Helpful hints!

Friday, February 15th, 2019

Image of a house being snagged


Helpful hints!

How the process works when purchasing a new property.
So, you got your mortgage, you have decided on the house you want and the location.

Visiting the showhouse

Have a look around the showhouse, make sure you are happy with the location of everything in the house. Things like:

  • Where the TV points are, the light pendants or do you want downlighters.
  • If there are book shelf units built into the sitting room, are, they going to be in your house or are they going to cost you more.
  • Are there door stops fitted to all doors to stop the handles damaging the walls when you are moving in.
  • Is there a management fee for the estate?
  • Do you get to choose the colour of your paint?
  • Do you get to choose your tiles?

Basically, what choices do you have on the finish of your new home that are not going to cost you any more money. So how does the process work after you have paid your deposit and signed the contract. Well, you should make sure you have a solicitor/lawyer to look after all the legal documentation and be guided through the process by them.

Making alterations / additions

When you have paid the deposit, booked your house and signed the contract it’s at that point if you want additions or want something in a different position from what you saw in the show house, that is the time to be specific and ask the builder to undertake the work. Some builders will charge for the work others will just relocate something for you free of charge, unfortunately there are some builders out there that will not move anything or add additional items no matter how many times you ask or how much you are willing to pay. Remember it’s too late to move anything when the builder calls to tell you, your house is ready for snagging.
Most people will require a garden shed it is always a good idea to ask the builder to run an electrical cable to the area where the garden shed is going to enable you to have power and light in the shed.

Snagging your new home

You should have an idea of an approximate time of when your property will be completed, that’s when you contact a professional snagging company or a competent person to undertake the snagging process for you or if you feel confident enough do it yourself, however remember most builders will only accept one initial snag list and only work off that list.
You will receive an email from either the builder or the selling agent to inform you that your house is ready for snagging, put in a call to the professional snagging company of choice to confirm the date and time of the snag.
Most builders open the site for snagging from 8am till 10am then 10.30am till 1pm the 1.30 pm till 4pm and you can arrange a time with your chosen snagging company and meet them on site, however there are many builders out there issuing specific appointment times, so be sure that you arrange to meet your chosen snagging inspector/surveyor either at the house or the entrance to the site. Remember you are entering a live construction site where there are construction vehicles, ground works, debris around along with ongoing works to other properties, be health and safety conscious also if you have young children most builders will not allow them on site, leave them with someone if possible or the builder may request that one parent visits the house with the snagging inspector/surveyor whilst the other waits in the car.
If you have arranged for any changes to the standard house type you should inform your chosen snagging company of all the changes/alterations you have made before they start the snagging process. You arrive at the house with the snagging inspector /surveyor, let them compile the snag list while you go through the house and visualise how you are going to lay out the furniture. Handy things to have are a measuring tape, a note pad and some chalk the first two are self- explanatory the chalk is useful for drawing on a bare concrete floor or unfinished floor the position of various pieces of furniture like sofa’s, tables, chairs and other incidentals.
When the snagging company inspector/surveyor has completed the snag list they will most likely then go through the list with you, if you have anything you want added to the snag list you should mention it to the inspector/surveyor for inclusion in the snag list. The snagging company will then process the report send it to both you and the builder or just to you for review and you send it to the builder. The builder on receipt of the snag list will proceed to rectify all the issues itemised on the snag list, this process can take a couple of weeks to complete dependant on the length of the snag list.

Re-snagging you home

Once all the items on the snag list have been completed the builder or agent will contact you to arrange for a re-snag to make sure all the listed items have been completed satisfactorily. The choice is yours you can arrange for the professional snagging company re-snag the property or go through the list and re-snag the property yourself.
If all the original snags have not been completed, the outstanding items are listed and given back to the builder for completion.
When all snags have been completed and you are happy with the property you contact your solicitor and inform them to proceed with the legal part of the purchase, this is where the builder gets the remaining part of the monies for the house. Once the builder has received the outstanding payment you will receive your keys along with the home owners pack.

Receiving your keys

Remember it’s very important on receiving the keys make sure the builder goes through with you how the heating system works along with the electrical system and solar system if any.
This is extremely important because the more proficient you are with the energy used in your new home the more efficient the system will work for you.

Oh, congratulations on your new home.

If you have any questions or would like to book a snag list, please feel free to contact us on email joe@propertysnag.ie or at 086-8118928