Using a professional snagging company
My friends recently bought a new build flat and hired a professional snagging company to perform the snagging survey and they kindly shared their experience so I could share it on the blog!
When Hubby and I bought our flat last year, we made the snagging list ourselves. If you are deciding between the two, you can read about our experience in the post named ‘It’s a new build so there’ll be minimal issues! I was wrong.’
I also included links to the free checklists that we used and the format we used to document the snags. I have an excel template for logging the snags and the status so drop me an email at adventuresofahomebuyer@gmail.com if you would like it!
Using a professional snagging company
1. Research
My friends researched various snagging companies online and checked reviews. Once they found a suitable company and were happy with the costs, they booked the survey.
In terms of availability, there wasn’t a long wait as they were able to book the survey for the next day!
When we were doing research on snagging surveys previously, there were quite a few available so I didn’t really know where to start! However, I found that HomeOwners Alliance partners with New Build Inspections. They are a snagging company which doesn’t work for developers or builders so are independent and they work only for homebuyers.
It might be worth taking a look as HomeOwners Alliance as they provide unbiased expert advice and their guides were so useful during our property buying process!
2. Snagging survey performed
Their solicitor advised they should get it done before completion so when they completed, the items would be fixed immediately afterwards. Completion took longer than expected so their survey ended up taking place around two months before completion.
3. Report received
The report was received the day after the snagging visit and included photos of the snags with clear written descriptions for each snag. The snags were clearly circled on the photo to quickly identify what the issue was.
I also found that some snagging companies share an example of the snagging reports online so have included the links below:
HouseScan: Sample Report
New Build Inspections: Sample report
4. Report shared with solicitors
They passed the report to their solicitors who then sent it to the developers.
5. Remedial works
The developers started the remedial works as soon as they completed.
Best time for a snagging inspection
I had a look online on when is the best time to have a snagging inspection and the recommendations vary. According to HomeOwners Alliance, the ideal time to make a snagging list would be when the property is finished and ready to move in, and before exchanging contracts.
New Build Inspections suggests that if the property is build complete, then have the inspection before the exchange of contracts. For off-plan purchases, contracts maybe exchanged before the property is completed so they advise the best time for the snagging inspection is when the builder serves notice to complete.
HouseScan recommends the inspection to take place just before completion.
However, if completion hasn’t taken place, the housebuilder could refuse to give you access to the property as they are the owners so it might not be possible to do the snagging survey until completion. If this is the case, HouseScan recommends the inspection for just after completion.
According to this article on HomeOwners Alliance, homeowners can report defects (including cosmetic ones) to the housebuilder up to two years from the completion date. The housebuilder is legally obliged to fix it as part of the property’s warranty.
We made our snagging list before we moved in and that made it a lot easier to inspect as there’s no furniture yet.
Other snagging related blog posts
I have written various posts on snagging so if you want to hear more about our experiences and learn useful tips, see the posts below:
- 5 top tips for dealing with defects and snags
- Common snagging issues in new build homes
- “It’s a new build so there’ll be minimal issues!” I was wrong.
- ‘It’s within tolerance’...do you know about the NHBC Standards?
- 5 tips for the home demo
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment