Choosing a survey level
What did the visit record about a Level 2 quote, about a Victorian terrace with a cellar, and about limits you should ask the firm to confirm before you instruct?
The quote for a Level 2 on a Victorian terrace with a cellar records an offer to do that survey, not the cellar's condition. Limits of what that Level 2 will and will not open still need the firm to confirm them before you instruct. The conversation has not entered the cellar, tested nothing in it, and has not decided access, headroom or whether stored goods will block it. A Victorian terrace often hides structure a Level 2 will only see in part. The quote has not settled those limits.
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?
Level 2 is a home survey with a set scope the firm should explain. On a terrace of this age the cellar may be the space you want described, and a standard visit may mark it unseen if it is locked, low or unsafe. A quote names a product and a fee. It does not walk the steps. Asking the firm, before instruction, what they will do if the cellar is obstructed is how you learn the limit. The fee discussion has not answered it.
Write to the firm and ask them to confirm how a Level 2 treats a Victorian terrace cellar, what they need for access, and what they will say if they cannot enter. Do not instruct on the assumption that the quote includes opening up. Tell the solicitor no inspection of the cellar has happened yet. If you need a fuller product, ask the firm to explain Level 3 as a different instruction, not as a silent upgrade of this quote.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Will the firm enter the cellar on a Level 2 if it is accessible?
- What will the report say if access is blocked or unsafe?
- Is any opening-up included, or expressly excluded?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the firm to confirm Level 2 limits before you instruct.
- State that the quote has not inspected the cellar.
- Compare Level 3 only as a separate instruction if you need more.
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
Has the cellar already been entered because a quote was given?
No. A quote is an offer to carry out a Level 2. It is not the visit. The Victorian terrace and its cellar were named as the property. Their condition has not been recorded. Access and scope still need the firm to confirm them before you instruct.
What should you ask about access before the firm is instructed?
Ask whether the cellar is within the Level 2, what keys or clearance they need, and how they report a space they cannot enter. Those limits are not settled by the quote. Put the answers in writing before you instruct, so the cellar is not assumed to have been included.