RICS Surveyor - snagging sureys and reports

Synergy are Independent RICS Chartered Building Surveyors, our surveyors are highly respected and ensure buyers can buy with confidence.  For residential snagging surveys we can usually book in within a few days of instruction and can provide a report 2  working days thereafter survey (if time is a factor just ask).

Snagging Surveys are professional inspections carried out on newly built properties to identify faults or defects — known as “snags” — that the developer or builder should fix.

Whether it is a large house builder or a bespoke development we will always find snags that need review or questions to raise that you may not have considered.

For one off developments we see inexperienced developers cutting corners, make sure you can get an informed opinion. 

Together with the snagging, we will also be looking at all the things we usually look for in any property survey so you have a wealth of experience giving you wider observations and legal questions to review with your conveyancer.

From our perspective experience is everything and in an industry plagued with unqualified workers, average quality, naive practices can you afford not to be informed.

Your new build property should come with an insurance backed warranty, these warranties are usually for a period of 10 years, depending on terms the developer will usually put right defects within the first 2 years, then after that the insurance company step in and pick up the residual of years remaining.

Developers are vulnerable to market forces so can go out of business, the warranty should cover this eventuality keeping you covered.  Make sure you check the warranty with your legal advisors.

We are ofter asked, why have a snagging survey if there is  a warranty?

Unfortunately the warranty providers only carry out periodic checks through the build / development and don’t thoroughly inspect at completion, build contractors can have quality issues, design can be poor and things can be rushed, left unfinished, especially in lofts or cupboards.

We have never carried out a snagging survey without issue and some properties have been so poor that Clients have had to pull out of the sale.  There is plenty of press on the issue of poor finishes and snagging so don’t fall into a confidence trap.

Similar to new build warranties reviewed above, PCC’s are usually required by mortgage companies for properties that have been extensivly refurbished, converted, heavily extended or significantly re-built.  An independent professional may have  been involved with and monitored the development and signed off the build as building act compliant and built to a suitable standard.  This may not necessarily give a warranty to the new owner and you should check this with your legal advisors.

The quality of any certificate scheme such as this will again be limited to the periodic inspection and not necessarily guarantee the build is free of snagging, some of which can show after works have finished in the sale period. 

Limitations:

• All surveys are visual inspections and non-intrusive (unless agreed and permission is sought from current owners), your survey will contain caveats on limitations with access, furniture, floor coverings and the like (more detail will be provided in the quotation).