It's not clear as to whether or not Jennyjoan's relative actually had a firm offer (theoretically) accepted. As I read the post, it seems likely to me that the property was simply advertised on an 'o.i.r.o' (offers in the region of) basis and that the amount now required to better a current offer is £115k. That's perfectly normal. Indeed, in the current market (which is firmly biased towards sellers), it's a remarkably small increase.
My Scottish friend is hoping to move from her current home in Italy to one here in Suffolk. As I've often served as her chauffeur wen she's been house-hunting in this area, I've been into plenty of estate agents with her. Many are currently reporting that some houses are selling within a fortnight (or less) of coming onto the market, with lots of competing offers being received during that short period. For example, an estate agent in Beccles said that she'd had a property on her books that was advertised at 'o.i.r.o. £280k'. She sold it just 10 days later for £340k, having sometimes had several competing offers pushing the price up in a single day.