When it comes to purchasing a newly built property, ensure that everything is up to the mark before making the final purchase. One of the best ways to do this is through a snagging survey. It helps identify any issues or defects in a newly built property, ensuring that it is truly worth the money.
This blog will help you understand snagging, explore its importance, explain how it is done, and how it can protect your investment in a new property.
Understanding a Snagging Survey
A snagging survey is usually done for newly built constructions. It carries out a deeper inspection of the property. Moreover, it comes from the word snag, which means defect.
It is used to check whether the workmanship is as per the given standards. On the basic level, it looks for cosmetic defects but on the functional level, it will look for structural defects. The reason why snagging is suggested over property surveys is because it is a much deeper inspection of a property and allows you to avoid home-buying mistakes.
Importance of Snagging Surveys
Here are six reasons why these quality checks are so important.
1. Ensuring Quality and Standards
Builders and developers often rush to complete properties on schedule, which can lead to overlooked defects or unfinished details.
A quality-check survey helps identify these issues early on, ensuring that the property meets promised quality and standards.
2. Protecting the Buyer’s Investment
Purchasing property usually involves a good amount of time and money, both of which are significant investments. Ensuring that the property is free from defects and constructed as per standards protects this investment.
Identifying and addressing issues early on can prevent costly repairs and maintenance in the future.
3. Legal and Contractual Compliance
A snagging survey ensures that the property complies with the legal and contractual terms written in the sale agreement. This includes adhering to building codes, safety rules, and other legal requirements.
In the long run, ensuring compliance helps avoid potential legal challenges and ensures peace of mind for the buyer.
4. Enhancing Negotiation Power
Identifying defects or unfinished work through a quality inspection can provide buyers with leverage in negotiations. Besides, buyers can request that the property developer address the issues or potentially negotiate a reduction in the purchase price to cover the necessary repairs.
5. Deep Property Inspection
A deeper inspection of the property helps identify minor defects that can go unnoticed by the naked eye. This includes pointing out any mould or fungal growth due to water leakage.
For older properties or homes, it might help identify issues like pest infestations. Also, the survey allows accurate property valuation in Dubai.
6. Preventing Future Problems
Carrying out an inspection beforehand not only identifies visible defects but can also uncover underlying issues that can be problematic in the future. Early detection of issues like structural defects, plumbing problems, and/or electrical faults can prevent future issues from arising.
Carrying Out a Snagging Survey
It’s not recommended to carry out a snagging survey yourself. A proper snagging survey would require the use of professional instruments like:
- Thermal Imaging Camera
- Moisture Meter
- Voltage Pen
- Power Socket Tester
- Water Quality Tester
- Humidity Monitor
The usage of these instruments requires professional expertise. Not only that, you need to have technical knowledge of a home’s foundation, wiring, plumbing, and more.
However, if you have the appropriate instruments and the relevant professional experience in property inspection, start by checking and analysing:
- Foundational and Structural Integrity
- Windows & Doors
- HVAC Check-Up
- Light, Sockets, and Cables
- Fire Safety and Security System
- MEP (Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing)
- Water System
- Paint Job
- Building Materials
- Ceiling & Wall Finish
- Plumbing Lines
FAQs
A snagging survey is crucial because it ensures that the property meets the expected quality and safety standards. It protects your investment by identifying issues that the developer needs to fix, preventing future repair costs, and avoiding potential legal disputes.
Anyone buying a new property, whether a residential or a commercial space, should do it. This is particularly important for first-time buyers who may not have the experience to identify potential defects themselves.
The tenants who are renting out an old property must check for mould growth, pest infestations, or thermal defects.
It’s best to schedule a snagging survey before the property’s final handover. This timing ensures that the developer identifies issues before you take possession.
– Al Yamama Real Estate Survey Services
– Digital Realty FZ-LLC (aka Pupil)
– Emarat Survey Services
– Petra Point
These companies provide detailed survey reports and ensure compliance with DLD regulations.
A snagging survey is a helpful step and one of the important factors to consider before buying a property. It ensures that the property meets the highest standards of quality, protects your investment, and gives you peace of mind.
Engaging a professional survey company helps identify and rectify defects before taking possession, saving time, money, and potential future headaches.
