Taking handover of a new-build villa — what must be on the snag list before I sign and pay?
About to take handover of a new-build villa and I want a proper snag list before I sign off and release final payment.
- What are the essential things to check and snag — finishes, AC, electrical, plumbing, doors/windows, waterproofing?
- Is a professional snagging inspection worth it before handover?
- How do I avoid signing off on defects and losing my leverage?
Trying not to sign too early. This is the practical checklist (distinct from whether snagging is worth it). What must be on the list?
5 answers
Short answer: snag EVERYTHING before you sign, because your leverage evaporates the moment you accept handover and release final payment. Go room by room and system by system: finishes (walls, paint, tiles, joinery), doors/windows (operation, seals, glass), the MEP systems working (every AC unit cools, every socket/light works, water pressure and drainage, no leaks), and the things that are expensive to fix later (waterproofing, any damp). Document each defect with photos and a location, get it on a formal snag list the developer signs, and hold retention/final payment until they're fixed.
The essential snag checklist: - Finishes: walls/ceilings (cracks, uneven paint, stains), tiles (hollow/drumming, lippage, chipped, grout), joinery/wardrobes/kitchen (alignment, damage, right materials), skirting. - Doors & windows: every door/window opens/closes/locks, seals/gaskets intact, glass unmarked, no draughts. - AC/MEP — test it working: every AC unit actually cools (feel the output, check each room), thermostats respond; every socket and light works; water pressure + hot water at every outlet; drainage runs (fill and drain sinks/showers), no leaks under sinks or at the water heater. - Waterproofing & damp: bathrooms/balconies/roof — signs of damp, staining, poor falls (this is the expensive-later one). - Externally: render/paint, drainage, any settlement cracks.
How to protect yourself: - Photograph and locate every defect; put it on a formal snag list the developer acknowledges. - Don't sign off / release final payment until the snags are fixed and re-inspected. - Know your defects-liability (warranty) period for things that show up later. - A professional snagging inspector is usually worth it — they find defects (especially MEP/waterproofing) a homeowner misses, and their report gives you leverage. (See the is-snagging-worth-it thread.)
The big mistake: signing off to "get the keys" and then chasing fixes with no leverage. Snag hard first. If you want the defects found properly, a snagging/finishing specialist inspection before handover pays for itself. New-build owners — what got missed at your handover?
The "test the MEP working, not just look at finishes" point is the one people underestimate — anyone can spot a paint mark, but checking that every AC unit actually cools, every socket works, and nothing leaks under the sinks is where the expensive misses hide. And absolutely don't release final payment until snags are closed; that's your only real leverage. We wish we'd been more thorough on the waterproofing/damp checks at handover because that's the costly one to sort later. Snag like you mean it before you sign.
This is exactly the checklist I needed — I was going to focus on the visible finishes and would've under-checked the AC and plumbing actually working. Going room by room testing every unit and outlet, and holding final payment until the snags are closed, is the plan now. Leaning towards a professional snagging inspection too since they'll catch the MEP and waterproofing things I wouldn't. Better to be the annoying one with a long list before signing than the one chasing fixes after with no leverage.
One to pair with your snag walk: the finishes are where developers cut corners and where most owners miss things. This thread on the finish and paint defects inspectors actually flag has the specific tricks, raking light for paint holidays, the tap-test for hollow tiles, a level for lippage. Worth a read before you sign anything off.
Adding the practical bit that saved me the second time around: photograph every defect as you go and submit ONE consolidated snag list, not a trickle of separate messages, because a single logged list is far harder for the developer to lose or dispute. First time we missed a couple of dead sockets and a slow drain, and chasing those after we had signed was a real fight; the defects-liability period is genuinely on your side, but only if you have logged everything before sign-off. Room by room, be boringly thorough.
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