Should You Send Your Survey to the Seller? What to Share and How

You've asked for a reduction and the agent replies: "Can you send us the survey?" It's a fair request. The seller wants to know you're not making it up. But it's worth thinking about what you send.

I'm Ben Murrell, a builder with nearly 30 years on site. I review RICS surveys for buyers and help them turn findings into a costed list. I don't quote for or do the work, and I take no commission.

The short answer: send extracts, not the whole report

In most cases I'd send the pages that cover the items you're negotiating on, not the full report. That gives the seller the evidence they need without handing over everything.

There's no rule that says you must share it. The survey is yours: you paid for it and it was written for you. Your surveyor's terms may also restrict who can rely on it, so check before you forward it.

Why not send the whole thing?

• It contains items you've chosen not to raise. A full report lists dozens of normal maintenance items. Sending it invites the seller to argue about the small things and ignore the big ones.
• It can weaken your position. Sellers sometimes point at the parts that say "satisfactory" and call the rest exaggerated.
• It's written for you. The report is addressed to you as the buyer, so the relevant extracts plus a costed summary make your point more clearly to the seller.

When sending more makes sense

• If the seller is genuinely open and you want to build trust, sharing more can help.
• If the seller has offered to fix something, they need the exact wording so the repair matches what was found.
• If your lender's valuer has raised the same issue, the overlap supports your case.

What a good pack looks like

1. A one-page summary listing each item, its survey section number, and a realistic cost range or a quote.
2. The relevant survey extracts, with those section numbers highlighted.
3. Any quotes or specialist reports you've had, such as a roofer's quote or a drain survey.
4. Your revised offer, and a date you'd like a response by.

Keep it to the urgent items: Condition Rating 3s and anything a specialist has confirmed. Leave out what you could see at the viewing.

A short note you can adapt

"Our RICS survey has identified [defects, with section numbers]. Extracts are attached, along with [quotes / a costed summary] totalling £[amount]. We'd like to revise our offer from £[old] to £[new] to reflect this. We remain keen to proceed and would be grateful for the seller's response by [date]."

If the seller still says no

You have options short of walking away: a repair before exchange, splitting the cost, or narrowing your ask. See seller refused to reduce the price: your 5 options and how much you can negotiate off after a survey.