The room-by-room snagging checklist.

01Documents & handover pack

Do this first. Missing paperwork is the defect that costs you most later, because it is the paperwork that proves what you are owed.

• Warranty certificate. Confirm you hold the NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee or equivalent certificate and the policy number. Note the start date: your two-year builder liability period runs from it.
• Building Regulations completion certificate. Should have been issued. Ask for a copy in writing if it is not in the pack.
• Home User Guide. Check it covers your specific plot and house type, not a generic development booklet. Appliance manuals and guarantees should be included.
• Boiler commissioning. Benchmark service book present, completed and signed. Unsigned commissioning can invalidate the manufacturer's guarantee.
• Electrical certification. Electrical Installation Certificate and Part P notification. Check the circuit schedule matches the labels inside your consumer unit.Pro inspection
• Ventilation commissioning. Extract and MVHR systems must be commissioned to measured airflow rates. Ask for the commissioning sheet: it is very often missing.Pro inspection
• Meter readings. Gas, electric and water readings recorded, dated and photographed on the day you take the keys.
• Keys, fobs & restrictors. Test every key and fob supplied, including window keys, garage, gates and meter cupboards.
• Isolation points. Locate and label the stopcock, external stop-tap, consumer unit and gas isolation valve before you need them in a hurry.
• Plot plan & specification. Compare boundary treatments, parking, turfing and upgrades against what you paid for. Missing specification items are a contractual issue, not a snag.

02Entrance & hallway

• Front door operation. Opens, closes and locks without lifting the handle hard. The multipoint lock should engage smoothly with the door simply pushed to.
• Door seals & draughts. Run the back of your hand around the frame on a windy day. Look for daylight at the corners and check the weather bar and threshold are sealed.
• Threshold drainage. Level-access thresholds need somewhere for water to go: a drainage gap, a brick-slot or a channel drain. Paving should sit slightly below the threshold, never above it.Pro inspection
• Door furniture. Letterplate, spy hole, numerals and handles secure and square. Remove a handle rose on one or two doors: one screw where there should be two is common.
• Hallway walls & ceiling. View from around 2m in natural light. Look for roller marks, filler shadows, uneven cutting-in, visible scrim tape and screw pops.
• Wall flatness & square. Walls should be flat within roughly ±3mm under a 450mm straight edge; internal corners square within about 10mm and external corners within 5mm.Pro inspection
• Skirtings & architraves. Mitres tight, no shrinkage gaps at joins, caulk continuous, nail holes filled and painted. Check behind the front door where it is routinely missed.
• Consumer unit. Every circuit labelled clearly and legibly. Switch height should fall roughly between 1350mm and 1450mm from floor level: frequently fitted too high.Pro inspection
• Alarms. Press one smoke alarm: every other alarm should sound shortly afterwards. Heat alarm in the kitchen, CO alarm near the boiler or any solid fuel appliance.
• Door swings & clashes. No door should strike a wall, radiator, handle or another door. Door stops should meet the door before the hinge does.
• Flooring transitions. Thresholds flat and secure, no lipping, no trip edges, expansion gaps concealed under skirting rather than filled solid.

03Stairs & landing

The stairwell is the largest opening in the structure, so it shows movement first, and it carries the highest safety risk in the house.

• Spindle gaps. A 100mm sphere must not pass between spindles, or between spindle and string. This is a child safety requirement, not a preference.
• Balustrade height & rigidity. Push firmly at the top of each newel post and mid-span. Any perceptible movement is a defect. Landing balustrade height is set by Building Regulations.Pro inspection
• Handrail continuity. Should be uninterrupted with roughly 25mm clearance for your fingers, and returned into the wall at the top so clothing cannot catch.
• Tread & riser consistency. Treads level across width and depth. Uneven risers cause falls: one of the most common serious defects we report.Pro inspection
• Creaks & movement. Walk every tread and both edges. Creaking usually means inadequate fixing; a sharper cracking noise can indicate a structural fixing issue.Pro inspection
• Stringer cracking. Fine cracks up to about 2mm along the stringer are normal settlement. Anything 3mm or wider should go on the list for the developer.
• Newel caps & posts. Caps firmly fixed, posts plumb, string terminating in line with the landing skirting rather than protruding as a trip hazard.
• Access hazards. Loft hatches and smoke alarms directly over a stairwell make maintenance dangerous. Doors should not open onto the head of the stairs.Pro inspection
• Three-storey fire route. In a three-storey home the staircase is the escape route: FD30-rated doors, intumescent seals on three sides, and a door-to-frame gap no greater than 4mm.Pro inspection

04Kitchen & utility

The most expensive room to put right after you move in, and the room where damage is hardest to prove was not yours. Inspect it first.

• Cabinet doors & drawers. Open and close every one. Even gaps, aligned handles, soft-close working, no clashing with adjacent doors or appliance handles.
• Unit alignment. Sight along the wall units, then check with a level. Doors are usually adjustable; carcasses set out of level are not.
• Worktop joints. Joins flush, tight and sealed. Run a fingernail across: a lip you can feel will trap water. Check for chips at the sink and hob cut-outs.
• Laminate moisture protection. Laminate worktops need a moisture barrier over the dishwasher and washing machine positions. Missing sections cause swelling within a year.Pro inspection
• Sink, tap & waste. Fill the sink to overflow level, then release it and watch the trap and pipework underneath with a torch. Slow drips only appear under volume.
• Appliance pipework. Waste hoses clipped securely, supply valves accessible and labelled, no kinked hoses behind machines.Pro inspection
• Extractor. Run it on every speed listening for rattle. Confirm it ducts to outside if that is what you paid for.
• Appliance function. Run a short cycle on the dishwasher and washer. Test every hob zone, both ovens, the grill and the interior lights.
• Integrated fridge/freezer. There should be a vent in the plinth beneath it. A sealed plinth causes the unit to overheat and shortens its life.
• Plinths & end panels. Where safe, remove a plinth and look underneath with a torch for water staining, debris and unstable feet.Pro inspection
• Tiling & splashbacks. Consistent grout lines, no cracked or hollow-sounding tiles, silicone neat and continuous. Adjacent tiles within 1 to 2mm of surface level.
• Sockets & switch positions. Test every socket with a plug-in tester. Sockets and switches should sit clear of the hob and the sink.Pro inspection
• Under-cupboard lighting. Look up under the wall units with a torch for exposed cable ends and unfinished connections.Pro inspection
• Utility & boiler cupboard. Shelving secure, pipework insulated and clipped, boiler accessible for servicing, cupboard decorated internally rather than left bare.
• Floor level. Place a marble on the floor in several positions. Whether the deviation breaches tolerance is a measured check against a 2m straight edge.Pro inspection

05Bathrooms, en-suites & WCs

Nearly every long-term problem in a new build bathroom starts as a sealant, ventilation or fall defect that was visible on handover day.

• Silicone sealant. Continuous, evenly tooled and fully adhered around the bath, tray, basin and worktop. Gaps at the corners are where water gets behind tiling.
• Bath under load. Fill the bath to the overflow. The sealant should not split and the bath should not flex or creak. Watch the waste and overflow while it empties.
• Bath feet & cradle. Remove the panel where you can. Feet level and bearing evenly, frame secure and no packing improvised on site.Pro inspection
• Water temperature. Bath outlet temperature is limited by regulation to protect children, usually via a thermostatic valve.Pro inspection
• Shower performance. Hot within about 30 seconds, stable pressure, no temperature swing when another tap is opened. Check the screen seals and door closure.
• Shower tray fall. Pour a jug of water into each corner. It should all run to the waste with none left standing.
• WC. Flushes fully, refills and stops. Check the pan does not rock and that concealed cistern access panels fit properly.
• Backflow risk. If a shower hose can reach into the WC pan or a basin, it needs shortening or restraining: a contamination risk to the water supply.Pro inspection
• Tiling. Tiling should be centred on the main feature, the window or the bath, not started from one corner. Look for lippage, cracks and missing grout.Pro inspection
• Extractor fan. Runs with the light and overruns afterwards. Hold a sheet of tissue against it: if it will not hold, the fan or ducting is underperforming.
• Extract ducting. The duct must run to an external terminal, be insulated, and be as short and straight as possible.Pro inspection
• Drainage noise. A loud glug when a basin or bath empties indicates a venting or blockage problem in the soil stack.Pro inspection
• Ceiling below. After running the bathroom, check the ceiling directly beneath with a torch at a low angle for early staining.Pro inspection
• Sanitaryware condition. Inspect basins, baths and trays from around 0.5m in good light for chips, scratches and manufacturing flaws.
• Privacy glazing. Bathroom and WC windows should be obscured. Clear glass fitted by mistake is more common than you would expect.
• Switch positions. Switches and shaver sockets must be kept a safe distance from the basin and bath.Pro inspection

06Bedrooms & living areas

• Walls under raking light. Shine a torch along the wall at a shallow angle. Roller marks, filler shadows and blown plasterboard around sockets all appear instantly.
• Ceilings. Look for jointing ridges, screw pops and long hairline cracks. Ceilings should be flat within roughly ±5mm under a 2m straight edge.Pro inspection
• Paint finish. Assess from 2m in natural daylight. Look for drips, snots, thin coverage behind radiators and splashes on ironmongery.
• Sockets, switches & data. Test every socket with a plug-in tester and every TV and data point. Faceplates flush, square and free of paint and plaster.
• Internal doors. Latch cleanly without slamming, no rattle, no bowing. Gaps at head and sides about 4mm; around 10mm at the bottom for airflow.
• Radiators. Should heat evenly top to bottom. Cool at the top means air; cool at the bottom means sludge. TRVs turn freely and valves stay dry.
• Heating zones. Turn one thermostat up and check which radiators respond. Zones wired to the wrong floor is a defect we find regularly.Pro inspection
• Cold rooms. A room above a garage or on a top floor that will not warm up may have missing insulation rather than a heating fault.Pro inspection
• Floors. Under a 2m straight edge, deviation beyond about 5mm is out of tolerance. Listen for creaks and check boards do not bounce.Pro inspection
• Carpet & hard flooring. Carpet stretched with no ripples or visible seams; laminate and LVT free of scratches, lifting boards and perimeter gaps.
• Wardrobes & built-ins. Secure, plumb, doors aligned, internal fittings complete and matching the specification you paid for.
• Party wall noise. If you can hold a conversation through the wall or hear footfall clearly, note it. Back-to-back sockets are a common weak point.Pro inspection

07Windows & external doors

• Operation. Every window opens, closes and locks without forcing. Bi-folds and patio doors are the first to drop out of alignment as the house settles.
• Glass condition. Inspect in direct sunlight from inside and outside. Scratches longer than about 25mm are out of tolerance and require the unit replacing.
• Failed units. Misting, beading or moisture between the panes indicates a failed seal. Note the room and position of every affected unit.
• Gaps & daylight. Check for daylight where patio door leaves meet, particularly at the bottom. Use a plastic spacer to test sash-to-frame gaps.Pro inspection
• External mastic. Continuous seal at every reveal, cill and threshold. Missing mastic beneath door thresholds is a leading cause of water ingress.Pro inspection
• Cill fall. External cills must slope away from the building. A cill leaning back drives rainwater into the reveal.Pro inspection
• Trickle vents. Present in habitable rooms, operating freely and not painted shut. They are part of the ventilation strategy, not an optional extra.
• Restrictors & escape. Restrictors should lock open and release easily in an emergency. Upstairs escape windows must not be key-locked shut.Pro inspection
• Rooflights. Low-level rooflights within reach of a child must be restricted. Narrow cut tiles beside a rooflight tend to slip.Pro inspection
• Trim & beading. Mullions and transoms straight and level, glazing trim cut to length with no sharp edges at the mitres.

08Loft, plant & ventilation

More significant defects hide above the loft hatch than anywhere else. Do not enter unless there is safe boarded access and someone else is home.

• Insulation depth & coverage. Two cross-laid layers to roughly 300mm, continuous to the eaves, and not walked flat or pulled aside by installers.Pro inspection
• Eaves ventilation. Vent trays must keep an air path open from the eaves into the roof space. Insulation packed tight causes condensation across the whole roof.Pro inspection
• Extract ducting. Bathroom and kitchen ducts must terminate outside through a tile vent, be insulated, and have no dips where condensate collects.Pro inspection
• Soil vent pipe. An internal soil pipe terminating in the loft needs either a roof vent or a correctly fitted air admittance valve, mounted upright.Pro inspection
• Restraint straps. Gable and party walls restrained by straps fixed to timber bracing, not directly to trusses, and to the correct face of the blockwork.Pro inspection
• Spandrel panels & party wall. Panels strapped at the specified centres, no gaps at the eaves, acoustic-rated cavity insulation in party walls.Pro inspection
• Roof underlay. Breathable membrane should sag slightly between rafters. Pulled drum-tight, water runs to the battens and seeps through the nail holes.Pro inspection
• Condensation & timber. Look for mould, damp staining and droplets under the membrane. Timber moisture content is measured with a meter, not judged by eye.Pro inspection
• Loft hatch. Draught seal fitted, insulation fixed to the hatch, ladder operating safely. Some three-storey layouts need a fire-rated hatch.
• Debris & cables. Offcuts, packaging and cement bags left in the loft are a fire load. Check for exposed cable ends and unmade connections.Pro inspection
• Boiler & cylinder. System pressure holding, no fault codes, expansion vessel secured, tundish visible and below the vessel, pipework insulated where required.Pro inspection
• MVHR system. Filters accessible, ducting insulated and supported, unit commissioned to the design flow rates and the sheet supplied to you.Pro inspection

09Garage & outbuildings

• Garage door. Operates smoothly through its full travel, locks correctly, and any powered door reverses on contact with an obstruction.
• Rainwater at the opening. There should be a channel drain, a lip or a fall away from the opening. A drive sloping towards the garage with no drainage will flood it.Pro inspection
• Integral garage fire separation. Self-closing door into the house, a step up or a floor falling to the exit, fire-rated ceiling where a room sits above, intumescent sealant at services.Pro inspection
• Roof structure. Trusses fixed to the wall plate with clips or the specified nailing, restraint straps at the correct spacing and properly secured.Pro inspection
• Piers & walls. Detached garages rely on piers for stability: full height, correctly spaced and solid when pushed. Check floor and walls for cracking.Pro inspection
• Power & lighting. Lighting and sockets working, outdoor and garage sockets weatherproof and RCD protected, personnel door latching and sealing.
• Practical use. Measure it. Confirm your car opens its doors inside, and that paths beside the house are wide enough for a wheelie bin.

10External walls, roof & rainwater

• Brickwork appearance. Consistent colour, straight and parallel courses, aligned perpends, no chipped bricks, no mortar smears left on the face.
• Mortar joints. Even width and colour, fully filled, hard rather than crumbling when rubbed. Patchy repointing usually marks a rectified error.
• Walls plumb. Assessed against a 2m level; deviation beyond roughly 8mm is out of tolerance. A measured check, not an eyeball one.Pro inspection
• Cracking. Hairline cracking is normal settlement. Stepped cracking, cracks through bricks, or horizontal cracking need professional assessment.Pro inspection
• Weep vents. Present above every opening and above flashings, clear and genuinely open. Blocked or dummy weeps trap water in the cavity.Pro inspection
• Damp proof course. Should sit at least 150mm above finished ground level. Raised ground, render or paving bridging the DPC lets moisture into the inner leaf.Pro inspection
• Air bricks. Where fitted, clear, correctly orientated and standing proud of ground level, not buried by soil, gravel or tarmac.
• Efflorescence. Isolated white deposits are usually cosmetic. Widespread staining, or a streak below a gutter or weep vent, points to water where it should not be.Pro inspection
• Render. Consistent texture and colour, free of crazing, no ghosting of blockwork, weep vents not rendered over, expansion joints on larger elevations.Pro inspection
• Roof covering. From ground level with binoculars: straight ridge line, no slipped or missing tiles, hip tiles not overhanging, dry verge caps secure and clipped.Pro inspection
• Flashings & abutments. Lead work at chimneys, canopies and adjoining roofs dressed neatly and correctly stepped. Difficult without pole camera or drone access.Pro inspection
• Fascias, soffits & bargeboards. Sealed, undamaged, no splits or gaps at joints, protective film and stickers removed.
• Gutters. Best assessed during or just after heavy rain. Look for overflow points, dips, twists and tiles not projecting far enough into the gutter.
• Downpipes. Securely fixed and actually connected into the gully below. Pipes discharging into soil or ending short of the drain are common.Pro inspection
• Canopies & overhangs. Check what sits below a canopy edge. Run-off onto a light fitting, an EV charger or brickwork causes staining and damage within a year.Pro inspection

11Drives, paths, drainage & garden

• Standing water. Walk the plot the morning after heavy rain. Pooling on the drive, patio or lawn tells you more in five minutes than any dry-day inspection.
• Paving & edging. Slabs secure underfoot, no rocking, no lipped edges, no chipped or stained units. Paths should fall away from the house.
• Path widths. Main approach paths and refuse routes have minimum widths under Building Regulations. Measure the side path you will drag a bin along.Pro inspection
• Channel drains. Aco and brick-slot drains clear of tarmac and debris, and connected at the ends. Blocked at installation is normal, so lift the grate and look.Pro inspection
• Inspection chambers. Where safe, lift covers and look inside for mortar, rubble and building debris. Chambers should sit flush with surrounding levels.Pro inspection
• Chamber load rating. A cover rated for pedestrian use only, installed on a driveway, will fail when you drive over it. Rating is stamped on the cover.Pro inspection
• Gully flow. Pour a bucket of water into each gully and watch it clear. Slow drainage now becomes a blocked run later.
• Topsoil quality. Dig a small section about 10cm deep and press the soil. It should crumble. If it holds a thumbprint it is heavy clay and your lawn will sit wet.
• Turf & debris. Turf laid on adequate topsoil, joints closed, free of stones and buried rubble: check along paths, fences and around chambers.
• Garden gradients. Steep falls towards the house pool water against the wall. Gradients are measured against a defined maximum, not judged by eye.Pro inspection
• Fencing & gates. Posts plumb and firm when pushed, panels flush and not rattling, gates hanging square, latching and not fouling as they swing.
• Boundaries vs plot plan. Compare fence lines and boundary treatments against your plot plan. Boundaries in the wrong position are cheaper to resolve now.
• Retaining structures. Where ground levels change, a drop over 600mm generally requires guarding. Check any raised or terraced area for guarding and safe access.Pro inspection
• External services. Outside tap operating and frost protected, external lighting working with PIRs set correctly, EV charge point commissioned and clear of run-off.

12Whole-house safety sweep

Run this last, across the entire property. These are the items where a defect is not an inconvenience.

• Interlinked alarms. Test each detector individually and confirm all others respond. Alarms on every storey, heat detection in the kitchen, CO where required.
• RCD protection. Test the RCDs at the consumer unit using the test button, and confirm which circuits they cover.Pro inspection
• Escape routes. Fire escape windows unobstructed and openable without a key; front door openable from inside where required; escape routes clear of clashing doors.Pro inspection
• Gas installation. Meter box sealed where pipes enter the building, pipework earth-bonded, boiler flue sealed and correctly angled at the terminal.Pro inspection
• Guarding & handrails. Every handrail, balustrade and guard firm along its whole length: test at the ends as well as the middle.
• Background ventilation. Trickle vents and background ventilation unblocked throughout. Closing them permanently causes condensation problems blamed on the extractor.
• Photographic record. Photograph every room in daylight before furniture arrives, and date every entry on your list. Timing is what determines who pays.