Majority paying under the asking price for a home despite talk of overheated market

Rightmove offers advice for buyers on how to strike a deal for their dream home quickly:


Look at local market conditions
Find out what the average asking and sold prices are of similar properties on Rightmove so you know if the price being asked for is fair in the current market

Think about what you would compromise on

You might find a property that doesn’t have all of the features on your original wish list but you know you could be happy living there, so make two lists: things that are essential and things that would be nice to have

Be sensible with how much you can afford

It can be easy to get carried away when you see a home you love, but putting in offers that you can’t afford will only lead to financial problems in the future. Think carefully before putting in a higher offer, but if you know you can make the repayments and see yourself living in the property, a couple of extra thousand may mean you can close the deal

Don’t be disheartened if your first offer isn’t accepted

While the majority of people are managing to pay under asking price there are still competitive markets out there in the more sought after locations, meaning you may need to pay over the asking price in these areas

Look a little further out

It won’t suit everyone but if you are willing to commute a little longer into cities from your home you will find you can get a lot more for your money.  This ripple effect is happening across London with the outer boroughs seeing more demand from buyers.

Sign up for Rightmove’s instant alerts to find it first
The sales / lettings market is moving fast, therefore you need to be at the front of the queue when a property hits the market.


The data from the Rightmove Consumer Confidence survey is taken from responses completed via an online questionnaire between 1st – 15th April 2014. A total of 6,625 responses from people who have bought in the past 12 months were recieved.

More articles...

What are the current UK mortgage rates?

What are the current UK mortgage rates?

Take a look...

Go to article
Bridget Jones’s London flat triples in price since first film

Bridget Jones’s London flat triples in price since first film

Take a look

Go to article
What could the new Spanish property tax mean for UK buyers?

What could the new Spanish property tax mean for UK buyers?

Find out more

Go to article