My buyer is still viewing other houses. Should I worry?

Hearing that your buyer has been seen at another open house can knock the wind out of you. It feels like a betrayal of the handshake. It is worth pausing before you read it that way, because in most of the UK a buyer is allowed to keep looking, and plenty of committed buyers do.

Is my buyer allowed to keep viewing after I accept their offer?

Yes, in England and Wales. An accepted offer is an agreement in principle, not a contract. The sale only becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts, and until then either side can withdraw without penalty.

Scotland works differently. There, a binding contract is formed once the missives, the formal letters between the two solicitors, are concluded, and withdrawing after that point can mean paying the other side damages.

Why would a committed buyer keep looking?

Most often, fear of losing their move. TwentyEA data reported in April 2026 put the share of agreed sales that fell through in early 2026 at 23.7%, roughly one in four. A buyer who has already lost one purchase may keep a second home in mind until exchange.

• They are covering themselves against your chain, or theirs, collapsing.
• They want reassurance that they agreed a fair price, especially in a market with this much choice.
• A partner or parent who missed the first viewings wants to see alternatives.
• Less often, they are genuinely wavering, which is why their actions matter more than the viewing itself.

How can I tell if my buyer is really committed?

Commitment in a property sale is measured by money spent and steps taken, because those are the things a buyer cannot get back. Ask your agent where your buyer is on each of the milestones below, with dates.

Should I keep my house on the market?

That depends on how far your buyer has gone. If they have instructed a solicitor, submitted their mortgage application and ordered searches, most sellers take the home off the market and let the sale run. If none of that has happened after a few weeks, you can ask your agent to keep the listing live, or to keep taking viewings quietly, until it does.

Whatever you decide, keep your own spending in step. Lining up your solicitor early is cheap and saves weeks. The bigger, harder-to-reverse moves, such as paying for leasehold packs or booking removals, can wait until your buyer has put their own money down.

A buyer who is still looking but has paid a solicitor, ordered searches and applied for a mortgage is behaving like a buyer. Watch the paperwork, not the viewings.

Does the market make this more likely right now?

Yes. Rightmove reported on 21 September 2026 that the number of homes for sale is at a 12-year high for the time of year, while buyer enquiries and agreed sales are both 9% lower than a year ago. More choice means more buyers who keep looking, and more reason for you to judge yours by their actions.

The same numbers cut both ways. With 123 days on average from sale agreed to exchange, you have a long stretch in which your buyer can change their mind, and they have a long stretch in which you could accept someone else. That shared uncertainty is why clear milestones help both of you.

Common questions about a buyer who is still viewing

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents. Sellers stay in control of their sale from the first valuation onwards, and that includes deciding, on the evidence, how long to wait for a buyer to show they are serious.