Conveyancing
"Snagging" Your New Home
When you buy your new home, you want to make sure that everything is exactly right. Whether you've bought the house second-hand or just had a new home built, the process of going through your new home and detailing any problems is called "snagging."
There are many companies out there that provide this service for you, but it is something you can do by yourself. Whether you decide to purchase the services of one of these companies or not during your conveyancing process, you should go along with the professional "snagger." You might catch something he or she misses, or you just might want to know what the problems are in your new home first hand.
Whether you use a snagging company or do it yourself, here are a few tips for you to use:
1. Bring along some equipment, such as a tape measure, a level, a camera, and a notepad and pencil. With these tools, you can check anything that seems the wrong dimensions with the tape measure; you can check the level and square of countertops, floors, door frames, and appliances with the level; you can document any problem areas (or share the first pictures of your new home with family members) with the camera; and you can keep notes on the notepad as you go through your new home.
2. Look at everything from unusual angles, if at all possible. Stand on an approved step ladder and look at your surroundings from a higher vantage point. Things will look different from above, and you might see something that appears amiss from this vantage point. You can then manually check what you saw with your tools and equipment. Get down near the floor and look at your surroundings from a low vantage point. Again, this new perspective will lend you a new outlook on what's around you and you can double check anything that looks wrong. You might feel a little weird doing this, but it does help.
3. Check to make sure all electrical switches and plug-ins work. Bring along a small lamp you know to work and plug it into every socket to test it. Make sure you check with the site foreman first to ascertain whether the electricity's safe to use before you do this!
4. Test any appliances that come with the house. Again, check with the site foreman to make sure it all right, but go ahead and make sure that all your appliances are in good working order.
5. Go over the walls and finishes. Look for holes, cracks, and other anomalies and photograph any you find. Take note of those you find, making sure to detail what room it was in, which wall it was on, and about what height it was at.
6. Turn on the taps. Check with site foreman to make sure that the water is operational, first, but take the time to make sure that your hot water tank is working, that all the taps work correctly and to your satisfaction, and that they all turn off correctly. Take note if any of the pipes make any noise (this is a sign of a problem that you might want to talk to your builder about), if the water pressure sputters or is inconsistent, or if the water looks or smells "funny." Make notes of everything you find out of place.
7. Check out the floors. Look for chips, cracks, dents, and heaved floorboards. If there is carpeting, look for stains, tears, holes, and loose edges. Take out your level and check any areas that don't appear to be level. Take note of where you found the problem and photograph it, preferably with the level showing the wrong pitch.
8. Look at the mouldings. Check for holes, cracks, and places where the mouldings might be coming away from the wall or window. Note anything you find.
9. Look closely at the windows. Check for scratches, cracks, holes, and places where paint is on the glass. Note what you find.
10. Check out the stairwells and front stoop. Listen for any creaks or squeaks as you go up and down them (with the site foreman's okay!). Note any loose or cracked steps, and look for protruding nails.
11. Check out the chimneys and flues for any obstruction. This one might be best left to a professional, as would checking the heating and cooling vents, other electrical aspects, and any other specialised surveying.
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