Richard W

The agent is under no obligation to pass on the offer, as the vendor may have agreed only to consider offers over £x. If your offer is less than £x, then they are happy for the agent to dismiss it straight away. There isn't a great deal you could do, although it might be worth writing down your verbal offer and sending a copy to the agent (put another copy through the vendor's letterbox - they may check the post every so often). This will at least remind the agent of your offer, and you have the opportunity to lay out your qualities (ready to move etc.).

Norton is just over the A19 from Billingham (you can easily walk between them) and, in my opinion as someone who lives there, is a much nicer location. You have plenty of choice right from 1-bed new-build flats to 4/5-bed detached houses. Local primaries are good, but the best secondary schools are in Eaglescliffe, Hartburn or Grangefield (unless you want to go private!).

I've been reading this forum for years, but felt the need to register when I saw my home town in a thread name! They are supposedly the two nicest areas of Stockton (people from Yarm often claim is isn't Stockton or Teesside, but 'North Yorkshire'!). However, many people in Yarm have a highly inflated opinion of themselves - think football WAGs. Also, the pubs and bars of Yarm High Street are frequented by all of the scum from the Ouse to the Tyne. People who actually live there are most put-out by this. Eaglescliffe is more of a residential area: there is no 'center' to speak of. Hartburn is very similar. Darlington is very mixed. There are some seriously swish parts, and horrible ghetto parts.