Wazzzer

Just wondering if anyone is clued up on what happens with houses that go to auction and how we would go about putting an offer in?

We've put in a lower offer than the asking price but they haven't rejected it so to speak, but said its now going to auction.

Now obviously before we could say we go ahead with anything we need to have a survey done on the house, but I don't want to pay out for it and be fucked over at the auction, having wasted £400 odd we haven't got.

I'm really in a fix here and haven't got a clue what to do now...