Post-survey renegotiation: reduce, repair or walk away

Sort the findings

1. Safety and seaworthiness. Failed seacocks, rudder or keel damage, gas faults, electrical hazards. These must be fixed or the deal ends.
2. Major repairs. Engine, gearbox, rig, osmosis, delamination. They affect value, and a quote gives a number.
3. Wear items. Sails, batteries, cushions, antifouling. They age with the boat and are usually in the price.

Ask the surveyor which items fit in which group. See How to read a survey report and cost the findings.

Put a number on each item

Ask a yard or a specialist for a written quote for each repair. A price from a professional in Barcelona carries more weight than a guess. Allow a margin for work the quote does not see.

Your options

• Reduce. Ask for a lower price equal to the quotes. A seller who agrees keeps the sale and you pick the repairer.
• Repair. Ask the seller to fix the items before closing, with a handover inspection. The risk is the quality of the work.
• Split. The two sides share the cost. Common for items of debatable age.
• Walk away. Use this when the problem is structural, the seller will not engage, or the total cost exceeds what you want to spend.

How sellers respond

Most sellers expect a conversation after a survey. A request with a surveyor's report and a written quote is easier to accept than a round number. Stay calm, keep to facts, and ask your broker to carry the message.

Check the agreement

Read the clause on survey results and the deadline. If you walk away within the terms, the deposit is returned. If you miss the date, you may lose rights. See The deposit: how escrow protects you.

Write it down

Record any new price or repair promise in a signed addendum to the agreement. A spoken promise is hard to enforce.

Related guides

• How to read a survey report and cost the findings
• Survey and sea trial: how it works, who pays, what happens next
• Closing and handover: bill of sale, payment, documents, keys