Renegotiating or walking away
Should you ask the seller to do the work, or ask for money off?
Ask for the work when you trust them to do a specified repair before completion, with a chance to see it. Ask for money off when you would rather choose the contractor after you own the house. Do not ask for both in full. A rating is not a voucher.
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?
Seller’s works go wrong when the specification is “sort the damp”. Name the work, the standard and who checks it. Even then, you may not want their contractor in a hurry. Money off leaves you in control and leaves you with the mess. Betterment is real: a brand-new roof is better than the tired one you priced. The seller may offer a contribution rather than the whole quote. That can be reasonable.
RICS tells you to understand serious defects before commitment, not which negotiation style to use. Your solicitor writes the variation. If the work will not be finished before the moving date, a price change is often cleaner than a promise. There is no official split of the quote. Agree a figure or walk away from the negotiation.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What specification would a contractor need so this work is not vague?
- Which items would you rather see done before I complete, if I can inspect them?
- Which items are too uncertain to be a seller’s quick job?
What are the typical next steps?
- Choose one main ask. Write the specification if it is works.
- If it is money, attach the quote and say the figure you want. Be ready to discuss betterment.
- Put the agreement in the contract. A text from the agent is not the contract.
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 you ask for the optimistic quote or the expensive one?
Attach a real quote and say which. Using the highest number as theatre is how negotiations stall. Using the lowest number and then instructing a different job is how you underfund the repair.
What if the seller offers to do it after completion?
You would be relying on a promise once they have the money. The solicitor can say whether a retention between you, not the lender, is possible. Often a price change is simpler.