Chapter 5 of 10 · From sale agreed to keys · 8 of 12
Sale agreed: what it means and what happens next
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Sale agreed is not legally binding in Ireland. What happens next, how long until contracts, and how buyers and sellers can still pull out.
Check before you hire: a solicitor should be on the register kept by the Law Society of Ireland. Law Society: find a solicitor
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Sale agreed is the moment the seller says yes to your offer. It feels like the finish line. It is not. In Ireland, sale agreed is a handshake, not a contract. This guide explains what it does and does not mean, what happens in the weeks after it, and how either side can still walk away.
What sale agreed means
Sale agreed means three things have happened:
- You made an offer and the seller accepted it.
- You paid a booking deposit, usually €5,000 to €10,000, to the agent (an agent needs a PSRA licence; see the estate agent page).
- The agent marked the home sale agreed and took it off the market.
It does not mean you own the home, or that you have a right to buy it, or that the seller has to sell it to you. Nothing is binding until both sides sign contracts. That usually happens four to eight weeks later.
Why it is not binding
In Irish law a contract for the sale of land has to be in writing and signed. An email saying "offer accepted" from an agent is not that contract, and it is written as "subject to contract" to make that clear. Until the formal contracts are signed by both sides, there is no deal in law. This is why the booking deposit is refundable: it holds the home, but it does not buy it.
The booking deposit guide covers where the money goes and how you get it back.
What happens next, in order
| Week | Step | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | The agent writes to both solicitors with the price and the names | The agent |
| 1 to 3 | The surveyor inspects the home | Your surveyor |
| 2 to 4 | The seller's solicitor sends the contracts and the title | The seller's solicitor |
| 2 to 5 | The lender's valuer visits and the lender issues the loan offer | The lender |
| 4 to 8 | Your solicitor raises questions on the title and you sign | Your solicitor and you |
| 8 to 16 | Closing: the money moves and you get the keys | Both solicitors and the lender |
The buying timeline tool shows these dates for your own sale agreed day.
Instruct your solicitor the same day
A solicitor (check the Law Society's register; see the conveyancing solicitor page) handles the legal side of the purchase. This work is called conveyancing. If you do not have one yet, pick one the day you go sale agreed, so the agent can tell the seller's solicitor who to write to. A solicitor's fee for buying is typically €1,500 to €3,000 plus VAT, with outlays of €400 to €1,200 on top. Ask for a written quote.
Book the survey in the first week
A survey is a check of the home by a surveyor or engineer (Engineers Ireland or the SCSI; see the house survey page). It finds damp, roof problems, cracks, poor wiring and extensions built without permission. A standard survey costs about €300 to €600 plus VAT. A full structural survey of an older or altered home costs €1,500 to €3,000 plus VAT.
The lender's valuation is not a survey. The valuer only says what the home is worth for the loan. The survey is for you. If the survey finds a serious fault, you can ask the seller to drop the price, fix it, or you can walk away.
The contracts arrive
The seller's solicitor sends two things to your solicitor: the contract for sale and the title documents. The contract follows the Law Society's General Conditions of Sale (2023 edition), with special conditions for this home. The title documents prove the seller owns the home and show what comes with it: boundaries, rights of way, planning permissions, the BER and proof that the Local Property Tax is paid.
Your solicitor reads everything and sends the seller's solicitor a list of questions. This is called raising requisitions on title. The answers can take a week or a month. If something is missing, such as a certificate for an extension, the seller has to find it or fix it. The signing contracts guide explains what you sign at the end of this.
The loan offer
Approval in principle got you to sale agreed. Now you need the full loan offer. The lender sends a valuer to the home, checks your documents again, and issues an offer letter with conditions. The offer is usually valid for six months. The loan offer guide explains the conditions.
How the seller can pull out
The seller can withdraw at any time before contracts are signed. The usual reasons are:
- A higher offer from another buyer. This is called gazumping. It is lawful. The gazumping guide says what lowers the risk.
- The seller's own purchase falls through, so they no longer want to move.
- The seller changes their mind.
If the seller pulls out, you get your booking deposit back. You do not get back what you paid your surveyor or your solicitor, unless the seller agrees to pay it, which is rare.
How you can pull out
You can withdraw at any time before contracts are signed, for any reason. The usual ones are:
- The survey finds a serious fault.
- The lender's valuation comes in below the price, and the seller will not drop it.
- The loan offer is for less than you expected.
- Your job or your plans change.
You tell the agent and your solicitor in writing. The agent returns the booking deposit. You lose what you have paid for the survey and any legal work done so far.
Keeping the sale on track
Most sales that fall through after sale agreed do so because of delay. The longer the gap to contracts, the more can go wrong. What helps:
- Give your solicitor and lender every document the day it is asked for.
- Book the survey in the first week.
- Put mortgage protection and home insurance in place as soon as the loan offer arrives.
- Ask your solicitor for a short update each week.
- Keep in touch with the agent, who hears first if the seller is wavering.
Where this leaves you
Put your sale agreed date into the buying timeline tool to see the typical window for each step. If you do not yet have a solicitor and a surveyor, get quotes now; the first-time buyer journey shows what each one does from here to the keys.
Questions people ask
Is sale agreed legally binding in Ireland?
No. Sale agreed means the seller has accepted your offer and you have paid a booking deposit. Neither side is bound until both have signed contracts. Either side can walk away before then, and the booking deposit is returned.
How long between sale agreed and signing contracts?
Four to eight weeks is typical. The seller's solicitor has to send the contracts and the title documents, your surveyor has to inspect the home, the lender has to value it and issue the loan offer, and your solicitor has to raise and close questions on the title.
Can a seller pull out after sale agreed?
Yes, at any point before contracts are signed, for any reason or none. A seller who accepts a higher offer after sale agreed is gazumping you. It is lawful. Your booking deposit comes back, but your survey and legal costs do not.
Can I pull out after sale agreed?
Yes. Until contracts are signed you can withdraw for any reason: a bad survey, a low valuation, a change of mind. The agent returns your booking deposit. You lose any money you have already paid your surveyor or solicitor.
What does sale agreed mean on Daft or MyHome?
The listing is marked sale agreed when the seller has accepted an offer and the buyer has paid a booking deposit. The home comes off the market in practice, but it is not sold. Listings go back up when a sale falls through.