Inspector Home uncovered confusion among buyers over correct standards, and many said they had felt pressured in to purchasing sub-standard homes. In some extreme cases ceilings had collapsed from water leaks, and one developer had sold units as two-bedroom properties even though they were only 1 bedroom with an open mezzanine.
Kent and the South Midlands recorded the highest average number of defects per property (73) in the UK whilst London remained the lowest area with an average of 46 defects. Scotland showed the highest improvement with a 10% reduction in defects.
Vanessa Ambler, founding Director of Inspector Home was disappointed with the results and holds the government and new homes developers equally responsible for the decline. “In 2004 the government showed a real interest in the quality of new homes with the publication of the Barker Review: as a result, developers focussed their attention and improved quality by 12%. The Barker Review stated quite clearly that customer satisfaction should increase to 75% by 2007, however no strategy has yet been agreed and consequently the quality of new homes is deteriorating once again.”
Top Snagging Tips
Paintwork
Make sure the paint is not too thin and that every thing has been painted in full (eg. check the insides of window frames.) Has the paint splashed anywhere?
Plaster
Are the walls & ceilings smooth and even? Are the joints neat and even?
Carpentry
- Is the woodwork smooth & finished properly?
- Are the locks & hinges level & do they operate correctly?
- Check for gaps around doors & ensure the stairs & spindles are firm.
- Do the doors & windows open & close easily?
- Use a marble or spirit level to check that worktops, window cills, walls and other surfaces are level.
Fitted furniture & Sanitary ware
This covers things like kitchens, wardrobes etc.
- Are the doors & drawers fitted correctly? Do they open and shut properly?
- Check the handles, hinges & look for scratches or dents.
- Is everything secure?
- Stand in the bath and showers to check that there is no movement and that the silicon seal, which should be present, does not come away from the wall.
Brickwork
- Are the bricks even & well spaced? Is the brickwork clean & uniform?
Tiling
- Are any of the tiles uneven & is the grouting / mastic sealant finished properly?
Plumbing & Electrics
- Check all appliances are working & fitted correctly and that all guarantees are in place. Switch on the heating & check for leaks – a drip can soon become a flood.
- Turn on all the extractor fans, go outside and check that the fans are venting outside rather than into the floor space or the roof space. Most exterior vents have flaps which indicate that air is flowing.
Flooring
- Are the floors level and finished correctly? Check carefully especially around the edges and where one surface joins another
Switches, Sockets & Radiators
- Are they level, working & in the right place?
- Check behind all the radiators, there are often gaping holes and unpainted areas to be found.
Glass
- You must report glass scratches within 24 hours of completion or you could be blamed for the damage yourself.
- Scratches are only covered if they are visible from 3m away in natural light, but they are much easier to see if you know where they are.
Guttering
- Stand beneath the guttering and look up. You should not be able to see a gap between the guttering and roof, as the roof felt should go into the guttering.
Exterior
- Use a bucket of water to check that water drains away from entrances and out of garages.
