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Original poster

Offering below ‘offers in excess of’?

33 replies

holr · 29/12/2025 21:34

Our house is not on the market yet (we did have it valued a few months ago though) but we have really outgrown our current house which we moved in just the two of us and now have two small children. There is one house in a lovely location and ticks all of our boxes, but is slightly out of our price range at ‘offers in excess of 315K’, our budget being between 280 to 300k. We bought our current house for asking price and this was our first home so not really sure how this works but would it even be worth viewing the house knowing the very most you could pay would be 305K? This is the only house that we would put our house on the market for that we’ve seen within at least the last six months. Just wondering what others experiences are.

OP posts:
Original poster
holr · 29/12/2025 21:34

The question should of said has anyone offered below ‘OIEO’ successfully or is it insulting?

OP posts:
Littletreefrog · 29/12/2025 21:36

You might as well, you never know what the sellers are thinking in terms of how desperate they are to move etc they maybe currently considering reducing to offer over £300k. You have nothing to lose by viewing and then offering but just go into it knowing there is a possibility of your offer being declined.

ProfessorRedshoeblueshoe · 29/12/2025 21:39

It also depends on the market where you live. Where I live houses go really quickly, and the 2 I know of have both gone over the asking price as demand is high.

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Original poster
holr · 29/12/2025 21:41

It’s been up for around 2 months, it was originally up for around 320 I believe and a few days ago it was reduced to OIEO 315.

OP posts:
Original poster
holr · 29/12/2025 21:43

Just double checked, it was actually 325k it was originally up for.

OP posts:
LemaxObsessive · 29/12/2025 21:45

I would put yours on the market immediately then you’re at least in a slightly better position upon offering than if you haven’t even marketed your house. They’ll assume you’re not serious/timewasting. There’s a lot of that about.

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 29/12/2025 21:45

Well, they probably won't say yes if it's just gone on as that, but OIEO is a rather silly construct. Really, all started valuations are "Offers in the Region Of".

OIEO is just that they'd really rather like you to pay above 315, not that you must only offer above.

Put 300 on the table, and if they refuse, tell them you're available if they change their mind later.

Cadenza12 · 29/12/2025 21:48

They are hardly going to accept if you're not even on the market. If you are going to offer low you need to at least be in a position to proceed.

thegrinchwasontosomething · 29/12/2025 21:51

I’ve noticed the ‘in excess of’ being used by estate agents to get people in the door, but the realistic asking price is usually higher.

id think that is the floor, but it’s always worth a try.

JamesClyman · 30/12/2025 12:56

OIEO is only an attempt to start a negotiation on the sale. Make the offer. They can only say "no".

Purplecatshopaholic · 30/12/2025 12:57

You can offer. They can say no. Or yes! Worth a shot.

StuffingMyNuts · 30/12/2025 13:04

We sold our last house with OIEO and we told the estate agent we were not interested in any lower. We knew we had a good house to sell and wasn’t prepared for any offers below to avoid people coming round offering what we would consider daft amounts.

OneOfEachPlease · 30/12/2025 13:06

I hate “offers and excessive” I think it’s perfectly ridiculous. But that’s not your question!! They probably won’t let you view until you’ve got your own house on the market. But once you do, view it and then offer what you think it’s worth/ what you can afford.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 30/12/2025 13:07

If you’re not even on the market, you don’t know that you have £305k to spend. Your house might sell for less than the valuation.

Frostynoman · 30/12/2025 13:09

they could be fishing as they don’t know what it’ll fetch. View it, get a feel from the agent and then put what you can offer in and let them go from there

ShesTheAlbatross · 30/12/2025 13:15

I don’t see why anyone would find any offer “insulting”. We had three offers on our house, one significantly below asking - I wasn’t insulted, I just wasn’t going to accept it.
Offer what you are willing and able to pay, and they can accept or not.

But I doubt they’ll accept and take it off the market if you’ve not got your house even on the market yet.

MO0N · 30/12/2025 13:17

That they have dropped the price after only two months might suggest that they need a quick sale?

MrsStickMan · 30/12/2025 13:18

Personally I wouldn’t. To me, “oieo” means they won’t entertain an offer below the minimum. If they would then what the heck was the point making it oieo?!

Littletreefrog · 30/12/2025 13:19

ShesTheAlbatross · 30/12/2025 13:15

I don’t see why anyone would find any offer “insulting”. We had three offers on our house, one significantly below asking - I wasn’t insulted, I just wasn’t going to accept it.
Offer what you are willing and able to pay, and they can accept or not.

But I doubt they’ll accept and take it off the market if you’ve not got your house even on the market yet.

This. People who find offers on their house 'insulting' are taking the whole thing far too personally. Why would you pay more than necessary for a very very expensive thing. People haggle over cars and they are a fraction of the price.

arethereanyleftatall · 30/12/2025 13:20

That’s not how it works op. You have to have an offer for your house, before anyone will be interested in any offer at all.

PurpleThistle7 · 30/12/2025 13:20

We got our house under the offer price (but 380 instead is 385 so not as much under) but it had been on the market for a year and was empty. It’s incredibly rare where I live and most houses go way over the offers over price.

Maybe get your house valued first? Maybe you’ll get more than you think

arethereanyleftatall · 30/12/2025 13:21

They might not even let you view if you’re not ready to proceed, many don’t, for obvious reasons.

Sunnyside4 · 30/12/2025 13:22

If it could be a real possibility and you know you want to move, then phone agents now to get the ball rolling.

You can only offer what you can afford=think property is worth. If they refuse, would you have about £1/2k you could add? If that was refused again, tell them you'll leave it on the table for them to come back to you.

Vound · 30/12/2025 13:29

They may be insulted, but that doesn't mean they'd be reasonable in feeling like that. Offer. You literally have nothing to lose.

A house is sold when the seller and buyer agree a price. If you don't offer, you definitely won't get it. If you offer, you might. Just because they advertise it at a certain price, doesn't mean the house is actually worth that or that anyone else will pay it.

HelpMySocksAreTouchingMe · 30/12/2025 13:48

The worst that can happen is they say no. You have nothing to lose.