SurveySorted
Menu
Sign in

Renegotiating or walking away

Why should a buyer in England or Wales not copy the Scottish sentence about walking away without penalty?

Because that sentence is about the Home Report stage in Scotland. mygov.scot says you can walk away without penalty at that stage if you do not want to buy. In England and Wales the moment you are committed is usually exchange, unless you have signed something earlier. A RICS “what to do now” note tells you to get quotes before legal commitment. It does not enact Scottish missives.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

The packs are different. Scotland gives a buyer a single survey, a questionnaire and an EPC, and RICS says a purchaser can rely on that Home Report. England gives you the survey you instructed, written for you. Using the Scottish “no penalty” line after you have exchanged in Manchester is how people get the law of the wrong country. Your solicitor, qualified where the home is, is the person who says whether you are bound.

Estimates and quotes are sensible in both countries. The right to leave is not the same sentence. There is no RICS price for getting this wrong. Do not email an English agent a screenshot of mygov and call it your contract.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Which country’s process is this purchase?
  • Have I already signed something that binds me?
  • Which findings need quotes before I decide?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Ask the solicitor in the country of the house before you withdraw.
  2. Get quotes if you are still free to use them.
  3. Do not mix Home Report wording into an English Level 2 negotiation.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does Wales follow the Scottish pack?

No. Wales follows the England and Wales survey market, not the Home Report. Listing and building regulations in Wales still are not a Home Report.

Can you walk away in England before exchange?

Usually yes, if you have not already bound yourself. Confirm it. Do not rely on the Scottish page.

Sources