Not all professional snagging companies are the same, nor is every professional snagger. Some companies are more thorough than others, while others will prioritise good customer service. In terms of what a ‘good snagger’ should look like, there isn’t one answer. A great professional snagger isn’t always the snagger that finds the most snags. So, if you’re yet to find your dream new build home, you should explore the tactics that new build agents use to sell possibly poor quality homes.
The Qualities of a Good Professional Snagging Company
The most important thing for new house buyers to realise is, having a large number of defects within a snagging report is not good. Unless they are genuine snags and at that point, the question should be; is the house fit for habitation and why has it passed CML? What is more important for any newly built house buyer is honesty. Therefore your professional snagger should deliver their report from working within the building regulations and standards set by the house builder and warranty provider.
As a professional snagger, my aim is to identify all genuine defects and not to put any new build home buyer in conflict with the builder. This is not good for either party and leads to frustration, mistrust, and undue stress for the homeowner when the builder refuses to do some of the defects in the snagging report.
“Ian’s services were brilliant for our new build home
We hired a professional snagger because we were worried about what quality our new build house would be built to. The night before we thought that maybe it would be a waste of money because the home looked really well done. However, we are really glad that we hired Ian. He spotted several key things that we managed to get fixed from the developer without any push back and it really is a small price to pay to ensure peace of mind and the best possible quality house from the start. Ian clearly knows his stuff after a long career in the industry, was super friendly, taking his time and also fully available for questions before, during and afterwards. We highly recommend Ian and think all new build owners should take up his services.”
Derek
Rectifying Snags and Defects
Understanding what is and is not a genuine reportable defect, will ensure your builder rectifies all defects that have been identified within your report. Putting defects in a report just to bolster the number making your report look impressive is counterproductive. New home buyers trust the evaluation of their newly built home and will defend what they believe to be a defect because their professional snagger has said it is.
However, in all probability, some of the defects are not classed as defects. Therefore your builder will refuse to rectify them. This leads to conflict between both parties. Moreover, in some cases, destroys the relationship between the new home buyer and builder. Which ultimately spoils what should be an enjoyable experience of owning and living in a newly built house.
I have seen reports with over 200 defects within them, when, there are probably only 70-90 actual defects that the builder will acknowledge and rectify. The other defects within your report, your builder will refuse to do. This means they are not going to be rectified. Having a professional snagger with the knowledge and experience to identify genuine defects and include them within your report. This will ensure peace of mind for any new home buyer. Some of the most common snags will be taken advantage of by poor quality snaggers.
“Fantastic experience dealing with Ian
Fantastic experience dealing with Ian. Unfortunately only my husband got to meet him as move in day didn’t go quite as planned but my husband said that Ian was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We have just moved in to a Bellway new build, if you search Ian Lively on Linked in you’ll see his credentials for yourself. He has a massive influence on the developers due to his impressive employment history and it was the best money we spent in the whole buying process.”
Joanne
Things to Consider When Hiring a Professional Snagger
My advice would be to any new house buyer before you employ the services of a professional snagger consider the following:
- Do they have a professional-looking website with useful information?
- Do they give their advice freely?
- How long have they been in business, are they established or a new start-up company?
- Are they independent from any builder?
- Do they have customer reviews?
- What knowledge and experience do they have?
- Are there sample reports and case studies on their website?
- When discussing prices are there any hidden costs?
- How quickly do they produce the report for you to send to your builder?
- Do they offer any aftercare support?
Ask questions and do your research to ensure you make the right decision when choosing a professional snagging company to inspect your newly built home. When you move into a new build home you want the process to be as simple as possible without any unnecessary conflict with the construction company. Hiring professional snaggers will ensure that you’re going to find and rectify issues with your home in a timely manner. Read our article about new-build snagging surveys to understand how we conduct our snagging surveys here at Lively Professional.
“What a great knowledgable guy!
What a great knowledgable guy Ian was. Really professional but friendly and easy to talk to. Provided a useful overview at the end which put my mind at ease. Also, provided me with some useful tips. When you spend hundreds of thousands on a house why wouldn’t you ask a professional to check it for you, it just makes sense!”
Zaira Woods
We are pleased to say that Lively Professional Services are becoming one of the country’s leading professional snagging companies covering the north of England. Visit our blog for more articles on professional snagging, written by a snagger himself. Or to our contact page to see if we service your area. See below one of our happy customers, Karen, on her experience with Lively Professionals. I loved working with Karen and all of our brilliant customers, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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