Negotiating an offer: how to handle haggling

The odds of a seller receiving the full asking price for their home versus accepting a lower offer are evenly poised. That’s the latest market snapshot provided by the HomeOwners Alliance.

The consumer organisation commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK adults, including 1,269 homeowners. Responses revealed 39% of sellers achieved their asking price, while 10% of sellers accepted an offer over.

Conversely, 39% of UK property sellers settled on an offer below their asking price. There was a direct correlation between the size of the discount and the buyer’s success rate. One in five buyers (20%) had an offer accepted at 5% below the asking price. 

Buyers who drove a harder bargain didn’t fare so well. Only 14% of buyers secured a discount of between 5% and 10%. When a buyer’s offer was 10% below the asking price or greater, only 6% were successful.

We’ll advise you on an asking price that reduces the risk of negotiations. Our aim is to always have the smallest gap between your asking price and the figure that’s ultimately accepted. 

That said, expect a degree of negotiation when selling your home - especially when 1 in 4 buyers pay less for a property than originally advertised.

If you’re thinking of selling or offering on a property, you might find our advice useful.

Don’t overprice from day one: we can’t stress enough how using the local market average to set your asking price will reduce the risk of lowball negotiations. Buyers will have researched what homes like yours are selling for and they’ll spot a figure that’s inflated.

Don’t rely on old valuations: the value of your home will fluctuate. Too many sellers are using valuations obtained in the Covid era - when values were artificially inflated – to base their asking price on today. Demand and values have shifted significantly, so an up-to-date valuation from a local estate agent is essential.

Use online valuations as a guide: online valuation tools use your postcode to generate a value. They are a great guide but can result in a price that’s open to negotiation as they’re broad and generalised. An in-person valuation uses your home’s exact condition and features to set an asking price reflective of the local market.

Be prepared with comparables: if you think your home is priced fairly, guided by an estate agent and local market averages, you can enter into negotiations with a degree of confidence. Having evidence of what homes like yours have recently sold for can form part of your counter argument. When using comparables, be sure the homes are like-for-like in terms of location and condition.

Know when you’re damaging your own prospects: market conditions can change quickly. Driving a hard bargain to achieve your asking price should be tempered with your need to move and appetite for waiting for a willing purchaser. 

You can find a figure in the middle: you don’t have to accept a buyer’s revised offer. You can negotiate by counteracting with a new asking price that suits your circumstances. This type of negotiation can be guided by your estate agent for the best outcome.

Waiting for a higher offer isn’t always the best route: sometimes the highest offer comes from a buyer who is not in the best position to proceed. Our qualification process may reveal the person offering less than the asking price is actually the best prospect. This might be because they are chain free or a cash buyer.

Bear in mind price reductions will harm your chances of selling: Zoopla’s analysis is compelling. In 2025, homes that required a price reduction took 2.4 times longer to sell than those priced correctly in the first place. In Q1 of 2026, the portal found the average home sold for 3.5% below the asking price. That’s equal to £18,800 below the original advertised figure.

We’d be delighted to discuss an asking price and negotiation strategy with you. Please get in touch if you’re thinking of selling your home.