Seller-side surveys
What should a seller reply if a buyer asks them to sign the survey as accurate?
They should not sign a report they did not instruct and cannot verify line by line. The surveyor is responsible for the survey. The seller is responsible for the answers they give in the forms their solicitor uses, and in Scotland for the property questionnaire. Signing the buyer’s PDF as if it were a warranty is not a RICS step.
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?
A seller can say which facts are wrong, with papers. That is better than a signature. A buyer who wants a guarantee of condition is asking for insurance or a contract term, which the solicitor drafts, not for an autograph on a rating. RICS “what to do now” material is addressed to the reader of the report. It does not collect the seller’s signature.
False statements in the legal forms are the seller’s risk. The survey is the surveyor’s. Do not blur them. There is no fee for a signature because it is not a product. Refuse politely and answer the factual questions through the solicitor.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Are you asking the seller to adopt your report? They are not a party to your instruction.
- Which facts do you need the seller to confirm separately?
- Which limits must not be signed away?
What are the typical next steps?
- Buyers: ask for documents and replies to enquiries, not a signed survey.
- Sellers: correct facts. Do not underwrite the ratings.
- Solicitors: keep the forms and the survey as two bundles.
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
Should a seller initial the photographs?
No. Photographs are the surveyor’s record. Initialling them does not make them a completion certificate.
In Scotland, is the questionnaire already the seller’s statement?
It is the seller’s part of the pack. It is still not a signature on the single survey.