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Buyers of brand new homes are not getting value for money on the finish of their new home according to a report from Inspector Home and Glasgow Caledonian University. On average, a brand new three-bedroom home in 2005 had 84 snagging defects – a 29% rise on the previous year.
Inspector Home uncovered confusion among 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 focussed their attention and improved quality by 12%. 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.”
Top Snagging Tips
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?
Plaster
Are the walls & ceilings smooth and even? Are the joints neat and even?
Carpentry
Fitted furniture & Sanitary ware
This covers things like kitchens, wardrobes etc.
Brickwork
Tiling
Plumbing & Electrics
Flooring
Switches, Sockets & Radiators
Glass
Guttering
Exterior