Basements and cellars
What should you read if the cellar hatch was not opened?
Read NI, or whatever limit the surveyor wrote, as a gap. A cellar that was not entered has no condition rating. Damp, rot, a sump and a cracked wall may all be down there. The survey must not be summarised as “no damp” while the hatch stayed shut.
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?
Hatches are screwed, painted, covered by units or unsafe. The reason matters. A seller who will not open a cellar before exchange is giving you a limitation, not a comfort. If the purchase depends on that space, agree access and a way for the surveyor to see it. A torch through a crack is not an inspection.
Cellars also complicate radon. UKradon says not to use the ordinary maps for cellars and to treat them as a higher chance. Not entering does not clear that either. This page states no cost for a return visit. Ask the firm.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Why was the cellar not entered?
- Is there any visible clue at the hatch: staining, a smell, a pump pipe?
- Are you willing to return if it is opened?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the seller to clear and unlock the hatch before you rely on the report.
- Do not let an estate agent call the house dry while NI sits on the cellar.
- If radon or damp is your worry, the unseen cellar is part of that worry.
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
Is a coal hole in the pavement the cellar?
It may connect. If it was not opened, it was not inspected. Do not assume it is empty and dry.
Does a basement flat’s survey include the whole basement of the building?
No. You get the space that was accessible inside the flat, plus what the instructions allowed outside. The neighbour’s cellar is not yours to enter.