# How to make an offer on a house, and get it accepted

> Look at what similar homes sold for, decide your top price before you offer, and lead with your strengths: as a first-time buyer you have no chain. Put your offer to the agent in writing, with your mortgage in principle.

Buying · Published 2026-10-04 · Updated 2026-10-04 · https://firstkey.uk/articles/how-to-make-an-offer

## Decide your number first

Before you speak to the agent, decide your opening offer and the most you'll pay. Look at what similar homes sold for nearby, how long this one has been on the market, and whether the price has dropped. Every home on First Key has a price check against Land Registry sold prices.

## Your first-time buyer advantage

Sellers usually care about certainty as much as price. You have no home to sell, so you can't hold up a chain. Say so, and back it up with a mortgage in principle, your deposit ready, and a solicitor lined up.

[Write your offer on any home](https://firstkey.uk/homes): Try an offer on a home's page, then turn it into a message for the agent that puts your strengths first.

## What happens next

1. The agent must pass your offer to the seller.
2. The seller accepts, refuses, or comes back with a figure. It's normal to go back and forth.
3. Once accepted, ask the agent to take the home off the market, and tell your lender and solicitor.
4. It isn't legally binding until contracts are exchanged, usually 8 to 14 weeks later. [See what happens next](https://firstkey.uk/guide/what-happens-next).

**Buying in Scotland?.** Many homes are sold by closing date, with sealed offers, and the deal becomes binding earlier, when missives are concluded. Your solicitor makes the offer for you.

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