With over 160,000 new homes due to be completed in 2006 and the apparent complacency of the major house builders with regard to the standard of their new homes, it is now becoming essential to seek independent professional help to assess the completeness and standard of your new home
[UKPRwire, Mon Sep 18 2006] For those who have never bought a new home “snagging” is the name for the seemingly endless process that identifies and lists all the major and minor problems that you find in your new home. In the past people would attempt to do these themselves. However the modern way is to get a professional inspector to do it for you. This will give you an ultimate detailed list and save you the risk embarrassing yourself perhaps arguing with a site manager who is trying to baffle you with technical jargon and “regulations”.
The number of defects or “snags” found in new homes is increasing year on year. Last year, the average number of defects per home was 62. You can expect to find at least 40 problems in a one-bedroom property to well over 130 for a four-bedroom house. The industry and other experts have various explanations for this, but the one salient fact is that very little is being done by the builders, which is actually improving the standard of their new homes.
A new home can have many areas that can give rise to snags, some of which may not become noticeable for some time. It can be difficult for the site manager to set aside a period when he can thoroughly check every aspect of your new home without being interrupted. All too often the site snagging process becomes a rushed affair and areas are missed or not checked at all. One particular area often neglected is the roof space. Sub standard work or defects can often go unnoticed or even become acceptable as the site staff become more familiar with your new home during the construction. There are even occasions when the site team “take a view” on a problem or defect, balancing the difficulty, time and cost of rectification, against the likelihood of the customer noticing the defect at all.
Martyn Maxwell founded Brickkickers new home inspections in response to the falling standards within the building industry nationwide. Brickkickers claim to be the only national snagging company, owned and operated by qualified construction professionals. They offer the new home buyer a completely independent inspection snagging report and liase with the builders and warranty providers to ensure remedial works are completed to acceptable standards. They claim to find an average of 140 defects in a 4 bedroom home
90% of buyers had experienced defects with their new home
Industry figures also show that 90% of buyers had experienced defects with their new home and only 46% recommend their house builder with 49% dissatisfied with the service provided by their builder.
Of course the homebuyer may choose to inspect their home themselves but this can be very time consuming at a period of heightened stress. “Apart from the obvious decoration defects, you really do need to know what to look for and where to look,” says Martyn. “This can only be carried out by an experienced qualified professional”
By using a professional snagging service the home owner has the benefit that the report and the contents will be taken more seriously by the builder and each item is far more likely to receive attention, than if the owner had prepared their own list. This is because these professionals are respected within the industry and they may already have a “working relationship” with some of the larger builders and will put the home owner’s interests first by dealing with the builder’s representatives at a professional level, independently and emotionally detached. This is something that the new home buyer could not do.
Appointing a professional is the easiest solution to ensure your new home is fully completed to acceptable standards before you move in, avoiding the hassle of works being carried out in your new home, on your new carpets, after you have moved in.
As Martyn says “with all the recent publicity regarding the falling standards of new homes and the failure of the builders to be proactive in improving the situation, using a professional to inspect and check your new property thoroughly will be money well spent”. Inspection prices start from just £216.00
To ensure that all the defects in your new home are dealt with prior to moving in call Brickkickers on 0845 226 6036 or visit their website www.brickkickers.co.uk
Brickkickers has recently launched www.snagging.info - a Forum for the new home buyer. Visitors to the website can view buyer’s questions, experiences and comments regarding builders and their new home and ask expert advice on a number of topics completely free.
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