More often than not you will be asked to meet the site manager at your house which would normally be at 1st fix stage which is prior to plastering. This visit isn't just to meet the Site Manager, he should walk and talk you through each room so you can see and understand how your new house is built and gives you the opportunity to take as many pictures as you like of all the hidden wires, pipes etc. these photographs will not only help you avoid hitting wires and pipes when hanging pictures and curtains and fixing shelving it is also a snap shot of everything hidden by the plasterboard and decorative finishes. 

 

The next time you will be invited to meet the Site Manager will normally be just before legal completion for a demonstration of your new home. You will be advised and I'd recommend that this meeting is not intended or used as an opportunity for snagging although it's only human nature to look for faults. This meeting is normally intended for the Site Manager to demonstrate how everything works and operates in your new home which should allow you to better understand everything prior to moving in. 

 

If at any point prior to legal completion you are asked to snag the property you are purchasing do not feel pressurised to do it unless your legal representative has been advised that the property is complete and that all the building work is finished. Again, don't go ahead if any work is still outstanding, there's just no point.

 

Try to build a good relationship with the site management and anyone they send in to do any remedial work once you’ve legally completed as they will be happier to help someone who treats them with respect and they'll do everything they can to ensure you are happy with your new home, their bonuses depend on you being a happy customer.

So, you are now the proud owner of your new home. You will normally be taken to your new home and given the keys to open your front door and taken inside where after sales services are explained and you’ll be asked to have a look around your new home and sign a form to say you are satisfied that you have had everything explained to you. You should now have all the keys and you have checked glass for scratches, sanitary ware for damage, kitchen units, doors and worktops are free from scratches and dents etc. Take as much time as you need to check everything thoroughly to avoid any awkward discussions later as to who may have caused any damage you didn’t note at this stage. Don't be fobbed off by someone telling you that you don't need to put that on the list now, if you see anything you’re not happy with put it on the form you’re being asked to sign, not on a separate sheet of paper.

 

This is the time to book a professional snagging surveyor to carry out an inspection of your property, ideally within the first one to two weeks after you receive the keys/ moving in. That way, the developer is still likely to be onsite, building other houses, and you'll generally have a bit more leverage with them at this stage than further down the line.

Use this survey to your advantage

 

At some stage on your customer journey you will have been told about and asked if you are happy for your personal details to be shared with a company, in many cases it’ll be the NHBC, who will contact you at around eight weeks and again around nine months, normally by telephone, to get feedback and to rate the quality of your new home and the service provided by your builder from reservation of the plot to after you’ve completed your purchase. 

 

What the developer won’t tell you

 

From my experience with all the developers I've worked with I would suggest for you to have all your snagging completed prior to the nine month survey (even if you have a two year warranty) as the last thing the Site Manager and the developer wants is for you not to ‘recommend’ them at the end of the survey, as more often than not, it affects both the Site Managers and Sales Consultants bonuses and will affect the developers rating.

 

From my experience, even though you are covered under a warranty for minor defects for the first two years the developer will be less interested to please you after this survey is submitted.