Scotland: offers 'over'!

[TakingtheLeap]

DH and I are hoping to put in an offer on a house in a few weeks' time. We live in Scotland and where we are buying almost all houses are put on the market as 'offers over'.

Most of the research I've done online suggests that houses are usually allocated an 'offers over' price that is somewhere below the Home Report valuation price in order to drum up interest. In the case of the houses we are looking at, this is not the case: the offers over price is exactly the same (or, in one case, £500 less) as the valuation price.

We are reluctant to pay over the valuation price, as we would rather put everything we can into the deposit / essential repairs. All of the houses we are looking at have been on the market for between 4 months to 18 months.

For those who know the Scottish housing market (particularly in rural areas), are we being utterly unrealistic going in with the expectation of not offering more than valuation price? Is this sort of thing - the offers over price matching the valuation - optimistic advertising on the part of the sellers / agents?

Would be very grateful for any thoughts / advice!

As long as the home report's been done by a surveyor the lender's heard of, you'll be fine. My neighbour had hers done by a one-person outfit rather than a firm and every single offer she's had on it, the mortgage companies have insisted on the buyers getting a surveyor from their approved lists to go over it and confirm the valuation.

Lenders usually use the home report price unless it indicates worries to the structure. Or looks suspicious compared to other local prices (eg above the local ceiling price).

Most mainstream lenders are happy to go with the Home report as long as surveyor on their panel but if is more than 2/3 months old it will need to be refreshed and value can then change
Some lenders insist on their own survey
Do you know why it has been referred OP
I know Nationwide are being very careful with self employed borrowers
Have had a number of referrals recently but all went through in the end

Thanks all! Got the DIP today and have a full mortgage appointment booked now. I think the combined weirdness of our circumstances (I am on a fixed-term contract and DH is a non-EU national, so isn't on the electoral register) just meant a human had to approve it rather than a computer.