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The biggest mistake customers make when buying new-build....

3/9/2018

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HomeSnag professional snagging
When buying a new-build property it is very common for the sales staff to put you off using a professional snagging company and explain that there is no need because the site and warranty inspector will have been inspected it and signed it off.
Unfortunately the biggest mistake that new-build purchasers make is they trust this and find out issues the hard way.
The above photograph was taken by our snagging inspector Frazer today and it goes to show how serious issues can be missed by all those that go around before us.
One of the worst houses we have inspected externally was actually very good inside and the customer walked around and almost cancelled the inspection with us! So if you are considering a snagging inspection, don't just base your decision on the quality internally when walking around as there will be many things only our inspectors will be able to identify using specialist equipment.

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Issues out of Building Regulations

2/8/2018

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Getting a professional snagger is important because there are issues that often fall out of tolerance and Building Regulations that are missed by the builder. We often find that tradesmen aren't up to date with their own regulations which change from year to year.
All of our "snaggers" not only have the professional eye for detail but are also trained in tolerances and building regulations applicable to new build houses.
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Let's take a few examples from Gareth's inspections this month: the pictures here show issues all falling out of building regulations, including breaches of fire safety regulations, joinery and heating. These are issues that you just wouldn't know to look for as a homeowner (or in most instances as a Site Manager) as you rely on trades doing their job properly.
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The checks the NHBC don't carry out

21/7/2018

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The checks that a NHBC (or other warranty provider) carry out are important, but often Sales consultants will use this as a reason to prevent you booking with us. The truth is that their time in the property at the last stage is very short, and only account for a small proportion of checks we carry out. In a 5 bedroom house we find their final inspection lasts approximately 15 minutes, in comparison to our typical time of 4-5 hours. We know this because we are often there during their inspection process.

This week on a snagging inspection we were in a house immediately after a NHBC inspector, and it took us less than 30 minutes to find a number of issues out of tolerance and a major leak (shown below). Luckily we were able to engage the trades on site to investigate the cause (due to a 4" from the waste pipe not being sealed in). It is an example why the checks we carry out are very different to those carried out by the Site Manager and NHBC, and why it is important to instruct us to carry out a snagging survey before you move in.
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s̶u̶r̶f̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ turf flavoured crisps

24/6/2018

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As part of the snagging inspection, our snaggers will check the soil for topsoil consistency. The NHBC say that it should have 100mm topsoil which should not contain contaminants. Needless to say, we rarely find this and whenever we see turf failing to knit (a sign in this weather being it is yellowing) we like to see why...
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A major underlying issue the Site Manager ignored

9/6/2018

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On an inspection this week our professional snagger identified a moisture patch on a ceiling in the dining room. We were concerned about the high moisture and so the Site Manager visited in concern the ceiling was in jeopardy. He was somewhat unhelpful and said the issue was sorted and we were trying to scare the customer. After a frank discussion, it was agreed to bore a hole in the ceiling...
There was a huge amount of collected water above the ceiling and it continued to drain like this for several hours; the below video shows it still draining after an access hole was cut through to investigate it's origin. 
It is a good example where the site managers do not often have the experience to identify underlying serious issues like this, which frankly was dangerous.
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Poor Design by Volume Builders

28/5/2018

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This weekend we attended a property built by one of the largest (volume build) construction company's in the UK. One benefit of buying a property through a large company like this is that there should be no design flaws since it has been drawn up by a Technical team and had a proven track record through many hundred/thousand of houses built in the same way. This is not always the case however as demonstrated in this house we inspected.
It is a good example how our snagging surveyors have a critical eye for detail and we draw upon our years of experience to know when something isn't right. On arrival we knew this house design should have been reversed (or "handed" as it is known as): The position of Master Bedroom window left little room for a bed and offered a 3ft view out onto the neighbours rendered wall.
With such issues which is a clear design flaw, it is important to rectify because it may affect the future sale of the property.
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A prestige build - with no cavity wall insulation

24/5/2018

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We visited a property recently whereby the customer decided on the day of the snagging inspection to get us to check the cavity wall. This ended up being a good decision as her house had absolutely no insulation.
Based on the size of property, this issue will have cost her several thousands of pounds extra in heating costs every year. It goes to show that despite the volumes of documents given on handover showing tests carried out (such as air tests) they don't really actually amount to much when fundamental flaws like this go unnoticed.
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Issues with under floor heating

30/4/2018

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An inspection carried out recently at a high-end property revealed issues with the under floor heating system which was missing in several areas. A couple of photographs demonstrating the large gaps in fill are shown here. It can happen not just due to the poor installation; in previous examples this has happened when last minute changes in the design have taken place that contradict the layout of under floor heating When it happens there is no easy way of rectifying other than removing the tiling, smashing the screed and relaying. 
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A waterfall courtesy of your new-build home

31/3/2018

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Our inspector Lee attended a property this week which demonstrated how poorly a new build house can deal with drainage during heavy rainfall.
Not only was there serious shortfalls of groundwork preparation, note the reason why we raise the need for air bricks to be at the right height: in this instance rainwater was streaming into the underfloor void.
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Building Reg Breaches - Part B - Fire Safety

3/3/2018

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We have attended a couple of houses this week which have breached fire safety.
These have both been built by small scale developers that have charged a premium for the privilege of having a 'bespoke' home.
It is a good example to demonstrate that sometimes a snagging inspection can raise serious safety concerns which have been missed by not only the developer but also their nominated building inspector that signed the house off.
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    "I always insist that there is specific provision for snagging," says Thomas Moran, partner at law firm Speechly Bircham. "Reputable developers do this anyway, but there are all sorts in the market, some big, some small, so you need a contractual promise than within, say, a year they will come back to remedy any minor defects in the finishing."
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  • Home
  • About
    • What is Snagging?
    • Cost of Snagging Survey
    • Why Choose us?
    • Meet the Team
    • Gallery
    • FAQ
    • A Snaggers Blog
    • Contact us
  • Our Services
    • Snagging Survey
    • Re-inspection
    • Full Package
    • Heat Loss Survey
    • Areas Covered
    • Example Snag Reports >
      • 1-2 Bedroom Apt
      • 1-2 Bedroom House
      • 3 Bedroom House
      • 4 Bedroom House
      • 6 Bedroom House
    • Snagging Forum
  • Reviews
  • Book Inspection