The Scottish process
Offers Over and Closing Dates in Scotland
Offers over is an invitation to bid above a stated figure, set deliberately below the Home Report valuation to attract competition. Where several buyers show interest, the agent sets a closing date at which sealed offers are submitted by a fixed time, and the seller is not obliged to accept the highest or any offer.
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What offers over actually signals
It is a marketing figure, not a reserve. The purpose is to bring several buyers to the property at once so that competition, rather than negotiation with a single buyer, sets the final price.
Because it sits below the surveyor's valuation, buyers read the gap between the two as an indication of how much competition the seller expects.
Notes of interest
A buyer's solicitor lodges a note of interest with the selling agent. It carries no obligation on either side, but it tells the agent how much genuine demand exists and whether a closing date is justified.
How a closing date works
The agent sets a date and time. Interested parties submit written offers through their solicitors before the deadline. Offers are not disclosed to other bidders.
The seller may accept the highest, accept another offer on the strength of its date of entry or conditions, or accept none at all.
- Offers are sealed and submitted by solicitors
- Price is not the only factor — entry date and conditions matter
- The seller is not bound to accept any offer
- Nothing is binding until missives conclude
Fixed price and offers around
Fixed price invites the first acceptable offer at that figure and suits properties where competition is unlikely. Offers around signals a target and is used where the seller wants to steer expectations without inviting a bidding contest.
Setting your figure
Ask your agent to justify the offers over figure with recent comparable sales in the same postcode, showing what those properties were marketed at and what they achieved. A figure set by instinct rather than evidence is a guess.
Common questions
- Do I have to accept the highest offer at a closing date?
- No. Sellers in Scotland can accept any offer, or none. Date of entry and conditions attached to an offer often matter as much as the figure.
- How much over the offers over figure do properties sell for?
- It varies substantially by area, property type and demand. Any percentage quoted needs a source, a geography and a period attached to be meaningful.
- When is a Scottish property sale binding?
- When missives are concluded between the solicitors. Verbal acceptance of an offer is not binding.
- Can I set a closing date with only one interested buyer?
- It is possible but rarely advisable — a closing date with a single bidder removes the competitive pressure that justifies it.
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Sources
The Scottish process
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Published 2026-08-17 · Last reviewed 2026-08-17. General information about selling property in Scotland, not legal, tax or financial advice. Editorial policy.