Taking Possession: The Inspection & Snagging Checklist

Possession day feels like the finish line, but it is actually your final and best opportunity to hold a builder or seller to account. Once you sign the handover and take the keys, getting defects fixed becomes far harder. Treat the inspection — the “snagging” — as seriously as the negotiation, and do not let excitement rush you through it.

Go prepared and unhurried. Take the agreement and the promised specification list, a phone charger to test sockets, a small appliance to test power points, a torch, and ideally a knowledgeable friend or a professional inspector. Inspect in daylight, and if you can, on a day after rain — leaks reveal themselves when it is wet.

Start with the structure and finishes. Walk every wall and ceiling looking for cracks, damp patches, efflorescence and uneven plaster. Check that floor tiles are level, sound (tap for hollowness), and unchipped, and that skirting and joints are clean. Open and close every door and window — they should align, latch and lock smoothly, with no gaps that let in dust or water.

Test the water systems thoroughly. Run every tap and shower to check pressure and hot-water supply, fill and drain basins and floor traps to confirm drainage, and flush every WC. Look under sinks and around the bathrooms for leaks, and check that bathroom floors slope correctly toward the drain rather than pooling water.

Check electricals point by point. Test each switch and socket, confirm the distribution board is labelled and the MCBs work, and verify that provisions for geysers, ACs, the chimney and other appliances are where the plan promised. Confirm the sanctioned load matches your needs and that the meter is installed and in your name or ready to be transferred.

Inspect the kitchen and any fitted elements against the spec sheet. Cabinets, counters, the sink, and any promised fittings should match what you paid for, in the finish and brand agreed. “Equivalent” substitutions are a common shortcut — hold the builder to the actual specification unless you have agreed otherwise in writing.

Look beyond the walls. Check balconies and terraces for waterproofing and railing safety, confirm the parking space you were allotted actually exists and is accessible, and inspect the common areas, lifts and any amenities that were promised. For a builder floor, confirm the terrace rights and any shared responsibilities in writing.

Document everything. Photograph and list every defect, however small, and get the builder or seller to acknowledge the snag list in writing with a committed timeline to fix it. Where possible, tie final payment or a retention amount to the defects being resolved — leverage evaporates the moment the last cheque clears.

Confirm the paperwork of handover: the occupation certificate where applicable, warranties for equipment and waterproofing, maintenance details and society formalities, and meter and utility transfers. A clean handover file saves you months of chasing later.

Only when the snags are fixed — or credibly committed with money held back — should you sign off and celebrate. A patient, thorough inspection is not distrust; it is simply making sure you receive the home you actually paid for.