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News: Can you spot the snag?

Buyers of brand new homes are not getting value for money on the finish of their new home according to a new report out today from Inspector Home and Glasgow Caledonian University.

On average, a brand new 3 bedroom home in 2005 had 84 snagging defects – a 29% rise on the previous year.

Inspector Home uncovered confusion amongst buyers over correct standards, and many said they had felt pressured in to purchasing sub-standard homes. In some extreme cases ceilings had collapsed from water leaks, and one developer had sold units as two bedroom properties even though they were only 1 bedroom with an open mezzanine.

Kent and the South Midlands recorded the highest average number of defects per property (73) in the UK whilst London remained the lowest area with an average of 46 defects. Scotland showed the highest improvement with a 10% reduction in defects.

Vanessa Ambler, founding Director of Inspector Home was disappointed with the results and holds the government and new homes developers equally responsible for the decline. “In 2004 the government showed a real interest in the quality of new homes with the publication of the Barker Review: as a result, developers focused their attention and improved quality by 12%," she said.

"The Barker Review stated quite clearly that customer satisfaction should increase to 75% by 2007, however no strategy has yet been agreed and consequently the quality of new homes is deteriorating once again.”

Although the results cast a negative shadow on the industry, Inspector Home are aware of individual developers making a genuine effort to improve quality.  The company has offered to assist developers, the House Builders Federation, the NHBC and the ODPM with constructive suggestions for improvement.

Top 10 snagging tips

Inspector Home have offered the following advice to new home buyers:

  1. Paintwork - Make sure the paint is not too thin and that every thing has been painted in full (eg. check the insides of window frames.) Has the paint splashed anywhere?
  2. Plaster - Are the walls & ceilings smooth and even? Are the joints neat and even?
  3. Carpentry - Is the woodwork smooth & finished properly? Are the locks & hinges level & do they operate correctly? Check for gaps around doors & ensure the stairs & spindles are firm. Do the doors & windows open & close easily?
  4. Fitted furniture & Sanitary ware (kitchens, wardrobes etc) - Are the doors & drawers fitted correctly? Check the handles, hinges & look for scratches or dents. Is everything secure?
  5. Brickwork - Are the bricks even & well spaced? Is the brickwork clean & uniform?
  6. Tiling - Are any of the tiles uneven & is the grouting / mastic sealant finished properly?
  7. Plumbing & Electrics - Check all appliances are working & fitted correctly and that all guarantees are in place. Switch on the heating & check for leaks – a drip can soon become a flood.
  8. Flooring - Are the floors level and finished correctly? Check carefully especially around the edges.
  9. Switches, Sockets & Radiators - Are they level, working & in the right place?
  10. Glass - You must report glass scratches within 24 hours of completion or you could be blamed for the damage yourself.

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