Offers over or asking price?

[Magnificentkitteh]

I'm selling a 1930s semi in a popular location in the North West of England with a nice garden. It's liveable in as is but needs redecorating and buyers might want to upgrade kitchen and bathroom in due course. The estate agents have recommended an "offers over" marketing strategy to generate a buzz and go to sealed bids, but have said it's up to me. I'm not sure - if I were buying i think I would be a bit put off and certainly wouldn't want to bid way over the price the buyers have indicated they'll accept. But I haven't bought in a while. Dsis (who co-owns the property) has bought more recently and thinks offers over is the way to go. Any thoughts? Does it matter?

I think it very much depends on what price you select and what the market is like. Are properties selling quickly in your area of the NW? You need to research the market, see what is selling quickly that is comparable (try to be objective) and at what price and then select your OIEO price around 5% lower.

I was advised to have offer over, south East England. All offers came in below that amount.

As mentioned, for this to work, the price is key. If you want to generate a buzz and sealed bids, as suggested by the agent, that number will need to be lower than comparable property - by a meaningful amount.
If you price at a similar rate as comparable property but at offers over - you will definitely put some potentials off. Unless your property has some particularly good Usp's ? It could be a good strategy if sales are slow in your area if you get the headline number interesting enough for people to start competing. Or it could work against you if you overprice.

I don't think many people like the concept of OIEO and some find it confusing. It could put some people off even making an offer if they feel they want to make an offer that is beneath the OIEO price. Others will ignore the instruction and offer less, but feel a bit irritated by it.

Maybe in a buoyant market it encourages people to offer over the stated price but in this market, I would keep things straightforward and have a set price.

If more than one person makes an offer, the EA can go to best and final offers anyway, if they think that is the best strategy.

Maybe in a buoyant market it encourages people to offer over the stated price but in this market, I would keep things straightforward and have a set price
Agree

Nothings selling atm
House near me was offers over and has not sold

I wouldn’t. It will put a lot of people off. It’s not a good market either.

If as you say it is in a popular location, you think it will generate interest and sell well then I would consider best & final.
Doesn't eliminate buyers who can't (or won't) go for offers over but shows the maximum people are willing to spend.
Don't forget, it isn't just the person who is willing to spend the most but the person who is in the best position to proceed.

I am presuming this is a probate property and is not being used to fund an onwards purchase?
If so, make it clear from the start that last minute renegotiations will not be tolerated and instead will result in the house immediately going back onto the market.
People have plenty of time to view the property and come up with their best price before placing their B&F offer (clue is in the name) and unless the survey comes up with something like subsidence or a whole new roof being required, their original offer stands.

I am NW , popular location. Nothing is selling and more sellers are now resorting to auctions to attract buyers. I went round an offers over property a couple of weeks ago. As a buyer I would have used it as a guide price only and probably offered a little less than asking. I think in this market , offers over only works if the headline price is noticeably attractive .

A useful website for a general idea about regional variations:

House prices across the UK and by English region
The average house price for England was £292,000 in December 2025, up 1.7% (£5,000) from a year earlier. This annual rise was lower than in the 12 months to November 2025 (2.5%).

The average house price for Wales was £215,000 in December 2025, up 5.0% (£10,000) from a year earlier. This annual rise was higher than in the 12 months to November 2025 (0.9%).

The average house price for Scotland was £191,000 in December 2025, up 4.9% (£9,000) from a year earlier. This annual rise was unchanged from the 12 months to November 2025 (4.9%).

The average house price for Northern Ireland was £196,000 in Quarter 4 (October to December) 2025, up 7.5% (£14,000) from Quarter 4 2024.

The North East was the English region with the highest house price inflation, at 4.6%, in the 12 months to December 2025. This was down from 7.5% in the 12 months to November 2025.

Annual house price inflation was lowest in London. Prices fell by 1.0% in the 12 months to December 2025, compared with a fall of 0.7% in the 12 months to November 2025.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/february2026

As a buyer Ive always ignored 'Offers over' - I don't think it means much. Just put an asking price.

You can advertise as “offers over” without following with sealed bids.

or just market at a sensible price to get the viewings.

I wouldn’t. Doesn’t really mean anything to the buyers especially in a slow market. Might put them off

Good to see you back @Twiglets1 . I hope you're well.

I used to rely on the ONS summaries but ever since they confessed to issues with their own methodologies I have given up on them. A national or regional average across house types is almost meaningless anyway.

I now just prefer to look at the location specific data and trends on Area360 for each home type, to inform my judgement about house prices.

If a property is that desirable it will have multiple offers over and perhaps go to sealed bids anyway. Marketing it in that way from the off won’t change whether that happens or not. Buyers are savvy and they know what properties are worth and when sellers and estate agents are taking the piss.

Scotland all offers that come in will automatically be over the number started.

England - less sure. I sold a flat last year and the process was:

1. a low offer of X
2. changed agent
3. Was persuaded to put ‘offers over X plus 50k’. Was hoping for eg ‘x plus 100’!
4. got three offers at X plus 10, X plus 20 and X plus 20 cash so… disappointed and kicking myself.
5. Went with the cash offer.

I concluded that buyers are conditioned into paying less than any number they see mentioned, especially with all the discussion about the market.

‘Offers over’ is meaningless and is just an agent’s way to differentiate themselves and pretend to the prospective seller (you) that they have a clever strategy.

I’d go for stating a price level you would be happy with and hope to get close to it.

There is the expectation in Scotland, but the market dictates. When we sold in Scotland we accepted an offer at the marketed price. Others will negotiate lower if the demand isn't there.

Hi OP, I’m also in a very popular NW area, and it’s taken over 6 months for my turn key property to get an offer in. Market very frustrating currently and ended up selling for less than I wanted.
Just to keep your expectations in check- I (stupidly) thought mine would be gone quick as anything but people are nervous financially at the moment.

Thank you @XVGN 😀

Regional trends are more useful than assuming there is a single "property market" for the whole UK, which many people do who aren't as interested in it as you and I. And the report I linked to contains a lot more detailed information than the small bit I mentioned.

Would not deny that 360 is a more sophisticated tool. I would use it myself but think the office for national statistics has some useful information too, though more general.

Thanks everyone for your advice! Sounds like my instincts are in line with most people on here. It does seem a slow market but it is hard to gauge what the right price would be as local prices seem to vary on different criteria than I'm used to in London. For example 1930s seems to go for a lot less than a comparable 1980s build. But this one is on a much bigger plot than a couple of others that have sold recently and it's priced lower than similar were going for a couple of years ago. They don't come up that often so is a bit hard to discern trends. Will just have to list it and see i guess. It is a probate sale, yes. It's the house I grew up in, but I've never bought or sold near there.

I never look at at houses that are offers over

Why not, as a matter of interest? I’m intrigued

Two reasons firstly if I put in the search bar of right move or zoopla up to 200k and it comes up offers above 200k I would just assume I couldn't afford it as a 200k house id think I can get a bit knocked of. The second reason I think its psychological like tell me the price and I will see if I can get it cheaper so I feel like im getting a good deal, don't tell me a price and then expect me to pay more. If that make sense

Yes and thanks for replying.

It bears out what my buyers were apparently thinking. FWIW, as I explained, I was forced to accept x plus 20, when I had put it on at offers over x plus 50, so the strategy of offering low confidently worked for the buyers. (Less well for me!)

Well we went for straightforward asking price and seem to have generated a bidding war anyway. I guess the agents were right about the location being popular.

Good news @Magnificentkitteh