Before they ask:
What should I check before accepting an offer on my house?
Proof of funds or a mortgage agreement in principle, their chain position, whether they have sold, their timescale, and which conveyancer they are using. Accepting an offer takes your house off the market, so it is worth knowing who you are relying on.
- How long
- Same day
- Typical cost
- Nil
- Who asks
- You, of the buyer
Accepting an offer is the moment you stop marketing and start relying on one person. It is worth five minutes of questions first.
What to establish
Proof of funds. For a cash buyer, evidence the money exists — a bank statement or a broker’s confirmation. Agents routinely ask as part of their own obligations, so the information often already exists; ask for it.
A mortgage agreement in principle. Not a mortgage offer, and not binding, but it shows a lender has run a credit check and taken a view. A buyer who has not done this has not started.
Their chain position. Are they a first-time buyer? Chain-free? Have they accepted an offer on their own property, or merely listed it? These are very different positions and buyers are not always precise about which one they are in.
Their timescale. When do they want to complete, and is anything driving it — a tenancy ending, a job, a school place?
Their conveyancer. Have they instructed one? A buyer who has a firm lined up is weeks ahead of one who will start looking after you accept.
What they expect to be included. Fixtures and fittings arguments late in a transaction are entirely avoidable and disproportionately bad-tempered.
Why this is worth doing
Roughly a quarter of listings suffer at least one fall-through, and the most common causes are a mortgage being refused and problems at survey — not paperwork. You cannot prevent a lender declining someone. You can decline to take your house off the market for a buyer who has not spoken to a lender at all.
Where preparation changes the conversation. A seller who has their documents assembled can reasonably ask for the same seriousness in return. “Here is everything my solicitor will need, already gathered — can you show me your agreement in principle?” is a very different opening to the same request made cold.
The trade-off nobody frames properly
The highest offer is not always the best offer, and the reason is time.
| Buyer | Headline | What it really means |
|---|---|---|
| Chain-free, funds proven | Lower | Fewer failure points, faster completion |
| In a chain, offer accepted on theirs | Middle | Your timetable is now someone else’s timetable |
| In a chain, property just listed | Higher | You are waiting for a sale that has not happened |
Every week a transaction runs is a week in which a mortgage offer can expire, a chain can break, or circumstances can change. A faster, more certain buyer at slightly less money is often the better deal — but it is your judgement, and it depends entirely on what you are doing next.
One thing to have ready
If you have worked through your paperwork before listing, say so when you accept. Buyers and their solicitors respond to it, and it sets the tone for a transaction where you are the organised party rather than the one being chased.
Common questions
Is it reasonable to ask for proof of funds?
Yes, and it is routine. Estate agents normally ask as a matter of course, partly for their own anti-money-laundering obligations. If an agent has not offered you the information, ask for it — you are being asked to stop marketing on the strength of this person.
What is an agreement in principle?
A lender's indication of what they would in principle lend, based on a credit check and the buyer's stated circumstances. It is not a mortgage offer and it is not binding, but it shows the buyer has been through a lender's process rather than estimating.
Should I always take the highest offer?
Not necessarily, and this is where an informed seller has an advantage. A slightly lower offer from a chain-free buyer with funds in place can complete faster and more reliably than a higher one dependent on a sale that has not happened. Which matters more is a commercial judgement only you can make.
Can I keep marketing after accepting?
You can, and it has a name — continuing to market after accepting is legal in England and Wales, though agents vary in their willingness and it affects the relationship with your buyer. Most sellers take the property off the market. It is worth understanding that you are making a choice.
Last reviewed 13 September 2026. England and Wales.
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