Offers over or guide price: what should I list my house at?
Published 15 September 2026 · 6 min read · By Evren Ergin
An offers over price tells buyers the figure is your floor, while a guide price tells them it is roughly what you expect, with room to talk. Either way, the label matters far less than whether the number underneath it matches what your home will actually sell for.
TL;DR
- •Offers over, or offers in excess of, signals the lowest price a seller might accept; a guide price signals roughly what they expect, with some room to negotiate.
- •In Scotland offers over is the usual format, backed by a Home Report with an independent valuation that sellers must provide within nine days of a request.
- •Sprift data published on 15 September 2026 shows price reductions on 27.2% of new listings in August, rising to 43% in the South East.
- •A price label cannot rescue a number set too high, so settle the figure against sold evidence and several valuations before you choose the wording.
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Every UK property listing needs a price. National Trading Standards guidance published in 2022 lists the price among the information that must appear on a listing. How you frame that price is where the labels come in.
What do the different price labels mean?
UK asking price formats and what they signal to buyers (sources: Santander, 21 April 2026; ESPC)
| Label | What it tells buyers | Where you mostly see it |
|---|---|---|
| Asking price (a single figure) | This is the price, and offers will be judged against it | Most listings in England and Wales |
| Guide price | Roughly what the seller expects, with some room to negotiate | Common at auction and in some private sales |
| Offers in the region of (OIRO) | The seller would like this figure but will listen to lower offers | England and Wales |
| Offers over or offers in excess of (OIEO) | The lowest price the seller might accept; offers are expected above it | Standard in Scotland; also used in England and Wales |
| Fixed price | A figure the seller will accept, often from the first buyer who can proceed | Mainly Scotland |
Should I list my house at offers over?
Offers over works when demand is strong enough for buyers to compete. It sets a floor, invites bids above it, and can create competition when several people want the same home.
It works against you when buyers are scarce. A floor at or above what the home is worth tells buyers there is no room to talk, and some will not book a viewing at all. In a quieter market the label can make a fair price look like a stubborn one.
- It suits homes in short supply locally, where recent sales show several buyers competing.
- It suits homes priced a little below the evidence on purpose, to draw a crowd.
- It suits sellers willing to wait for a closing date or a round of best and final offers.
When does a guide price or a plain asking price make more sense?
A single asking price is the clearest signal in England and Wales, and it is what most buyers search by. Property portals filter listings by price, so the figure itself decides which buyers ever see your home.
A guide price or offers in the region of suits a home that is hard to compare, such as one needing work or with an unusual layout. It lets the offers tell you what buyers think the home is worth.
How does offers over work in Scotland?
Most Scottish homes are marketed at offers over a figure. ESPC's buyer guide describes that figure as the minimum the seller is hoping to achieve rather than the final sale price, and explains that when several buyers note interest the seller's solicitor may set a closing date for sealed offers.
The system leans on the Home Report, a pack sellers must provide within nine days of a buyer asking. It contains a survey and valuation by a chartered surveyor, a property questionnaire and an energy report. Buyers compare the offers over figure against that independent valuation, because lenders usually lend on the valuation rather than on the offer.
What does the latest data say about pricing right now?
Rightmove reported on 17 August 2026 that the average asking price of newly listed homes fell 2.0% in August to £364,999. Sprift's report for August, published on 15 September, shows its sales conversion rate rising to 57.3%, a six-month high, with price reductions recorded on 27.2% of new listings.
Sales conversion and price reductions by area, August 2026 (source: Sprift, via Property Industry Eye, 15 September 2026)
| Area | Sales conversion rate | New listings with a price reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 74.8% | 22.3% |
| North East | 64.3% | Not stated |
| Wales | 62.7% | Not stated |
| South East | Not stated | 43.0% |
| London | 40.8% | 41.2% |
| National average | 57.3% | 27.2% |
Scotland, where offers over and Home Reports are the norm, converted the highest share of listings and cut prices least. That is worth noticing, but it does not prove the label is the cause, because prices and supply in Scotland differ from London's too.
The label tells buyers how to bid. The number underneath it decides whether they bother.
Common questions about offers over and guide prices
Is offers over the same as offers in excess of?
Yes. Both mean the stated figure is the lowest price the seller expects to consider, and buyers are invited to offer above it. You will also see it shortened to OIEO.
Can I accept an offer below an offers over price?
Yes. The label is a marketing signal, not a legal floor, so you can accept any offer you are happy with. If you do, tell your agent, so buyers who were told the floor was firm are treated fairly.
Does a guide price mean I will get less?
Not necessarily. A guide price invites discussion rather than setting a ceiling, and a well-priced home can still attract offers at or above the guide.
Which price label gets the most viewings?
There is no published evidence that one label beats another across the UK. Viewings follow the price itself, the photos and how the home compares with others at that level. Get the figure right first, then choose the wording with your agent.
Do I have to show a price at all?
Yes. National Trading Standards guidance on material information lists the price among the details a property listing must include.
How do I choose the number the label sits on?
Compare several valuations side by side, check what similar homes nearby actually sold for, and ask each agent to explain their figure. A number you can defend with evidence works under any label.
ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so you can see every figure and the reasoning behind it before you choose a price, a label or an agent.
Sources
- [1]Santander, Asking prices explained: guide price, offers over and more · 2026-04-21 · https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/mortgages/my-home-manager/asking-price-guide-price-offers-over
- [2]ESPC, Understanding offers over vs fixed price · 2026-09-15 (accessed) · https://espc.com/advice/buying/making-an-offer/understanding-offers-over-vs-fixed-price
- [3]mygov.scot, Home Report · 2020-08-12 · https://www.mygov.scot/buy-home/home-report
- [4]National Trading Standards, Guidance on Part A material information for property listings · 2022-07-12 · https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/news/national-trading-standards-publishes-guidance-on-part-a-material-information-for-property-listings/
- [5]Property Industry Eye, Property sales conversion hits six-month high as new listings plunge (Sprift Sales Market Intelligence Report) · 2026-09-15 · https://propertyindustryeye.com/property-sales-conversion-hits-six-month-high-as-new-listings-plunge/
- [6]Rightmove House Price Index, August 2026 · 2026-08-17 · https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/house-price-index/
Terms in this article
Plain-English definitions from the ValuQ property glossary.
Offers in the region of (OIRO)
Offers in the region of signals the seller will consider bids close to the stated figure, a little above or below.
Offers in excess of (OIEO)
Offers in excess of means the seller wants bids above the stated figure.
Best and final offers
Best and final offers is a request for every interested buyer to submit their single top offer by a deadline.
Material information
Material information is anything a buyer needs to make an informed decision, which agents are required to include in listings.
Price reduction
A price reduction is lowering the asking price of a home already on the market to restart buyer interest.
Guide price
A guide price is an indicative figure a property is expected to sell around, used where the final price is genuinely uncertain.
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