Nine weird and wonderful things house hunters do to get their offer accepted

There’s no denying it, homebuyers face an emotional rollercoaster when it comes to finding the right property. You can spend months searching for a property that ticks all the right boxes, so when you eventually find one, the priority is making sure you get your offer accepted.

Propertymark asked its members to reveal the extravagant things they have seen buyers do over the years to secure their dream home.

1. Porsche plea

One potential buyer was worried a sale wouldn’t be accepted at the last hurdle, so offered to buy the owner’s Porsche as well as the house to help guarantee the sale. The deal was sealed and the new owner sped off into the sunset having secured two purchases instead of one.

2. Luxury retreat

Hoping to make their offer stand out from the crowd, one buyer took the owner away to a country manor hotel and spa for a weekend of pampering.

3. Landscaping lure

After putting an offer forward, a persistent buyer volunteered to landscape and tend to the owner’s new garden for two years free of charge, in exchange for accepting the offer.

4. Trolley temptation

While viewing a potential property, a prospective buyer asked the agent to close and lock the front door behind them at the viewing. The agent later discovered this was because the viewer had brought the full asking price, in cash, in a gingham shopping trolley, hoping to make a deal there and then.

5. Buy without viewing

One particularly impatient buyer couldn’t even wait to see their perfect property before putting down an offer. All she had to go off was a description via email with the agent and a blurry video – she hadn’t even seen any photos!

6. Throw money at the situation

A determined buyer offered £32,000 over the asking price to secure a property that was already under offer to gazump the other party, while another offered £50,000 when a vendor withdrew a house from the market.

7. Paying for tenancy

In a desperate bid to get their offer accepted, one prospective buyer offered to pay a full 12-month tenancy for the sellers to go and rent somewhere else, so they were more likely to accept his offer.

8. Wining and dining the owners

One potential buyer invited the vendor out for an indulgent dinner at an expensive restaurant, with the hope to persuade them into accepting their offer on the property. It worked – winner, winner, chicken dinner!

9. A surprise introduction

Another buyer took matters into their own hands and presented themselves on the doorstep of the seller asking to pay the deposit in full there and then to secure the deal.

Related: 5 important reasons why buying a house makes more financial sense than renting

'Buying a home is a big financial investment. We hear many bizarre stories about buyers trying to woo sellers,' says Mark Hayward, Chief Executive at NAEA Propertymark.

What would you do to get your offer accepted?