Seller-side surveys
The seller intends to stay in every room during the inspection. What can that do to the parts that can be seen?
It can shrink the parts that can be seen, because furniture stays put, hatches may stay closed, and the surveyor may not linger in an occupied room. A seller who remains throughout is present for the visit. The inspection then covers what is already open, not what would need moving, lifting or time alone to reach. The report should record those limits. Presence in the room is not the same as access to the parts that presence blocks.
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?
People often stay to answer questions, watch valuables, or simply live in the house during the visit. That is understandable, and it still has a cost in coverage. A rug is not turned, a loft hatch above a bed is not opened, a cupboard behind the seller is not emptied. The surveyor cannot later pretend those surfaces were inspected. What the seller hoped to display is not the same as what the inspection was free to examine.
If you are the seller, agree beforehand what may be moved and whether hatches can be opened, and then leave room for that to happen. If you are the buyer reading the report, treat every not-seen comment linked to occupancy as a real limit. Tell your solicitor which parts were blocked. Do not pressure anyone to call a covered floor inspected because the seller was in the room the whole time.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which surfaces stayed covered because the seller remained?
- Were hatches left closed while rooms were occupied?
- Will the report list those limits rather than imply access?
What are the typical next steps?
- Agree what may be moved before the inspection starts.
- Leave space so hatches and cupboards can actually be opened.
- Read every occupancy limit in the report as unseen, not as sound.
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
Can the seller still answer questions from another room?
Yes. Answering questions does not require standing in front of every cupboard. Waiting nearby, or coming back when asked, often lets more of the room be seen. The survey can only describe what was accessible. A running commentary from the doorway is not a substitute for looking behind the furniture.
Does a chatty seller count as full access?
No. Conversation is not access. If the person stays in the only working space, the floor, the hatch or the consumer unit may remain blocked. The report should say so. Do not convert a long conversation into a claim that every part of the room was inspected.