A good price starts long before the offer. By the time you sit down to write a number, the deal has mostly been decided by what you learned at the viewing, the sales you compared and how ready you are to move.
Read the last six months of sales
Asking prices tell you what a seller hopes for. Completed sales tell you what buyers paid. Ask your agent for every sale within half a mile in the last six months, with the price per square foot, and compare like with like: a renovated three-bedroom house next to another renovated three-bedroom house.
Ask the questions sellers expect
How long has the home been on the market? Has the price changed? Why are the owners moving, and when do they need to? A seller who has already bought elsewhere often values a quick, certain sale more than the last ten thousand dollars.
Make your offer easy to accept
A mortgage agreement in principle, a surveyor booked and a flexible completion date can be worth more than a higher number with conditions attached. Put the price and your terms in writing, and give a short, reasonable deadline for the answer.
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