Renegotiating or walking away
Should you ask the seller to knock off the reinstatement figure?
No. Reinstatement, where a Level 2 valuation includes it, is an insurance rebuild figure for the whole home. It is not the cost of the repairs in the survey, and it is not the market price. Subtracting it from the asking price is nonsense. RICS “what to do now” points you at quotations for rating 3 defects, not at the rebuild number.
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?
Market value, reinstatement and repair quotes answer three questions. MoneyHelper’s valuation guidance keeps the lender’s value separate from a condition survey. A seller who is asked to “take off the rebuild cost” should refuse, and a buyer who asks has misunderstood the page. If you need a price change, use a contractor’s quote for the defect.
There is no RICS rule that reinstatement is a negotiation chip. Insurers may not even accept the figure. Ask them. An opinion of what the home is worth is also not a repair budget. Do not move any of these numbers across the columns.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does this report even contain a reinstatement figure?
- Which defects need a contractor’s quote instead?
- Are you clear the rebuild figure is not the repair total?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not put the reinstatement figure in a price-reduction email.
- Get quotes for rating 3 items if you are about to commit.
- Ask an insurer what they need. Do not assume they will use the survey’s number.
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
Is a bigger reinstatement figure a worse house?
No. It often means a larger or more expensive building to replace. It is not a defect score.
If there is no reinstatement figure, did the survey fail?
No. A survey-only Level 2 does not include one. That is the product, not a miss.