The day you accept the keys is the day it becomes much harder to fix anything without disturbing you. Once the furniture is in and the curtains are up, re-laying a tile or chasing a leak behind a wardrobe is a far bigger job than it would have been the week before.
A careful walk-through before possession — a snag inspection — is the easiest way to make sure the home you move into is the one you paid for. This is the checklist we would use ourselves.
Before you go
- Go in daylight, and allow a couple of hours. Rushing is how things get missed.
- Take a torch, a measuring tape, a small spirit level and your phone, fully charged — you will use the phone to test sockets and photograph everything.
- Take the floor plan and the specification list from your agreement, so you can check what was promised rather than what you remember.
- Take a phone charger, a coin or a key, and a bucket of water if the water supply is not yet connected.
- Take someone with you. A second pair of eyes finds things the first misses.
Start with the documents
Before you look at a single wall, ask to see the occupancy certificate for the building. It is the local authority's confirmation that the building is fit to live in, and the RERA Act makes obtaining it the promoter's responsibility. Under the Act, a buyer is expected to take possession within two months of it being issued — so schedule your inspection early in that window, leaving time for anything that needs to be put right.
Measure the home
Check the carpet area. Measure each room wall to wall, add the kitchen, bathrooms and internal passages, and compare the total with the carpet area in your agreement. It will not match to the last square foot, but it should be close. If you are unsure what carpet area includes, our guide to carpet, built-up and super built-up area explains it.
Walls and ceilings
Look along each wall in raking light — a torch held flat against the surface shows every bump. Check for:
- cracks, bulges and uneven plaster;
- the corners where walls meet the ceiling;
- damp patches or staining, especially below bathrooms, around windows and on external walls;
- an even finish of paint, with no patches, drips or missed areas.
Fine hairline cracks in fresh plaster are common as a building settles; wide or stepped cracks, or cracks that run through the structure, are not. Photograph anything you are unsure about and ask.
Floors and tiles
Walk every room. Tap tiles gently with a coin or a key — a hollow sound usually means a tile has not bonded properly and may crack later. Check that:
- tiles are level, with no raised edges to catch a foot;
- grout lines are even, complete and clean;
- skirting is fixed and finished;
- there are no chips or cracks in tiles at doorways and corners, where they take the most knocks.
Doors and windows
Open and close every door and window. They should move freely, close fully and lock. Check that:
- the main door is solid, its lock and viewer work, and it closes without catching;
- glass is unscratched and uncracked;
- window frames are sealed against the wall, with no gaps where rain could get in;
- handles, stoppers and hinges are fixed firmly.
Kitchen
- Run every tap, hot and cold, and check the pressure.
- Fill the sink and let it drain — it should empty quickly and quietly.
- Look under the sink for any sign of a leak at the joints.
- Check the platform is level and firmly fixed, with no cracks in the stone.
- Confirm the points for the water purifier, chimney and appliances are where the plan shows them.
Bathrooms
- Run every tap and shower, and flush every toilet.
- Look around the base of the toilet and under the basin for leaks.
- Check that the floor slopes towards the drain, so water does not pool — pour a little and watch where it goes.
- Check the geyser point and the exhaust fan work.
- Look at the ceiling of the room below, if you can, for any sign of seepage.
Electrical
- Switch every light and fan point on and off.
- Test every socket with a phone charger.
- Check the distribution board is labelled, so you know which switch controls which room, and press the test button on any safety trip switch — it should cut the power at once.
- Confirm the points for air-conditioners, the television and the inverter are where you were told they would be.
Balconies and utility areas
Pour a little water on the balcony floor. It should run to the drain, not towards the room. Check the railing is firm and at a safe height, and that the drain outlet is clear.
The common areas
Your home is only part of what you are buying. Take the lift, walk the stairs, check your parking space is the one allotted to you, and look at the fire-safety equipment on your floor. Ask when the electricity and water connections will be transferred to your name.
After the inspection
Write everything down in a single dated list, with a photograph of each item, and give a copy to the builder. Agree when each item will be put right, and check it again before you move in. Keep your copy with the rest of your handover papers.
When you take possession, ask for:
- the possession letter and a copy of the occupancy certificate;
- all payment receipts and a no-dues letter;
- warranty cards for anything fitted — the geyser, fans, sanitary fittings;
- the electrical and plumbing layouts, if the builder can share them. They save a great deal of guesswork the first time you drill a wall.
Your protection after possession
Under Section 14(3) of the RERA Act, a structural defect, or a defect in workmanship, quality or services, that you report within five years of possession has to be put right by the promoter within thirty days, at no charge — and if it is not, you are entitled to compensation. The snag list is not your only chance. It is simply the easiest one.
Every completed Stalwart project carries its planned and actual handover dates on our Residences page. If you would like to see how a delivered home has aged, ask us for a visit.
