Can I still make an offer on a Sold STC property?

Yes — until exchange of contracts, the seller can legally consider other offers. Estate agents in England and Wales are actually obliged to pass on offers they receive. Making a higher offer at this stage is known as gazumping; it is legal, though some buyers consider it unsporting.

What is the difference between Sold STC and Under Offer?

In practice they are used almost interchangeably. Traditionally "under offer" meant an offer had been made but not yet accepted, while "sold STC" meant the offer was accepted. Either way, nothing is binding until exchange of contracts.

19 July 2026 · Land a House guides

What does "Sold STC" mean — and can you still make an offer?

Q: How often do Sold STC sales fall through?

Industry estimates put fall-through rates at roughly a quarter to a third of agreed sales in England and Wales, depending on market conditions — caused by survey findings, mortgage problems, chain collapses or buyers simply changing their minds.

Sold STC means "sold subject to contract": the seller has accepted an offer, but contracts have not been exchanged — so nothing is legally binding yet. The buyer is still arranging their mortgage, survey and conveyancing, and either side can walk away without penalty. That is the whole answer in one sentence; the details below are what most buyers get wrong.

Why "sold" doesn't mean sold

In England & Wales a sale only becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts — typically 8–12 weeks after the offer is accepted. Everything before that is a gentleman's agreement. "Sold STC" on Rightmove or Zoopla simply marks that the agent has agreed a price with someone; the property has not changed hands and may well come back.

How often do Sold STC sales fall through?

More often than most people expect: industry estimates typically put fall-throughs at roughly a quarter to a third of agreed sales, depending on market conditions. The usual causes: a bad survey, the buyer's mortgage falling over, a chain collapsing above or below, or plain cold feet. This is why keeping an eye on Sold STC homes you loved is not wishful thinking — it is statistics.

Can you still make an offer?

Yes. Until exchange, the seller can consider other offers — and agents are legally obliged to pass on every offer they receive. Coming in over the agreed price at this stage is called gazumping: legal, common in hot markets, and undeniably ruthless. The gentler play is asking the agent to note your interest as a backup buyer, so you are first in line if the sale wobbles. A proceedable position (mortgage agreement in principle, no chain) makes you a very attractive plan B.

The jargon around it, decoded

Under offer — in theory an offer made but not yet accepted; in practice used interchangeably with Sold STC.
SSTC — same thing, one letter more ("sold subject to contract").
Exchange — the moment both sides sign and it becomes binding; deposits are at stake from here.
Completion — money moves, keys change hands.
Gazumping — outbidding an accepted offer before exchange.
Gazundering — the reverse: the buyer lowering their offer just before exchange.
Chain-free / no onward chain — the seller doesn't need to buy to move out; fewer moving parts, fewer fall-throughs.

The practical takeaway for buyers

Don't delete a Sold STC home from your shortlist — park it. If it falls through, it often returns at a lower price (a fall-through makes sellers nervous), and buyers who kept watching are the first to know. Land a House does this automatically: saved homes are re-checked daily, the card flips to "Sold STC" when it happens, flips back if the listing returns, and the full price history stays attached — so you can see whether the relisted price came down.

Never lose track of a "maybe"

Land a House is a free browser extension that saves Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket listings into one shared household list — with status tracking, crime scores, schools, sold prices and price-drop history built in.

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