Buyer offered £485k on £510k listing, seller wants 8 weeks. Counter-offer strategy
Right — £25k gap (4.9% under asking) and an 8-week completion ask. That's a workable deal, not a problem deal. Here's how to play it.
First, read the signals:
- £485k on £510k = serious buyer. Not a lowball (that'd be sub-£475k). They've left themselves room and want you to meet in the middle.
- 8-week completion request = they have a constraint. Chain position, mortgage offer expiry, sale of their own property, or school catchment. Find out which — it's your leverage.
- Seller hasn't said no, which means seller is tempted.
A buyer who's cash + no chain + solicitor instructed at £485k is often worth more than a chain buyer at £500k. Price isn't everything — certainty is.
The counter-offer strategy — three scenarios:
Scenario A — Strong buyer (cash/no chain, proceedable)
Counter at
£500k. Hold the 8-week completion as your concession. Frame it: "Seller will do 8 weeks at £500k — that's a £10k move from asking, and you get the timeline you need." Expect to land at £495k–£497.5k.
Scenario B — Mortgage buyer with chain
Counter at
£502.5k and push back on 8 weeks — say 10–12 weeks is more realistic given searches/surveys/chain. You're trading: "We can be flexible on price OR timeline, not both at the bottom of each." Land at £497k–£500k, 10 weeks.
Scenario C — Buyer is weak / no AIP
Counter at
£505k and require proof of funds + AIP within 48 hours before seller takes it off-market. You're not desperate. £485k from a wobbly buyer isn't worth £505k from a solid one.
Scripts:
— To buyer's agent —
"Thanks for the offer. Seller's reviewed it — £485k doesn't get there, but there's a deal to be done. Seller will accept £[500/502.5/505]k with the 8-week completion, subject to proof of funds and solicitor instructed this week. If your buyer's serious about the timeline, that's the cleanest path."
— To seller —
"This is a real buyer. They're £25k under but they want speed, which tells me they're motivated. I'd counter at £[X] — we're likely to land around £497–500k. Holding out for full asking risks losing them and sitting another 6–8 weeks for the next offer, which historically comes in lower than the first."
⚠ The trap to avoid
Seller digging in at £510k out of pride. First offer is often the best offer — stat holds up across most UK markets. £497k in the bank in 8 weeks beats £510k "maybe" in 16 weeks, every time.
— To sharpen this further, tell me —
- Property's market history — days listed, viewings, prior offers?
- Any survey/structural issues the buyer might use to chip later?
- Seller's situation — onward purchase, divorce, probate, just testing?
- Local market — is stock moving or stale?
