Quick definition
Sold STC, or Sold Subject to Contract, is the UK listing status used when a seller has accepted a buyer’s offer but the transaction remains subject to exchange of a legally binding contract. In England and Wales, this reflects the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 section 2 framework: either party can usually withdraw before exchange.
Characteristics
Sold STC is a market status, not a title status. It tells viewers, portals and other buyers that a seller has accepted an offer and the transaction is moving into conveyancing, surveys, mortgage work and draft-contract review. The phrase is common in England and Wales and is often treated similarly to “sale agreed” or “under offer”, although some agents use the labels at slightly different points in the process.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Sold Subject to Contract: offer accepted, sale not yet legally binding. |
| Typical trigger | Buyer’s offer accepted and proof of funds or mortgage position is checked. |
| Who uses it | Estate agents and property portals, not HM Land Registry. |
| Legal effect | No completed transfer and usually no binding sale contract until exchange. |
| Main risks | Gazumping, gazundering, survey issues, mortgage problems, chain breaks and delay. |
| Timeframe evidence | GOV.UK’s 2025 reform consultation says the current process averages 120 days and around one in three transactions fail. |
| How to verify | Ask the agent for the memorandum of sale and ask your solicitor whether exchange has happened. |
| UK variation | Scotland relies on missives; Northern Ireland also treats exchange as the binding point. |
Examples
A semi-detached house in Reading may be marked Sold STC after the seller accepts an offer and the buyer gives solicitor details. The buyer then arranges a survey, the lender considers valuation, and the buyer’s solicitor reviews title and searches. Until exchange, the status signals progress, not certainty.
A flat in Leeds city centre may also be Sold STC while the legal team waits for leasehold management information. If the buyer’s mortgage valuation is lower than the agreed price, the buyer may renegotiate or withdraw before exchange. In Edinburgh, the terminology and process differ because solicitors use missives; once a concluding missive is written, the Scottish Government describes that as binding. In Belfast, nidirect explains that exchange of contracts is the point where the sale is legally binding.
Common misconceptions
- Sold STC does not mean the property is legally sold. Legal ownership still changes later, after exchange and completion.
- Sold STC does not guarantee the seller will reject all other offers. The seller may choose to stop marketing, but accepted offers remain vulnerable before exchange.
- Sold STC does not mean the buyer can skip due diligence. Surveys, mortgage underwriting, title checks, searches and replies to enquiries are still important.
- Sold STC does not remove chain risk. The 2025 GOV.UK consultation identifies fall-throughs as a major problem, and nidirect notes that chains can cause a purchase to fail for reasons outside a buyer’s control.
Related terms
- Memorandum of Sale — The written summary usually issued after an offer is accepted.
- Exchange of Contracts — The step that normally makes an England and Wales sale binding.
- Gazumping — A higher offer is accepted before exchange.
- Gazundering — A buyer lowers the accepted price before exchange.
- Property Chain — Linked transactions where one sale depends on another.