Offer at asking price rejected in favour of lower cash buyer, any advice?

[honeyy]

Hi

I’ve been searching for a house since September 2025 and finally last week, I viewed a house and it was just perfect!

It ticked all the boxes! For me and my children. It can imagine it as my forever home!

2 offers were made, myself and a cash buyer!

The cash buyer did not offer full asking, it was below asking - and myself offered full asking £495,0000.

my offer was rejected. The chose the cash buyer.

I am heart broken. I actually feel sick. After months and months, this perfect house came on the market!

Any advice..:

Yes, this is right. We were told during our viewing that an offer was made, a cash buyer and lower than the asking price.

And therefore, I confirmed my offer being the full asking price on Friday afternoon.

Today on Tuesday, I was told- the seller has instructed us to proceed with the alternative buyer as he is a cash buyer.

Also I was told by the agent that they cannot tell me if I’m higher ( but during the viewing I was told it was below asking)

maybe the increased their offer. I don’t know

I’ve drafted my letter.

Will post it tomorrow. Fingers crossed guys.

Scared I will get a telling off from the agents too but I will take it if I do.

Good luck! At least you can know that this is not your fault. You found a house you loved, it ticked all the boxes so you sensibly offered the asking price which was the right thing to do. Hoping you get the house.

Who cares if they dont like it? If they dont it will either be because of shady dealings on their side, or because they are not passing on the full information (ie; doing their job properly). You could be doing the vendors a favour if they are being played by the EA, and if not then at least you know you tried.

So what. I’d do it if you really want it

hand post it - i honestly did this ! explained my situation, and said I would love to buy your house if you would consider my offer
My offer was accepted over someone else, as mine was to be a family home, not a HMO or anything like that.
Put your number on it too, the estate agents had not actually passed my offer on so I would have missed out

Good luck!

You said you were desperate to buy this house, can you emotionally accept a probable loss on this property in the future if you keep upping the amount ?

Send a letter directly to the vendor reiterating your offer and detailing your position in the best and honest light. Whilst we would hope that they agent had put the best offer forward to the vendor, they may view the cash buyer as the most likely to succeed and so more strongly recommended it to the vendor.

In your letter, state that you wish for your offer to remain on the table and would be grateful if you are given first refusal if the current sale does not progress.

Worth chasing agent up every 10 days or so to see if it is still progressing, demonstrates your are keen, who knows you may phone on a day when the purchaser is messing around, has t engaged solicitor or paid for a survey etc

The house is stunning. I could offer 10k over the asking price.

It is a forever home for me. A home where I see myself retiring in old age - I would not sell it ( at least if I can help it) and pass it to my children.

Thank you! I will do this.

My situation is that they have accepted a lower cash offer - ( could have been increased since) but I don’t know.

I think you’re right. I’d rather send it and then be at peace knowing I did all I could and if it is still a no then I can live with that

Why did your agents not pass your offer???? Isn’t it illegal ? Did you take any action?

There could have been any number of reasons , they could have fancied the other buyer or they could have been a friend or relative or they could have been using the in house mortgage broker..

So many possibilities.

It’s so sad to hear this happens. I genuinely was not aware this can happen

So heartbreaking for people that find their dream home, forever homes or just somewhere they can afford.

Going to bed with a heavy heart tonight. X

I took a lower offer because the top bid people were not proceedable, but you are almost as good as a cash buyer, so I’m surprised as you offered more. I think as you have din, keeping the offer on the table in case this sale falls through is a good idea, but also don’t count on it. Keep looking.

Thank you xx

Hard luck, honeyy.

Just wanted to say that we also had 'the one that got away' in early 2025. We offered asking, and lost out to a cash buyer £15k under. The despair was real.

Late 2025 comes round and we've found somewhere really nice. Keep the faith and keep patient and it will happen for you. You're in a great position with so much cash in this tricky market. Best of luck.

Don’t post it, just put it through the letterbox. RoyalMail could take a week to deliver it … a lot changes in a week!!

Hey OP, I have two pieces of advice. The first would be trying to let the house go in your heart, if the current cash buyer completes ok, you will indeed have to move on.

Secondly, as previous posters have said, don't believe everything you are told about "cash buyers", they very rarely are.

Last year DD saw the house of her dreams but hadn't put her own house up yet and the house was "sold" to a "cash buyer". Six months later, the house came back up for sale as the cash buyer was in fact a divorcee with insufficient funds of her own, trying to raise the balance from a mortgage in her dad's name! This time DD had just had pictures taken for her own property. She viewed the property, loved it, and kept the agent updated every step of the way, her own property sold in days with several above asking offers.

OP, she moved into her dream house 4 weeks ago.

I feel your pain! Our house is under offer and we’ve bid on six properties now where we’ve not been highest (closed bids, Scottish system…), and that’s going back to October. It’s all incredibly stressful and where we’re looking there’s so few suitable properties on the market. It’s hard to get excited about any of them as I’m always sure we’ll be 5-10% under the winning bid!

Who cares? If it is genuinely your forever home and you get it at a price you can live with nothing else matters.

I’d put a letter through the post setting out your position. There have been cases of EAs not putting across legitimate offers in favour of their friends/family being interested in a quick flip sale.

A lot of so-called cash buyers are nothing of the sort, based on what I've read on MN and elsewhere.

It sounds tempting but I know from experience that a cash buyer seems the easiest option but they have no skin the game until way down the buying process. People who have their own property on the market with an EA are likely to be serious about moving house, and the chain, which I know can break down, does give momentum for everyone to get a move on with surveys, etc.

When my sons were recently selling their late father's house there were a few offers - the cash buyer disappeared after a week or so, the other couple had their property on with the same agent, and they ended up the purchasers.

I hope you find your new home soon!

Agree. Don't risk posting it, might never arrive.

I agree to just put it through the door because the hold up in the mail could be all the difference. If you've already put it in the post, do another one & note that you have also sent one in the post but wanted to hand deliver in case it took too long to arrive. You have NOTHING to lose doing this.

Real Estste Agents work for themselves. Not either the buyer or the seller, & yes, many can be very underhand!

good luck 🤞🏼