Making the offer
A conditional offer commits you only when the agreed conditions are satisfied; an unconditional offer commits you without those protections. Auction purchases are normally unconditional. Confirm finance and property checks before bidding, and ask your solicitor to draft conditions and deadlines that fit your lender's requirements rather than relying on pre-approval alone.
Conditional offer
You sign, but only commit if certain conditions are met by dates you specify. The common ones: finance (10–15 working days), builder's report, LIM, and sometimes sale of your existing home. If a condition doesn't get satisfied, you walk away with your deposit.
Unconditional offer
You've done all the checks up front — inspection, finance, LIM — and now you're committing outright. Sellers love it. You take on the risk. This is normal at auction and increasingly common in tender.
Auction and tender
Auction = unconditional bidding on the day. You need pre-approval, valuation, builder's report and LIM done in advance. Tender = written offers by a deadline, usually unconditional. Both are winnable, but the prep list is longer than a straight negotiation.
Clauses I make sure clients use
A finance clause with enough working days (10 is tight; 15 is safer), a builder's report clause, and — where relevant — a due diligence clause that covers 'any reason acceptable to the purchaser.' Your solicitor drafts these; I make sure they line up with the lender timelines.
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