How a purchase offer works.

The most delicate moment of the sale, explained clearly: what you sign, what binds you, what to check.

What a purchase offer is

It is the written statement by which a buyer commits to buy your property at a certain price and on certain conditions. It is usually irrevocable for a set period (a few days): during that time the buyer stays bound, while you are free to accept or not. It is almost always accompanied by a cheque as a deposit.

What happens when you accept

With your acceptance (communicated to the buyer), the offer becomes a binding contract for both: it is no longer a negotiation, it is an agreement. From there the path continues towards the preliminary contract and the deed before the notary.

The deposit: what really binds

In most cases the sum paid is a confirmatory deposit: if after acceptance the buyer withdraws without cause, they lose the deposit; if it is the seller who withdraws, they must return it doubled. That is why accepting an offer is never casual: it is a commitment with precise financial consequences. For particular cases, the right word is the notary’s.

What to check before accepting

Not just the price. Look at the conditions (the most common: "subject to mortgage approval" — it changes the offer’s solidity a lot), the proposed timing, what is included (furniture, garage, cellar) and the buyer’s solidity: a lower offer without conditions can be worth more than a high one full of "ifs".

The agency’s role

Our job here is to bring you serious, complete offers — qualified buyers, clear conditions — and help you read them: what binds, what suits, what to negotiate. When the open house generates several interested buyers together, managing offers well is what closes at or above the right price.

FAQ

What is a purchase offer?
A written commitment by a buyer to purchase at a set price and terms, usually irrevocable for a few days, accompanied by a deposit.

What happens when I accept an offer?
With your acceptance the offer becomes a binding contract for both parties, then proceeds towards the preliminary contract and the deed before the notary.

What does the deposit bind?
Usually it is a confirmatory deposit: if the buyer withdraws they lose it; if the seller withdraws they return it doubled.

This article is informational and describes how things generally work. For your specific case the notaio (notary), accountant and qualified professionals are the reference; for legal matters, a lawyer.

Part of the complete guide to selling a home in Sanremo.