New Build Snagging

Initial Visit

Now that you have decided that a newly built property is for you, and have started on the journey of purchasing your new home, here at Lively Professional Services we fully understand how stressful this process can be. This is why at Lively Professional Services we provide a professional snagging service for new builds that will ensure your new home is fit for purpose.

Once you have received the keys to your new home your builder will ask you for a list of any defects or snags. The idea of being asked to find faults with your brand-new home may sound strange, but it is important to remember your home has been hand built in all-weather by many trades.

Poor workmanship and defects are common in today’s newly built homes, the industry is plagued with inexperienced and poor trades with little or no pride in their work, couple this with the government’s demands for more homes and the housebuilders need to satisfy their shareholders it is no wonder the industry has a poor reputation for delivering quality new-built homes.

Often customers are left footing the bill of defects they notice too late or are unable to identify them without knowledge and specialist equipment. Put all these facts together and the consequences are not good, which is why it is important to instruct Lively Professional Services to carry out a full snagging survey on your new home.

We specialise in new build houses and apartments, compiling a comprehensive and detailed photographic report and snagging survey, which enables your builder to act quickly in rectifying the defects I have identified.

The ideal time to have your snagging inspection carried out is preferably before you take legal completion, (Unfortunately most house builders will not allow this) that way it is more convenient for you and creates the least disruption once you have moved in. It will also give your builder more time to rectify any defects I identify, especially if any major defects have been identified.

The majority of house builders will have a customer care charter that outlines the procedures and timescales for reporting defects to their customer care department, my recommendation is that you have a snagging survey carried out as soon as possible following handover, but certainly within the first two months of occupation.

Having extensive knowledge and experience within the house building industry, helps me identify any minor or major defects within your new home and compile them into a detailed comprehensive photographic snagging report, which you will receive the same day electronically.

It is important to note a snagging survey is a visual inspection and is not a structural building or valuation report.

The inspection usually takes between 2 & 4 hours and all defects are summarised in my reports.

The defects I commonly identify through snagging range from roofing issues, poor insulation, thermal bridging, poor brickwork, leaks, breaches in building regulations and NHBC/LABC standards, aesthetic issues such as decoration, wall and floor tiling, damaged kitchen units etc.

My Snagging inspection will include the following checks on your new-build property

Roof tiles/slate
Gutters and downspouts
External drives and garden areas
Fencing, gates
Driveways
Paths and patios
All elevations including garages
Loft inspection
External Windows and Doors
Decoration and plaster
Internal doors, skirting boards, and architraves

Ironmongery
Kitchen furniture
Sanitary fittings
Walls, flooring, ceilings, and staircases
Wall and floor tilling
Electrical test on sockets
Plumbing test for leaks
CO2 (Carbon Monoxide) boiler test
Fire Safety Compliance
Breaches in Building Regulations
Poor workmanship

For a free quote, get in contact with us today.

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New build inspection follow up visit

Once your initial home snagging inspection has been carried out, we can re-visit your new home to carry out a snagging re-inspection to ensure all the issues raised during our initial snagging inspection have been rectified correctly and to a satisfactory standard.

Having a new build inspection follow up visit is important; it ensures issues in your original survey are rectified and any new issues are raised to your builder. Customers who choose to have a re-inspection survey enjoy peace of mind. As often builders will not rectify their work to the required standard which is why a re-inspection can be vital.

A re-inspection takes less time for me to conduct which is why it costs less than the initial snagging survey.

Your original report will be used with any new defects being added and the issues completed satisfactorily will be marked as complete. I will then reissue your snagging survey report the same day for you to send to your builder.

It is important to understand that your property will go through a period of settlement, usually during the first 12 – 18 months, and it is likely that you will notice the appearance of cracks, nail pops, misaligning doors, creaking floorboards etc.

This is normal and should be nothing to worry about.

After care service

Our aim is to make life as easy as possible, giving you peace of mind, which is an essential part of helping my customers settle into their newly built home.

After receiving your initial snagging report, it is important that our journey together does not come to an end, being available to answer any questions and give advice to my customers is important to me, as my reputation is firmly built on the quality of my reports, high standards and customer service.

Having gained extensive knowledge of the house building industry ensures all my customers have the support they need to achieve the best possible outcome from their snagging report, helping and advising when your builder is not completing the snags identified within your snagging report, and dealing with customer care, even if you have issues weeks or months down the line, I encourage you to pick up the phone or email to ask any question or for advice.