Renegotiating or walking away
Should you tell the agent you will publish the survey if the seller will not cut the price?
No. The report is a professional document addressed under the surveyor’s terms, usually to you. Using it as a threat is not how RICS tells you to act on a rating, and it can cause problems with the surveyor’s copyright and with the seller that your solicitor would rather avoid. Negotiate with quotes and a clear request, or walk away.
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?
Agents hear bluffs every week. A calm letter with a quote is stronger than a threat to “tell the next buyer”. The next buyer may commission their own survey anyway. In England your report does not automatically become theirs. In Scotland the Home Report is already a shared document by design. Do not muddle the two.
If you withdraw, you withdraw. You do not need to punish the seller for a house you no longer want. The surveyor is not your advocate in that fight. This page is not legal advice on defamation or copyright. Ask the solicitor before you post a report anywhere.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- May I share your report with the seller? Say what your terms allow.
- Which findings are solid enough to put in a short request?
- Are you willing to speak to the seller’s contractor? That would be a new instruction if it is more than a clarification.
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the surveyor what you may forward.
- Send a short request through the solicitor: defect, quote, what you want.
- If the answer is no, decide to proceed or to withdraw. Do not escalate for sport.
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
Can the seller demand a copy?
They can ask. You do not have to hand over your report in England unless you choose to, or something you signed says otherwise. Ask the solicitor.
Does a bad survey have to be disclosed to the next buyer?
Your duty is not the seller’s duty. Sellers answer their own forms honestly. Do not rely on this page for a legal duty to publish.