Snagging a new build house is a specialist process and we know what to look for. Here we share our most common more 'major' issues... note that all the following examples are taken from inspections carried out in the past couple of days... #7 - CracksAs a professional snagging company, we often find external cracking to brickwork or rendered houses, or we find a lack of preparation to prevent it (as shown below). Internally most cracks are a cause of shrinkage, but there are tolerances that we check for with our measure ruler gauge. #6 - Roof issuesMost of the claims submitted through the NHBC are regarding roofs, so it is not surprise that we often find issues with verges, roof tiles, chimney stacks and guttering (as shown below on a snagging inspection carried out this week). We use a special camera to assist us to inspect areas out of normal view. #5 - FenestrationWindows frames and glass can often be scratched (including patio windows), but they can also be installed incorrectly. When snagging it is important to check the glazing bars are correctly level / straight. It is also important that any damage is recorded quickly to avoid the developer refusing liability (as they may say it was caused during cleaning, moving furniture in post-completion). #4 - Walls and ceilings not being levelWe use levels to check walls and ceiling levels. Like most issues, there are tolerances associated to such snagging issues. An example from a snagging survey carried out today is shown below: #3 - LeaksOn average we find at least 1 leak in a house 50% of the time we carry out a snagging inspection. This is because we spend the extra time to check overflows on baths and sinks. Unfortunately often clients find out too late, until the water comes through the ceiling. #2 - Lack of insulationWhether in the loft or cavity walls, we often find a lack of insulation which needs identifying at the earliest possible stage to prevent heat loss (and more expensive heating bills!) #1 - HeatingWhen our snaggers inspect the heating, we use thermal cameras to identify radiators under-performing or incorrect installations. This is our most common 'major' issue because the remedy can be often extremely destructive... As highlighted on a previous blog, the ceilings can often be pulled down to find the cross pipe location when thermostats are linked up with the wrong level.
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Today we discovered another heating installation issue. The upstairs and downstairs thermostat were incorrectly connected. To rectify this is typically a huge job requiring pulling apart ceilings to find where the cross connection is located. On a new build snagging inspection we find such issues more commonly that you'd think. This week alone we found two houses with exactly the same issue. The poor workmanship from the heating and plumbing company was further demonstrated by a major leak from the upstairs ensuite shower and sink.
This Builder was a "4 star builder", which shows that it has little relevance to the quality of house handed over As a new building snagging company, we pride ourselves on having the gear (as well as the idea!) of how to snag a house. The reason we can confidently say we are the market leading snagging company is that competitors typically either (a) walk around with no tools and only produce a dictated then typed report or (b) attempt to copy what we do!!
Conversely, our professional snagging inspectors carry specialist tools ranging from borescopes to thermal cameras. This goes to show our process is not similar to the process any site will go to when snagging a house. Our inspectors are employed (not subcontracted) with many years experience in the building industry: Our qualifications range from a Masters Degree in Building Surveying, Domestic Energy Assessor certified by the BBA and an Advanced Certificate in Building Thermography. Whilst some other snagging companies may charge less than us, it prompts the question are you getting the same value for money? Shrinkage in new build houses happens up to approx. 1 year after completion. Some faults can occur throughout this period where the house is settling; doors mis-aligning and tiles separating being examples other than cracks appearing.
But often it is due to the fundamentals of joinery not being correctly installed. The following examples from recent snagging inspections show that window sills, newel posts and architraves all haven't been installed properly and it is a rather difficult job to remedy... At HomeSnag, we are passionate about customers getting the most out of their new build house. After all, it is likely to be the biggest investment you will ever make. And yet building companies notoriously are defensive when customers request us around prior to completion. We often get asked "who is the best / worst builder". The answer is that we could go to one large 5 star builder one day and it could be a fantastic finish, the next day on a different site by the same company and the quality is horrendous. Similarly we can go to an independent builder with only 5 houses on the site (so typically you'd think the attention to detail would be improved according to quality not quantity) but they fail to meet building regs and tolerances throughout. The quality of finish to your new build house ultimately depends on three factors:- - The time of year - The quality of tradesman - The eye for detail from the site's snagging process, if carried out at all The time of year is important because construction companies have financial deadlines they have to meet. Typically this is June and December. It is no coincidence that these months are our busiest months as a professional snagging company! They often push customers into a substandard home to reach their bonus. We went to one house last week and the customers were forced into completion, only to find no flooring laid. They had paid extras in the region of £10k and walked in to a shell. The rating [large volume] construction companies have are according the the HBF survey. This reaches out to customers 2 months after their completion and they need customers to say they'd recommend them to a friend. Notoriously Bovis have gone down to a 2 star building rating due to most of their customers answering "NO" to this question! So, conversely does this mean that the quality of a 5 star builder is better? Well, this is not always the case. All of the below photographs are taken from the past few months and are all 5 star builders. In conclusion, we believe the more adamant the builders are to not allow us in before completion, the more important it is to enforce it. It also highlights the importance to get us around as soon as possible, certainly within the 2 month timeframe the builders look to get a positive HBF survey score from you. Snagging Pictures demonstrate: Smashed toilet, missing insulation, smashed window, damaged dormer beyond repair and isolator switches for the kitchen located in the dining room
Unfortunately an element of why the quality of new build houses has declined in our opinion is due to the 2008 recession which set a lot of quality tradesmen out of work.
One area we particularly feel was effected was quality bricklayers. One way in which to test the quality of workmanship is to look up at the wall and see whether the "perp" joints are in a plumb line or not. As shown in the below photograph from a recent new build snagging inspection, the unequal perp joints created quite a noticeable wavy gable wall. During our inspection we also check for bricks not level and that adequate cavity tray installation has been installed. On a new build snagging survey we don't just raise issues for aesthetic improvement, we often raise fundamental issues that have been missed. Two examples from this past week include a chimney / gable wall not built plumb and window ledges not installed level.
Whilst it may cause no immediate concern, such issues could go missed until too late until a survey in the future raises it; leaving you to foot the bill rather than the developer making it right within their warranty. As a rule of thumb, the cost of a snagging inspection could save you money in the future!... If you are moving in during the summer, it is safe to say testing the heating system is an unlikely thing on your checklist! During our new build snagging inspection, we check that not only radiators are fully heating but fundamentally if they been correctly connected. What we mean by this is shown in the example photographs from recent inspections: sometimes we find that the heating engineers accidentally connect ground floor thermostats to the upstairs heating loop. This may sound simple enough, but it can actually be one of the most destructive issues to investigate; because to find the cross-connection often means cutting throughout the ceiling and pulling apart tiling etc to find it.
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A Snaggers BlogHomeSnag inspectors are experts at inspecting new-build houses. This blog shares real examples to demonstrate the importance of getting your new build house or apartment snagged professionally Archives
August 2023
"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." read full article here
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