Condition ratings
Furniture covered the wall the surveyor most wanted to see and that wall is NI. What damp conclusion is unavailable?
No damp conclusion is available for that wall. Furniture covered the area the surveyor most wanted to see, and the wall is NI. NI means not inspected, not a pass. The survey has not said the wall is dry, and it has not said it is damp. Rating 1 would mean no repair currently needed, but that rating was not given. Do not promote a covered wall to a pass, and do not invent a rating 3 either.
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?
Ratings describe what was inspected. Rating 2 would mean defects that need repair but are not serious or urgent, and rating 3 would mean serious and/or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. None of those can be hung on a wall that stayed behind furniture. The limit is access. A suspect wall that cannot be seen is exactly the wall you cannot conclude about. The report uses NI to say so. It does not add a lifespan, and it does not guess the plaster.
Ask the seller to move the furniture for a further look if you need a damp conclusion at all. Until that happens, leave the rating as not inspected. Tell the solicitor NI is not a clear wall. Do not tell a lender the elevation was satisfactory. If the surveyor returns, the new note replaces NI only for what is then seen.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is this wall NI because furniture prevented inspection?
- Does NI here mean not inspected, rather than a pass?
- Have you withheld any damp conclusion for the covered area?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read NI as not inspected, not as a dry wall.
- Ask for the furniture to be moved before any damp conclusion.
- Do not invent rating 1 or rating 3 for a wall that was not seen.
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
If the skirting in front of the sofa smells dry, is the wall a pass?
No. A smell, or the look of a skirting, is not the covered wall. NI means not inspected, not a pass. Rating 1, no repair currently needed, was not given. The damp conclusion stays unavailable. Covered plaster stays unknown until it is seen.
Can you assume rating 2 because the surveyor wanted to see it?
No. Wanting to see a wall is not a rating. Rating 2 would mean defects that need repair but are not serious or urgent, and that was not given. NI means not inspected. Interest is not a defect grade. A wish is not a grade.