What do you do when a survey finds problems?
Work out what it actually costs to fix before deciding anything — because survey reports are written defensively and the alarming language frequently describes routine maintenance rather than a reason to withdraw.
Read the report properly. Surveys use a rating system, typically flagging items by urgency. The mistake is reacting to the count of red items rather than to their substance: a report can contain many urgent-looking entries that together cost very little, and one calmly worded paragraph that matters enormously.
Understand the surveyor's incentives. They are liable for what they miss and not for what they over-flag, so reports recommend further specialist investigation extensively — "further investigation recommended" is a standard defensive phrase, not necessarily a red flag.
The sequence that works:
Separate the serious from the routine. Structural movement, roof failure, damp with a structural cause, unsafe electrics, drainage collapse, asbestos, invasive plants and building safety matters are serious. Failed sealant, worn decoration, minor pointing and an old boiler are maintenance.
Get quotes. Two or three written quotes convert vague anxiety into a number, and a number is what you negotiate with. An unquantified concern has no negotiating power.
Get specialist reports where recommended — a structural engineer for cracks, a drainage survey, a damp specialist who sells no treatment.
Then decide among four options: proceed unchanged; renegotiate the price; ask the seller to fix it before completion, which is usually worse than a reduction because you cannot control the quality; or withdraw.
How to renegotiate credibly: present the quotes, ask for a specific sum, and be proportionate — attempting a large reduction for routine maintenance frequently collapses goodwill, and sellers in a strong market will simply relist.
What may stop the purchase regardless: a mortgage lender retaining funds or refusing to lend pending works, which is not negotiable with the seller; and issues that make a property difficult to insure or to resell.
Remember the survey is for you, not the lender — the mortgage valuation protects the lender only.