Probably too late for you viky and hope you got your place at good price. Heres my experience. Empty, needs complete reno house on market for �110K. We bid �98. Bidding war started which we won at �104 because we had cash. Conveyancing under way when higher offer came in. Vendor stays with us as we have cash (house unlikely to get a mortgage). We would not have bid higher anyway. I already had my survey sorted at cost of �300 ish. This showed big problems, not entirely unexpected but I started my own bidding war with the owner. Eventually we beat them down to �87K Expect to exchange soon. Should cost �25k to do up and this will make us a little on resell. Initial valuation was not the agents but the executors, it was way too high, despite our research we still thought it a reasonable price (as did the others I assume) but agent has now confessed and surveyor indicated that true value in current condition is around what we paid. Lessons aplenty here!!! And best �300 I ever spent.