Common snagging issues in new build homes

I first wrote about our snagging issues in this post back in September. We actually raised the issues to the developer in May and none of the issues we reported back then have been fixed yet. However, they were prompt to fix the gas leak that we reported in July. Thankfully, the rest of the issues aren’t major issues, but I am disappointed by the lack of response from the developer. It wasn’t until recently that they started to take steps to address some of the issues. 

Since our snagging drama continues, I was researching online about snagging issues (the exciting life of a new homeowner) and came across some interesting articles so thought I would share on the blog.

Housescan, which performs professional snagging inspections, has a blog post on the most common new build snagging issues and it even talks about the how much it can cost to repair the issues. This definitely has given me more motivation to keep on chasing our developer to fix our snags. It was surprising to see that the most common issue on their list was poorly fitted or damaged windows and doors!

They also had a helpful article on what to do if the builder won’t fix the snags.

MyToolShed.co.uk also has a post talking about common new build faults too.

I also came across snagging retentions in this HomeOwners Alliance article.  It turns out that a snagging retention is an agreement where the new build homebuyer holds onto a percentage of the cost of the property until faults are fixed.

I wish we had this but unfortunately it’s not common practice for individual new build homebuyers. However, the article mentions that Persimmon Homes was the first major housebuilder to offer this so it might be worth asking if your developer offers something similar if you are in the process of buying a new build. 

I had look on the Persimmon Homes website and found an article about their snagging retention. Their scheme covers issues raised in the first week after moving in and 1.5% of the purchase price can be held back at the time of handing over the keys.

Hope this was useful!

Jess