Closing date and offers

Once you choose a selling agent they will put your home up for sale. You must then wait to see if anyone is interested in buying your home.

Fixing a closing date

If a number of people formally tell your solicitor that they're interested in buying your home, you can set a closing date.

This is a deadline by which all written offers must be given to your solicitor. Even if you use an estate agent, the offers will usually be sent to your solicitor.

If there isn't much interest in your home, you will have to decide whether to wait longer for interest to gather, or state that you're willing to consider individual offers.

Considering offers

When your closing date ends you can look at all the formal offers that have been made by people who want to buy your home.

You don't have to accept the highest offer. You don't have to accept any offer at all, if you don't want to.

Offers will usually include conditions to suit the person who wants to buy the home. These may include:

• a moving in date
• any items in your home that they want to include in the price
• technical conditions based on the information in your Home Report

If the person who made the highest offer has added conditions you aren't happy with, your solicitor will see if they want to negotiate.

If not, you'll have to decide whether to accept a lower offer with conditions you like, or to re-advertise your home for more offers.