reveal your maximum. Leave yourself room to go up once.

If the survey finds problems

If your survey turns up repairs the asking price didn’t allow for, you can renegotiate before exchange. Get quotes for the work and put a specific, evidenced figure to the seller, rather than a general request for money off.

Scotland: “offers over” works differently

In Scotland homes are usually advertised at “offers over” a figure: the minimum the seller hopes to get. Many sell above it, especially when the agent sets a closing date for offers, and an offer becomes binding once missives are concluded. HM Land Registry covers England and Wales only, so the sold-price tool doesn’t work for Scottish postcodes.

About to make an offer? The Offer Pack will put all of this on one page for the home you’re buying (coming soon).

Questions

How much below the asking price should I offer?

There’s no fixed percentage. Start from what the same type of home nearby actually sold for, in today’s money, then weigh how long this home has been for sale and how much interest there is. If the asking price is above what similar homes sold for, that gap is your case for offering less. If it’s below, a low offer may simply lose you the home.

How much below asking price do houses sell for in the UK?

According to Zoopla, the average UK home sold for 3.5% below its asking price in the first quarter of 2026, about £18,800. Averages hide a wide spread: in a HomeOwners Alliance survey, 39% of homeowners bought below asking, 39% paid the full asking price and 10% paid more.

Is it rude to offer below the asking price?

No. Offering below asking is normal in the UK: around four in ten homeowners bought below the asking price in a HomeOwners Alliance survey. Estate agents must pass every offer to the seller promptly and in writing, unless the seller has told them in writing not to pass on offers of that kind.

How much should I offer on a house that has been on the market for a long time?

A long time on the market can mean more room to negotiate, but it isn’t a discount by itself. Rightmove’s national average is 64 days to find a buyer, so a home listed for months is past the typical time. Ask the agent why it hasn’t sold, then compare the asking price with what similar homes nearby sold for: a long time on the market plus an asking price above similar sales is the strongest case for a lower offer.

Should I offer the asking price on a new listing?

If the asking price is in line with what similar homes sold for and there is lots of interest, a much lower offer is likely to be turned down. If it’s above similar sales, you can still offer less on day one, with the sold prices as your evidence.

Does “offers over” in Scotland mean I have to offer more?

In Scotland, “offers over” is the minimum the seller hopes to get, and many homes sell above it, especially when a closing date is set. Scotland’s market is also faster: Rightmove reported in September 2026 that 91% of Scottish homes for sale were finding a buyer, against 42% in London.

This guide is general information, not financial advice: the offer is always your decision.