Age and type of house
What if the coal cupboard under the stairs was full of junk and not entered?
Then it was not inspected. An internal coal store under the stairs is a cupboard in the house, not the vault under the pavement, and a comment on a front coal hole does not clear it. The hallway has not been given a pass for whatever is inside that cupboard.
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?
These cupboards can hold the meter, old plaster, a damp party wall or timber built into the stair. Junk is why they stay shut. A torch over the top of a crate is not an inspection. The survey should not say the understairs void is dry, ventilated or free of rot if nobody got in. Ask why it was left, and whether a return is realistic if the seller clears it.
Do not confuse it with a cellar you walked through, or with a pavement vault that belongs to a different question. If the only access is a small door behind coats, say so. A home survey does not empty the cupboard. Until it is empty and seen, keep it off every sentence that claims the stair and the wall behind it were examined.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Why was the cupboard not entered?
- Did you see any stain, meter or timber at the door, or nothing at all?
- Are you keeping this separate from any pavement vault?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the seller to clear it if you need it seen before exchange.
- Do not summarise the stair area as inspected while this door stayed shut.
- Do not call it a Georgian vault. It is a cupboard.
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
Does a coal hole in the pavement mean this cupboard was seen?
No. They can be different spaces. Each one is inspected only if it was opened.
Is not inspected the same as a sound void?
No. It means the surveyor does not know. Do not upgrade it to a pass.