New home quality Issues and defects
This page gives you a general overview of the information you can find under the menu heading SNAGGING AND QUALITY
Snagging and Quality
All new homes will have some defects or quality issues, either when the home is first occupied or defects are discovered after a short period of time. Any defect or fault found in a new home is called a snag. The process of inspecting for snags is commonly known as snagging. All house builders will have some inspection or quality control measures in place. However, faults get missed and quality is a very subjective and personal view.
Why new homes have so many defects
There are several reasons why new homes have so many defects and why the standard
of new homes built in the UK appears to be getting worse each year. Insufficient
build time, a lack of skilled tradesmen, reductions in the frequency of independent
inspections, and non-
What can be done to improve the standards
With an ever-
Professional Snagging
Figures show that 90% of new homebuyers experience defects in their new home. This has given rise to a number of professional snagging companies, who for a few hundred pounds, will thoroughly inspect every aspect of your new home. In this section you will also find some photographs of defects found during snagging inspections.
Research into new home defects
Terry Williams from Coventry University has carried out research in defect analysis. He found that of the new homes surveyed, the average number of faults was a staggering 141 per property – with 4% considered to be a health and safety risk! This page has detailed pie charts showing where most defects were found in the new homes surveyed.
Doing your own inspection and snagging
There is nothing to prevent you from doing your own snagging. As some aspects of snagging are subjective, DIY snagging can be a good idea. This page gives details and advice on how to snag your new home, when to do it, things to consider and how to compile the snaglist for the builder.
Snagging photographs
Examples of external defects found in occupied completed homes on just one particular housing development during a brief visit. Both the builder and inspectors often overlook the outside of new homes. External snagging defect photo slide show and Internal snagging defect photo slide show.
Free snagging checklists:
External snagging checklist
Sections include the external paintwork, brickwork, rendering, guttering, rain water downpipes, drives, paths, fencing, roof tiling, garage, and garden.
Internal snagging checklist
Areas to inspect include: paintwork, windows, doors and frames, staircase, bathrooms, loft space, electrical, plumbing, plastering, floors, airing cupboard, heating system, fireplace, kitchen units and appliances.
New home owner’s forum
This is a link to a popular forum that not only enables you to share your experiences with others, but we also try to answer any question relating to new home problems and any technical building queries you may have.