Skip to main content
Before You ApplyEducational mortgage-readiness preparation

Deposit & LTV · 7 min read

Offers over: the gap between your offer and the valuation

In short

This page covers Scotland. Properties in Scotland are often marketed at 'offers over' a figure, and offers are commonly made above it. The preparation issue is arithmetic: a mortgage is calculated against a valuation figure, so if the price you agree is higher than the valuation used, the difference has to be found in cash on top of your deposit. We can show you that arithmetic clearly. We cannot tell you what any lender will value a property at, which figure it will use, or whether it will lend — and we found no Scottish Government source stating how a Home Report valuation relates to a valuation a lender instructs, so we do not assert one.

Who this is for

  • Buyers in Scotland considering an offer above the marketing figure
  • Anyone comparing a Home Report valuation with the price they are thinking of offering
  • First-time buyers in Scotland budgeting for the cash they need

Key points

The arithmetic is simple and worth doing early

If you agree a price above the valuation used for mortgage purposes, the amount above it is not part of what is borrowed against. It sits on top of the deposit you had already planned.

Loan-to-value is measured against a valuation, not the price you agreed

This is why the two figures matter separately. Our loan-to-value guide sets out the arithmetic in full, and the Scottish cash calculator shows both figures side by side.

We cannot tell you which valuation will be used

No gov.scot or mygov.scot page was confirmed during our 30 August 2026 check to state the relationship between the Home Report valuation and any valuation a lender instructs. Ask your lender or adviser which figure applies to your case.

The offer mechanics are Scottish and specific

mygov.scot explains that your solicitor formally notes interest, and that where several parties note interest a seller may set a closing date for offers. Preparation has to be done before that point, not after it.

Transaction tax is calculated on what you pay

LBTT is a Scottish tax with its own bands, and it is charged on the transaction. Offering more affects it. Revenue Scotland's figures are set out in our LBTT guide.

This is not bidding advice

We do not suggest what to offer, comment on what others typically offer, or estimate the chance of any offer succeeding. None of that is knowable or sourced.

Exceptions and things that vary

  • Scotland only. In England and Wales the process and the tax are different — GOV.UK's guidance states expressly that different rules apply in Scotland.
  • Not every Scottish property is marketed at offers over; some are marketed at a fixed price.
  • Nothing here says a gap between price and valuation would or would not be a problem for any lender.

How to work through it

  1. Write down the two figures separately

    Our suggestion: the valuation figure you have, and the price you are considering. Keep them apart in your notes; they do different jobs.

  2. Work out the difference in cash

    Our suggestion: subtract one from the other. That difference is cash you would need beyond your planned deposit if the lower figure is the one used for the mortgage.

  3. Add the other cash costs

    Our suggestion: LBTT, legal fees, any survey you commission for yourself, and moving costs are separate from your deposit. Our Scottish cash calculator lays them out.

  4. Ask which valuation figure will be used

    Our suggestion: ask the lender or a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser directly. This is the question this page cannot answer for you.

  5. Have your preparation finished before a closing date

    Our suggestion: because closing dates can be set at short notice, evidence gathered in advance is worth more than evidence gathered in a hurry.

Illustrative example (not a real case)

Imagine a property with a valuation figure of £200,000 where a buyer is considering offering £215,000. The £15,000 difference is not part of a loan calculated against £200,000, so it would be needed in cash on top of the planned deposit — before LBTT, legal fees and moving costs. The point is the arithmetic, not the numbers, and it says nothing about what any lender would do. Illustrative only.

Illustrative only. Figures and situations in examples are made up to show a method. They are not typical, not a benchmark and not a prediction of any outcome.

What not to assume

  • Do not assume a lender will use the Home Report valuation figure. Ask.
  • Do not assume a valuation will match the price you agree.
  • Do not assume an offer above a valuation is a problem, or that it is not.
  • Do not assume the England and Wales process or Stamp Duty Land Tax applies here. They do not.
  • Do not assume this page or our calculator predicts a lending decision. Neither does.

Questions for a qualified adviser

We cannot answer these for you, and we do not introduce or recommend advisers. Take them to a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser of your own choosing.

  • Which valuation figure will be used for the mortgage in my case?
  • If a valuation comes in below the price I agree, what are my options?
  • How much cash should I be planning for beyond my deposit?
  • What should be in place before I am in a position to offer at a closing date?

Work out my loan-to-value

Loan-to-value from a property value and a loan amount. Educational arithmetic only.

Work out my loan-to-value

Related reading

A resource that may help you organise the next step

Optional educational preparation resources. Nothing here is mortgage advice, a lender or product recommendation, an eligibility assessment or a prediction of whether an application would be accepted.

Browse all resources

Sources

No statistic, regulator citation or third-party claim is published until its source is verified. Unverified entries are shown as placeholders.

Written by

Before You Apply editorial

Written by the publisher's editorial function, not by a named individual and not by a mortgage adviser. Before You Apply is not FCA authorised.

Reviewed by

Independent reviewer — to be appointed

No independent reviewer has been appointed yet. No review, qualification, FCA status or endorsement is claimed for this content.

  • Last fact-checked 2026-08-30
  • Not yet independently reviewed
  • Next review due 2027-02-28

Disclosure: this guide is educational. Before You Apply receives no payment for mentioning any lender, product or firm, and none are named.

Keep reading

All preparation guides are grouped by topic in the guides index.

All preparation guides