Frequently Asked Questions
What is Snagging?
The term snagging is commonly used within the construction industry to describe the identification of defects within a building.
What is a Snagging list?
A snagging list is a list of defects identified during a visual inspection of your new home. This can simply be a typed list identifying the defects. More professional reports, such as we produce, use photographs that are date and time-stamped with a full description of the defect giving far better clarity for your site manager to follow.
How long will the snagging survey take?
The survey can take between 2 and 5 hours depending on the size of the property and what defects we identify, we then spend a few hours further putting your report together.
What time will the surveyor arrive?
The date and time of your appointment will be discussed prior to our surveyor attending. The date and time will be mutually agreed to fit in with your requirements. We will send a reminder a few days before to ensure nothing has changed.
Do you liaise with the builder?
We do not liaise with the builder as your builder will not deal directly with a third party only the customer who has purchased their property.
How quickly will I receive my report?
We endeavour to send you the electronic copy of your report the same day, this enables you to send it to your builders customer care department at the earliest opportunity. This is then followed by 2 hard copies within 48 hours depending on the post.
What happens if the builder refuses to do my snags?
We receive very little feedback from our customers informing us that the builder has refused to rectify the defects we have identified. However It is important to ensure you send your snagging report at the earliest opportunity to your builder. You may have to chase your builder frequently to get things done but they should not refuse to rectify your defects. If all else fails and you are not getting satisfaction from your builder, then depending on who your warranty provider is you should report your issues to them in writing. Please read and follow your warranty providers procedures when making a complaint.
How do I pay for the survey?
Unlike most snagging companies we do not ask for a deposit. Once the inspection has been carried out and you have received your electronic report, payment can be made by bank transfer and the details will be on the invoice that accompanies your report.
What is a Pre-completion Inspection?
As detailed by the “New Homes Quality Board” This is an opportunity for a customer to visit the New Home before Legal Completion. Alternatively, the Customer can appoint a suitably experienced inspector to undertake the inspection on their behalf. The purpose of this Checklist is to assist the home building industry show a commitment to cooperation and transparency in delivering a high-quality standard to every new home. The customer can and should expect their home to be constructed to a high specification and that the approach to the home and surrounding area is safe on the day they move in. The home should be clean and ready for the customer to enjoy and live in safely from day one. Take a look at a pre-inspection checklist example here
What is The New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS)
ABOUT THE NEW HOMES OMBUDSMAN SERVICE
The New Homes Ombudsman service has been established to provide additional and independent redress to consumers who purchase a New Home for their own occupation.
Its remit covers the whole period from the marketing and sale of a property through to after-sales and Complaints management for issues during the first two years of a New Home purchase.
Its primary purpose is to provide an independent service to consumers, free for them to access and use, which can impartially assess and adjudicate on issues that have arisen that fall within the Ombudsman’s scope. These are expected to be Complaints around the sales, marketing and Complaints Management processes, or issues or Defects that have arisen at or after occupation and which are not Major Defects.
More serious and Major Defects are likely to be more suitable for legal, insurance or other more substantial redress than the New Homes Ombudsman service, or for referral to another body, such as the Building Safety Regulator
When is the best time for a Snagging survey?
The best time to have your inspection carried out would be before you take legal completion of your new home. However, most builders will not allow a professional snagger into your property until you have taken legal completion. Once you know your legal completion date you should liaise with your professional snagger to attend as soon as possible, preferably the day after the completion date. If you have already moved in and require a snagging survey we can inspect your property at any time as long as it is still in your builders warranty period.
Can the builder deny access?
The builder can deny access up to legal completion depending on their policies, some but not all builders will give access to a professional snagger as legally the property still belongs to them.
What happens if my dates move?
If your completion date moves don’t worry as this does happen frequently with most builders. We will work with you to ensure we attend at the earliest opportunity to survey your new property.
What if new snags come to light afterwards?
As you live in your new house it is inevitable that there are likely to be some minor snagging items that come to light. You can make a list of items and give these to your builder to rectify, there are no limits to the amount of lists you can give to your builder within the first 2 years, which will be outlined within their customer care charter.
Why is my builder insisting on my snagging list within seven days?
If your builder is insisting on a snagging list within the first seven days after legal completion, this is not a problem. Let your builder know that you will be having your new house professionally snagged and you will submit your report when you receive it.
When the site manager calls to see you after legal completion, usually within the first seven days, let him know if you have seen any defects and give him your list to rectify. I would also write on his form that you are due to have your house professionally snagged and will submit this report when you receive it from your professional snagging company.
Make sure you keep all snagging lists you give to your site manager and log them with customer care. The reason for this is you will have an audit trail of issues raised with site and if they become ongoing issues customer care will also have a record of them.
What happens after I have received my report?
Once you have received your report don’t worry we are not going away, if you have any questions or queries we are always available to answer them for you.
Do you offer discounts?
We only offer discounts if we are able to inspect 2 properties on the same day in close proximity to each other. Please discus this at the time of reserving your inspection.
What areas do you cover?
We currently cover the North West, Cumbria, Cheshire, Manchester, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Merseyside.
Who is the best builder?
I am frequently asked this question, the answer is they are all the same. All the major national housebuilders are Plc’s and are governed by shareholders. My advice is to look at the site where you are thinking of buying your new home. If the site looks organised and is clean and tidy then you should expect the quality of your house to be the same. Look to see if the site manager has won an NHBC Pride in The Job Quality Award, he will normally have a winners flag or sign saying he has won. If the site is completely the opposite then logically your house will follow suit. It is all down to the quality of site management.