Handover day is the day with the most at stake in your entire purchase. Before you sign, every defect is the builder's problem and their bill. After you sign, most of it quietly becomes yours. This checklist helps you walk in prepared — and if you want the full printable version, grab our free pre-handover checklist PDF.
Before the visit: carry these
- Your allotment letter, payment receipts and the agreement copy
- A fully charged phone with free storage — photos are your evidence
- Masking tape and a marker to flag defects on the spot
- A small torch for lofts, corners and under-sink cabinets
- A marble or steel ball to test floor slopes and level
Living and dining: finishes first
Start with what's hardest to fix later. Run your eyes slowly across every wall in daylight — patch marks, paint waves and putty lines all show up at an angle. Tap floor tiles listening for hollow sounds, and check skirting edges for gaps.
- Wall paint finish, patches and undulation in daylight
- Floor tile bonding (tap test), level and skirting finish
- Window operation, locks, handles and silicone sealing
- All switches, sockets and light points — test every single one
- TV, telephone and internet points as per the agreement
Kitchen: water meets daily use
- Platform level — pour a little water and watch where it runs
- Sink faucet flow, drainage speed and under-sink joints for leaks
- Dado tiles for hollowness, grout gaps and stains
- Chimney duct, gas pipe inlet and exhaust provisions
- Loft and cabinet shutters for alignment and smooth closing
Bedrooms: quiet defects hide here
- Wardrobe shutters, sliding tracks, locks and internal finish
- Window sealing — daylight through frame edges means dust and rain later
- AC drain points and outdoor unit brackets or ledges
- Attached-bathroom door clearance and lock alignment
Bathrooms: the highest-risk rooms
Bathrooms cause more post-handover disputes than every other room combined. Spend disproportionate time here.
- Floor slope — water must run to the drain, never pool
- Tile grout completeness and early hollow sounds
- All CP fittings: taps, showers, health faucets, flush tanks
- Damp signs on the ceiling below and walls shared with neighbours
- Exhaust fan working and vented outside, not into a duct void
Balcony, utility and outdoors
- Railing height, grip strength and rust-free fasteners
- Floor slope toward the drain outlet
- Washing machine inlet, outlet and floor trap in the utility
- External paint, cladding joints and visible seepage lines
How to record snags so they get fixed
A vague complaint (“paint issue in bedroom”) gets vague action. For every defect, record three things: a photograph, the exact location (room + wall + height), and a one-line expected fix. Number them. Email the numbered list to the builder the same day and keep the acknowledgement — this paper trail is what makes follow-ups enforceable.
What the builder must fix vs. what's yours
As a rule: anything that deviates from the agreement, the approved plan or basic workmanship standards is the builder's responsibility before handover — finishing defects, faulty fittings, leakages and incomplete scope. Fair wear from your own use after possession is yours. The grey zone in between is exactly where a professional pre-handover inspection earns its fee: an independent, photo-documented snag list is very hard to argue with.
When to call a professional
This checklist catches the visible 70%. The expensive 30% — moisture inside walls, earthing faults, drainage slope errors, hollow tile beds — needs meters, ladders and trained eyes. If your handover is in the next few weeks, book an inspection and walk the flat with our inspector. You'll learn your home's real condition in a single morning.