Once your new property has been finished you will be invited by the developer to come and view the property to do a snagging list before the keys are handed over. At this point you will typically have already paid 95% of the property price and the last 5% is held back so that you can notify them of any errors in the build. You are not expected to perform an audit of anything structural as this will be covered by your 10 year build guarantee but there are often small issues that need rectifying before the last 5% is paid. If you do not perform a snagging list or don’t initially know what to look for, so just accept the property quickly, then you will have to pay to fix any issues that are later discovered. For developments built by Avecoeur this service is included as we will typically be managing and renting out the property for you. It is therefore in our interest to make sure it is absolutely perfect since any issues will be brought up by tenants which will reflect badly on the reviews we receive.
For other new developments we sell, however, performing a snagging list is not included so this service could be of use. As mentioned, it is of particular importance if you are renting your property out afterwards to avoid any negative reviews. If you don’t really know what to look for or can’t afford the time and expense to come over to do it then it’s worth employing the services of a professional company like Avecoeur to do it for you. This service is available whether you buy the property through us or not. Below is a quick summary of the steps involved when we provide this snagging list service for you.
The meeting with the developer
Once a meeting is arranged with the developer, we will thoroughly go through the property in great detail to ensure any small defects are noted. These might typically be an interior or exterior tile that has a crack in it or grouting that has not been properly finished. Other typical issues are doors that do not quite close properly, locks that may be loose or not work correctly, electric shutters that malfunction or light switches that don’t work or LED lights that don’t function. These are small jobs for the developer to rectify at this stage with all the workmen around so is not an issue but if left unnoticed is a hassle and can be expensive to sort out.
A bigger issue can sometimes be the drainage where the water drains away too slowly and forms a pool in the shower for example. This is often because the drainage pipes have stones or other debris in them that have been allowed to enter by mistake during installation but occasionally it can be more serious and be an issue with the gradient of the pipes when they were laid down. Either way this can be expensive to sort out, so it is essential that these are thoroughly checked and that taps, showers & baths are allowed to run for a good 10 mins to ensure there are no issues.
Unfortunately, sometimes developers make mistakes on the interior finishes that have been selected and use a different selection by mistake. This most commonly happens with tiles both on the floors and bathroom walls but can also sometimes be incorrect taps, door handles or paint. If a developer has made a mistake, they will often offer some financial compensation since it will be expensive for them and time consuming to sort out but if financial compensation is refused then they will be forced to break, remove and re-lay any incorrect tiles or replace taps & handles etc.
The report
Once the meeting with the developer has been finished and any defects noted, a complete list of these defects will be drawn up accompanied by photos in a complete report for both the developer and the new property owner. This will be in French for the developer and English or French for the client.
The follow up
Once the developer has had a chance to look over the report created by Avecoeur they will typically come back with a timeline as to when these items will be rectified. As the items found are usually minor the turnaround can be as quick as one week and Avecoeur will check each item has been rectified before agreeing the handover on behalf of the client. Where issues are more serious, we will have to follow up on a regular basis until the items are fixed.
Overall, this is a very useful service even if you are French or speak French to a good standard as it is our technical knowledge and experience that you will be benefiting from in addition to the time and money saved travelling to the property for the handover.