What to check before
making an offer on a house
One in three UK property purchases falls through after an offer. The issues that cause this — flood risk, overpricing, short leases, planning surprises — are all in the public record. Check them in 8 minutes before you commit.
How much could data save you?
Buyers with comparable sales data and documented risk findings negotiate an average of 3–5% below asking price on properties where issues exist.
Potential negotiation
£12,500
3.5% off asking price
Report cost (Premium)
£39
One-off payment
Return on report
321×
If one issue is found
Based on UK buyer negotiation averages where a material issue (flood risk, overpricing or EPC) was identified before offer. Individual outcomes vary.
Where it fits
The UK property purchase journey
A report run at step 3 costs £39. A report run after step 5 — because the survey or searches found something — costs thousands in abortive fees.
Search & shortlist
Rightmove, Zoopla, agents
Viewings
In-person or virtual
Property report
This is where to run it
Make your offer
Armed with data
Offer accepted
Instruct solicitors
Solicitor searches start here — 2–6 weeks
Survey
RICS structural inspection
£400–£1,500 — wasted if issues found now
Exchange
Legally committed
Search & shortlist
Rightmove, Zoopla, agents
Viewings
In-person or virtual
Property report
This is where to run it
Make your offer
Armed with data
Offer accepted
Instruct solicitors
Solicitor searches start here — 2–6 weeks
Survey
RICS structural inspection
£400–£1,500 — wasted if issues found now
Exchange
Legally committed
What buyers discover too late
Six issues that change offers — or kill them
These issues appear regularly after offers are accepted and surveys commissioned. By then you've spent money, time and goodwill. All of them are checkable from official data before you offer.
Flood risk
Zone 2 or 3 flood risk adds £300–£800/yr to insurance — and some lenders won't mortgage at all.
Flood risk is one of the most commonly undisclosed material facts in UK property sales. It doesn't appear in a listing, isn't volunteered by the estate agent, and won't show up in a viewing. The Environment Agency maps every postcode in England — we pull it directly.
Source: Environment Agency
Sold price history
The vendor bought this property 18 months ago for £241,000. It's listed at £285,000.
Land Registry records every residential sale in England and Wales. If a vendor bought recently at a significantly lower price, you're negotiating against that data. A 3-year listing history of price reductions tells you how motivated they are. This information is public — it just isn't volunteered.
Source: HM Land Registry
Planning applications nearby
Over 1,200 planning decisions are made every day in England. The garden view you're buying could be a building site.
Planning applications within 200 metres of a property are public record but rarely searched before an offer. An approved rear extension next door, a commercial conversion across the road, or a 40-unit development behind the garden: all of these affect value and quality of life. We pull live planning data for every report.
Source: Local Planning Authorities
EPC energy rating
Moving from EPC band D to C can add ~£12,500 to a property's value (MHCLG research). A band E costs more to fix than to negotiate off.
The EPC rating affects heating bills, mortgage availability (some green mortgages require band C or above), and resale value. An estate agent may quote 'a good C rating' — the registered certificate on the EPC Register might say something different. We pull the live certificate, not the listing.
Source: GOV.UK EPC Register
Crime rates & 12-month trend
Area crime rates can change by 30–40% in a 12-month period. A Sunday afternoon viewing tells you nothing about the trend.
Police.uk publishes monthly crime statistics at street level across England and Wales. The raw level matters — but the direction matters more. A neighbourhood with rising antisocial behaviour or burglary rates affects insurance, resale and your day-to-day experience. We show both the rate and the 12-month trend.
Source: Police.uk
Leasehold & short lease
Under 80 years remaining: mortgage options narrow dramatically. Under 70 years: the cost of extending spikes. Under 60 years: some lenders refuse to lend entirely.
Leasehold status and remaining lease length can make or break a mortgage application and significantly affect resale. The Land Registry holds this information — but it's rarely included in a Rightmove listing. We surface tenure, title type and any relevant lease indicators in every report.
Source: HM Land Registry
Real example
How a £39 report saved £13,000
Property
3-bed semi-detached, South Yorkshire
Asking price
£285,000
What the report found
Flood risk
Environment Agency Zone 2 — insurance premium +£520/yr, some lenders restrict
Sold price history
Vendor purchased 22 months ago for £241,000 — current listing is a 18.3% markup
EPC rating
Band D — estimated energy costs £1,450/yr. C-rated equivalents cost ~£350/yr less
Planning nearby
Approved: rear extension on adjacent property. No major development concerns
Offered
£265,000
Based on flood risk + purchase history
Accepted at
£272,000
After negotiation
Saving vs asking
£13,000
4.6% below listing price
Report cost
£39
Premium report
1 in 3
UK purchases collapse after offer
Usually due to issues detectable in the public record
£2,700
Average cost of a collapsed purchase
Abortive survey, legal fees, time and cost of re-searching
8 min
To run a full property report
From 24 official sources — before you spend a penny on solicitors
Comparison
Property Snapshot vs solicitor searches vs RICS survey
All three have a role in a property purchase. The critical difference is when you get them.
Property Snapshot
Solicitor searches
RICS survey
Pre-offer checklist
Everything a serious buyer checks
Questions
Before you offer: answers
The cost of not
checking is higher.
A property report is the cheapest thing you will buy in a property transaction. Run it before you offer — not after.