Age and type of house
Why is a Victorian cellar sometimes left as not inspected even though the house was entered?
Because access was not safe, or the space was locked, flooded, or too obstructed to see. Entering the hall is not entering the cellar. An element that was not inspected should be recorded as not inspected. It has not passed, and it has not failed. A silent cellar is not a dry cellar.
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?
Where the surveyor did get in, stored goods, a coal chute and a lack of light still hide floors and wall bases. The report should say what was seen and what was covered. Damp in a cellar is common in old houses and is not automatically rising damp in the rooms above. The path between the two has to be described, not assumed.
If the purchase depends on the cellar, ask the seller to clear it and agree a return visit, or accept the limit in writing. Do not let an agent paraphrase ‘not inspected’ as ‘no issues’. Those are different words.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you go into the cellar, or stop at the door?
- What was stored so that you could not see the floor?
- Are you linking any cellar damp to the rooms above, or keeping them separate?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the seller to unlock and clear the cellar if you need it inspected before you commit.
- Do not read a missing cellar paragraph as a pass.
- If you go down yourself before completion, do not treat your look as the survey.
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 cellar the same as a basement flat?
No. A cellar under a house is part of that house. A basement flat is a home in its own right, with its own inspection.
Does not inspected mean the surveyor thinks it is fine?
No. It means they did not inspect it. No rating was given.