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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Offering on a house that is listed as Sold STC

27 replies

User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 10:19

I went for a viewing on a house a while back and wanted to put in an offer, but someone beat me to it. I’m not in a chain and they are. I didn’t want to gazump, so I just expressed my interest and left it.

The estate agent told me the offer they accepted was on the condition the buyers completed in 6 weeks. Well, 6 weeks has been and gone, and they haven’t completed or even sold their own property. The EA isn’t exactly encouraging me to make an offer, but I really love this house and don’t want to miss out.

I do want to be fair – but equally, I’m in a much better position than the current buyers. I’m seeing the EA later, and I’m not sure what to say. Do I make a formal offer? Just remind them I’m chain-free and ready to go? Or sit tight and wait for the first sale to collapse?
What would you do?

OP posts:
vivainsomnia · 08/09/2025 10:27

Yes definitely do. Totally unethical to pull out close to exchange date, but perfectly acceptable at the stage they are out.

Cnidarian · 08/09/2025 10:29

Of course you should!

Original poster
User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 10:29

Sorry just to be clear, you’re saying it’s fine to put in an offer?

OP posts:
DancingFerret · 08/09/2025 10:34

Given the circumstances you've described there's nothing wrong with putting in an offer now. Do it (but if you really want the house be prepared to offer something near the asking price).

KarmenPQZ · 08/09/2025 10:38

Maybe it’s an issue with the place you’re buying tho… bad surveys or whatever.

Not to say about do it but I’d proceed with caution for sure.

Original poster
User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 10:38

I think it’s strongly related to the fact they haven’t sold yet

OP posts:
Deebee90 · 08/09/2025 10:39

Put the offer in, I did something similar and got the house I’m currently sitting in. Their offer was accepted on conditions , those conditions haven’t been met so I would make your offer. Good luck

xILikeJamx · 08/09/2025 10:43

Of course you make the offer. The sellers are then the ones in the moral dilemma, not you. The people who had their offer accepted have had their chance and not taken it.

As above though, be very diligent and make sure it's not the buyers delaying things because of issues with the house in question.

Original poster
User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 10:52

Thanks all. @xILikeJamx how would I check this? Do you mean after surveys etc?

OP posts:
Didimum · 08/09/2025 10:57

Completing in 6 weeks in 99.9% unrealistic anyway – they likely didn't mean that, and just wanted to impress urgency on any new buyer.

Gazumping is a dickish thing to do, but I then I think (sadly) all in fair in love and property buying.

The onus isn't on you though – it's on the vendor.

NZDreaming · 08/09/2025 10:57

@User8182737484849 im surprised they even accepted an offer from a buyer who hadn’t sold. It’s a theoretical offer of intent to buy but there is no weight behind it if they haven’t sold their own. I would have made your offer formally at the point you were interested, the vendor then has all the information to make a decisions. An expression of interest from you isn’t enough for them to come back to you, you need to show you’re serious.

Make your offer, show that you are serious and that you are the safer choice.

Didimum · 08/09/2025 10:57

User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 10:38

I think it’s strongly related to the fact they haven’t sold yet

Haven't sold or don't have an offer?

Calamitousness · 08/09/2025 10:58

Make your offer subject to survey and include a 4-6 week completion date so the seller knows you are serious and ready to go. Absolutely go for it though.

Iocainepowder · 08/09/2025 10:58

Does anyone actually complete in 6 weeks??

GoldMerchant · 08/09/2025 11:00

Estate agents are obliged to put every offer to the buyers. You don't have anything to lose.

We did this for our current house: their previous buyer was dwadling and they wanted to move asap. We were sold and wanted the same because another purchase fell through. It worked out!

Didimum · 08/09/2025 11:02

Iocainepowder · 08/09/2025 10:58

Does anyone actually complete in 6 weeks??

6 six is the shortest amount of time possible – and only for chain-free, cash buyers. So no, not really.

theresapossuminthekitchen · 08/09/2025 11:07

Iocainepowder · 08/09/2025 10:58

Does anyone actually complete in 6 weeks??

We did for our current house but only because we didn’t need a mortgage (we applied for one in the hope it would get through within 6 weeks, but it didn’t, so we had money from my parents as a ‘bridging loan’ instead). I’m honestly not sure whether this was all truthful on the vendors part, but in theory we got the house for £20k less than someone else had offered because we had no chain and could complete within 6 weeks. We were also in a hurry as we needed to get a school place for DS1.

Zov · 08/09/2025 11:07

YESSS!!! Put the offer in, and good luck. If the other 'buyers' have not even sold their property yet, why the F did they put an offer in on the seller's property?

I haven't bought a property or sold one for many years now, but when I was doing it (well, DH and I,) most people selling would not even entertain showing you around their property, unless you were a first time buyer, or you had already had an offer on your property, or you were a cash buyer. And they would certainly not have taken their property off the market for you, if you had not even had a sniff of interest in yours/had no offer!

Why did the other people put an offer in before having an offer on their property? Daft.

GOOD LUCK! 😘

zacsGranny · 08/09/2025 11:13

When we were house hunting, three years ago, we were told that offers would not be accepted until we had sold our house. We were fortunate that our sold quickly and were able to offer. We were gazumped on one, and seller changed their mind and sold to a friend on another. We bought the third one we offered on.

Lakeyloo · 08/09/2025 11:18

NZDreaming · 08/09/2025 10:57

@User8182737484849 im surprised they even accepted an offer from a buyer who hadn’t sold. It’s a theoretical offer of intent to buy but there is no weight behind it if they haven’t sold their own. I would have made your offer formally at the point you were interested, the vendor then has all the information to make a decisions. An expression of interest from you isn’t enough for them to come back to you, you need to show you’re serious.

Make your offer, show that you are serious and that you are the safer choice.

Exactly this.... they haven't really got an offer to accept as their buyers aren't proceedable (and if the potential buyers have paid out for surveys etc then more fool them unfortunately) The agent is legally obliged to put any offers forward unless the vendor has specifically expressed that they don't want to know.
Does the same agent have the potential buyers house on their books too by any chance ?
Make the offer !!

HouseHangover · 08/09/2025 11:25

I did this. Viewed and then went to out offer in but they’d already just accepted another offer. We left it for a few weeks and viewed other properties but the only one we remotely liked was that one. We put in an above asking offer and they accepted. Felt a bit cheeky at the time but the EA we spoke to explained the existing buyer was still trying to get a mortgage agreed in principle (we were just porting our existing mortgage so not as risky re borrowing) and they had a long lower chain. We have a very short chain below.

issue we have now is the seller still hasn’t found anywhere to move to, so it’s not a quite the happy ending story just yet!

Original poster
User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 21:08

So I’ve had an update… All the surveys etc have been done but they haven’t exchanged. They are still super keen. The buyer has an offer on the table.

Am I correct in thinking it would be unethical to step in now?

OP posts:
Original poster
User8182737484849 · 08/09/2025 21:15

Also just to add, EA has said the seller is relaxed and as long as they can see that work is being put into meeting the deadline (which has obviously now come and gone), they’ll wait. Feel very stuck.

OP posts:
Tryingtokeepgoing · 08/09/2025 21:38

GoldMerchant · 08/09/2025 11:00

Estate agents are obliged to put every offer to the buyers. You don't have anything to lose.

We did this for our current house: their previous buyer was dwadling and they wanted to move asap. We were sold and wanted the same because another purchase fell through. It worked out!

Estate agents aren’t obliged to put all offers forward if the vendor has already said they don’t want offers that don’t meet certain criteria. For example, I have always specified that they are not to forward offers from non proceedable buyers, and also not to forward offers that aren’t within 5% of asking price. Obviously market factors might mean I’d revise that %, but I’d always have something in my instructions. Then, I have always asked them not to forward any more offers once the contracts have gone out to solicitors. So I guess what I am saying is there is no harm putting an offer to the estate agent, but there is no guarantee it’ll make it to the vendor.

NZDreaming · 08/09/2025 21:50

@User8182737484849 you have nothing to lose by making an official offer. It’s up to the vendor to decide if they want to take it. They may feel morally obligated to their current purchaser but that’s their decision. They might not be and would welcome (a potentially higher) other offer.

I know buying a house feels very personal but ultimately you are buying a product which someone is selling. The motives and morals of others shouldn’t come into it. If you want the house, make the offer. If you aren’t that bothered, then don’t. it’s really not that complicated, the worse they can say is no.