When acquiring a new home, ensuring the highest standards of quality and workmanship is paramount. At New Build Inspections, our snagging inspections provide a thorough and detailed assessment of your property, safeguarding your investment.
Here’s what you need to know:
What Does a Snagging Inspection Cover?
Our snagging inspections are designed to be all-encompassing, offering a detailed and thorough evaluation of your property to ensure it meets the highest standards. The inspection covers several key areas:
Interior and Exterior Evaluation
Our meticulous assessment encompasses every room and space within your property, scrutinising walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and doors for any imperfections. On the exterior, we examine the property’s facade, roofing, guttering, and external finishes, ensuring everything is in pristine condition.
Additional Areas
We understand that your property extends beyond the main building. Therefore, our inspection also includes outdoor spaces such as gardens, patios, driveways, and garages. These areas are evaluated for their finish, structural integrity, and overall integration with the property.
Quality of Workmanship
Our inspectors rigorously compare the workmanship of your property against industry standards and best practices. This includes checking for proper installation and finishing of materials, ensuring electrical and plumbing systems are working, and verifying that fixtures and fittings are properly installed and functioning.
Experienced Inspectors
Our team consists of qualified, experienced, and independent building inspectors. They bring a wealth of knowledge and an eye for detail to each inspection. Equipped with the latest tools and technology, they are able to conduct comprehensive assessments, including areas that are not immediately visible, to ensure that your new home is flawless both in what you can and cannot see.
By covering these essential aspects, our snagging inspection provides you with the peace of mind that your new home is constructed to the highest standards, free from any defects that could affect your comfort or the property’s value.
What is Snagging?
Snagging is a critical process in the journey of buying a new build property, focusing on identifying and rectifying minor defects or issues that persist post-construction. These snags can range from cosmetic blemishes to minor functional problems, and their detection is crucial in ensuring that your home meets the high standards you expect.
Addressing these issues promptly not only enhances the aesthetic appeal and functionality of your property but also safeguards its long-term value.
For a comprehensive exploration of snagging, including its importance, process, and typical issues addressed, we invite you to read our detailed article: What is Snagging?.
How Long Does it Take?
The duration of a snagging inspection is not fixed but is carefully tailored to the unique aspects of each property. Several factors influence the time required to conduct a thorough inspection.
Firstly, the size of the property is a significant determinant – larger homes naturally demand more time for a comprehensive review. Additionally, the number of snags, or minor defects, identified plays a crucial role in the inspection duration. A property with numerous issues will require more time for detailed examination and documentation.
Lastly, whether the property is furnished or not also affects the inspection time. Furnished properties may necessitate additional attention to detail, as inspectors navigate around furniture and decor to access all areas of the home.
Our goal is to ensure a meticulous and complete inspection, regardless of the time it takes, providing homeowners with the assurance that their new property meets the highest standards of quality and safety.
Aims of the Report
Our snagging report is an essential tool designed to provide you with a detailed overview of your new property, highlighting various aspects that need attention. It serves multiple purposes:
Highlighting Deviations from Warranty Standards
Our report meticulously identifies any areas where your property does not meet the standards as stipulated in your warranty. This includes any defects in materials or workmanship that may not align with the warranty’s provisions, ensuring you are fully aware of what is covered.
Identifying Breaches in Building Regulations or Other Technical Guidance
We thoroughly check compliance with local building regulations and other technical standards. Any deviations from these norms, whether in construction methods, materials used, or safety measures, are clearly detailed in the report.
Pointing Out Unfinished Works
Our inspection often reveals unfinished areas in a property. This part of the report highlights any incomplete aspects of the construction, whether it’s a matter of final touches or more significant unfinished work, ensuring you are fully informed about the status of your property.
Ensuring Industry Customs and Practices are Met
The report also examines whether the construction adheres to established industry customs and practices. This ensures that your property not only meets legal requirements but also aligns with the quality standards expected in the industry.
Advising on Remedial Works Pre or Post-Completion
Our report provides valuable advice on any remedial works that should be undertaken, either before you move in or after. This guidance can help you address issues promptly and effectively, potentially saving you time and money in the future.
Understanding that each client’s needs and concerns are unique, we welcome and encourage direct communication with our team. Whether you have specific queries, require clarity on certain aspects of the report, or have special requirements, our team is ready to provide the necessary support and guidance. This personalised approach ensures that you receive a service that is not only comprehensive but also tailored to your specific needs.
Exclusions in the Inspection
While our snagging inspection is comprehensive, there are certain areas that are not typically included in the standard inspection process, mainly due to their specialised nature or specific circumstances. These exclusions are outlined as follows:
TV and Telecoms Systems
These systems are often not operational at the time of inspection, primarily due to the absence of active connections or subscriptions. As a result, our standard inspection does not cover the functionality or installation quality of TV and telecoms systems. However, we do visually check for the presence and basic installation of related hardware.
Drainage Systems
Drainage systems are a crucial part of any property, but their inspection often requires specialised equipment and techniques. While not included in our standard inspection, we can arrange for a detailed examination of the drainage system upon request. This examination involves checking the integrity and proper installation of pipes and drainage lines.
Alarm and Home Automation Systems
These systems are increasingly complex and varied, often requiring specific technical expertise for proper evaluation. Due to the specialised nature and diversity of these systems, our standard inspection does not cover them. However, we recommend consulting with a specialist who can thoroughly assess these systems, ensuring they are correctly installed and fully functional.
Electrical Appliances
Appliances supplied with the property, such as ovens, refrigerators, and washing machines, are not typically tested for functionality during our standard inspection. We recommend that homeowners check these appliances separately to ensure they are in working order.
Furniture and Personal Property
Any furniture or personal property within a furnished property is not included in our inspection. Our focus remains on the built elements of the property itself.
It’s important for clients to be aware of these exclusions to have a clear understanding of what our snagging inspection entails. If there are specific concerns about any of these excluded areas, we are more than happy to advise on the best course of action or to assist in arranging the necessary specialist inspections.
Additional Inspection Services
To cater to the more specialised needs of our clients, New Build Inspections collaborates with trusted partners to offer a range of additional inspection services. These services are provided by expert professionals in their respective fields, ensuring a high level of expertise and precision.
Destructive Investigations
For issues that require an in-depth structural examination, we coordinate with our partners to conduct destructive investigations. This process may involve carefully removing parts of the property’s structure to reveal underlying conditions, carried out with the utmost professionalism to balance thoroughness with minimal impact.
Camera and Thermal Surveys
Our partners utilise advanced technology for camera and thermal imaging surveys. These surveys are essential for detecting hidden problems such as poor insulation, moisture intrusion, or electrical faults. The use of non-invasive techniques like thermal imaging helps in identifying issues without the need for physical alterations to the property.
Laboratory Testing of Materials
When the quality or compliance of building materials is in question, we arrange for their laboratory testing through our specialised partners. This testing encompasses a range of analyses, ensuring that all materials meet industry standards and contribute to the overall safety and integrity of your property.
Re-inspections Post-Remedial Work
Following any remedial work, we offer re-inspections to ensure that all issues have been resolved satisfactorily. This service is invaluable in confirming that repairs or corrections have been executed to the highest standards, giving homeowners peace of mind.
Our partnership approach allows us to provide these specialised services while maintaining our commitment to quality and thoroughness in snagging inspections. For clients interested in these additional services, we encourage a discussion with our team to facilitate the best solutions for your specific property needs, ensuring a seamless and comprehensive inspection process.
When to Seek Further Investigations
At New Build Inspections, we place a high emphasis on the integrity of your property. Our standard snagging inspection is comprehensive, but there are occasions when further, more detailed investigations are necessary, particularly concerning structural defects. Here’s our approach:
Initial Identification
During our snagging inspection, if we identify potential structural issues – such as cracks in walls, uneven floors, or issues with load-bearing elements – we flag these as areas needing further investigation.
Builder’s Involvement
Our first step is to communicate these concerns to the builder or developer of the property. We recommend that they conduct their own investigations to ascertain the nature and extent of the structural issues. This approach often leads to quicker resolution, as builders can address and rectify problems they are directly responsible for.
Independent Inspections
If the builder’s response is inadequate or the issues are not addressed satisfactorily, we then move to facilitate independent inspections. These are conducted by our trusted partners, specialists in structural engineering, who can provide a detailed analysis of the structural integrity of the property. This may involve more invasive methods or advanced diagnostic tools to thoroughly assess the condition.
Involving Warranty Providers
In cases where the builder disputes the findings or is unresponsive, we can assist in involving warranty providers. Warranty providers can offer an additional level of scrutiny and have the authority to mandate corrective action. They also serve as a mediator for arbitration between the homeowner and the builder, ensuring that the concerns are addressed objectively.
Ongoing Support and Guidance
Throughout this process, we offer ongoing support and guidance to our clients. We understand that dealing with potential structural issues can be stressful, and our aim is to make the process as smooth and clear as possible, ensuring that your rights and interests are protected.
By recommending further investigations when structural defects are suspected, we ensure that any underlying issues are thoroughly addressed, safeguarding the integrity of your property and your peace of mind as a homeowner.
Limitations of Our Service
At New Build Inspections, we pride ourselves on providing thorough and detailed snagging inspections, yet it is essential for our clients to understand the specific limitations of our service. Our inspectors are highly experienced in construction and property, but there are areas beyond the scope of our standard snagging inspections:
Valuation Assessments
Our inspections do not include a valuation of the property. While we assess the quality of workmanship and compliance with building standards, determining the market value or investment potential of the property is not covered. Clients looking for an appraisal of their property’s worth should consult with a certified property valuer.
Structural Surveys
Our service does not encompass in-depth structural surveys. While our inspectors are adept at identifying visible signs that may suggest structural issues, a full structural survey requires a different level of expertise. These surveys are conducted by qualified structural engineers and are essential for a comprehensive analysis of the property’s structural integrity, especially if our inspectors identify potential structural concerns.
Specialised System Assessments
Systems such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are examined only to the extent of visible components and basic functionality. In-depth analysis of these systems, including internal wiring, pipework, and technical specifications, is not included. For such detailed evaluations, specialised service providers are required.
Legal Compliance and Permits
Our inspections do not include a review of legal documents, building permits, or compliance with planning regulations. Clients should ensure they have all necessary legal documentation and approvals for their property.
Post-Completion Issues
Issues that arise post-completion, such as wear and tear or damage due to usage, are not covered under our standard inspection services.
For clients with specific concerns that fall outside the purview of our standard services, we are happy to provide guidance and, if necessary, referrals to appropriate professionals who can conduct these specialised assessments.
We recommend all potential and existing clients to review our Terms and Conditions for a comprehensive understanding of what our snagging inspections entail and any exclusions that may apply. This clarity ensures that our clients have realistic expectations and can make informed decisions regarding additional services they may require.