Expatriates, thrilled at the concept of moving abroad and settling in their newly built homes, have no idea about the real conditions of their prospective houses. They might comfortably nest in their new house without knowing the defects that need attention. Unbeknownst to many, house buyers do not hold many rights on the purchase of a property. Contractors usually cheat by using cheaper sub-standard replacements for specified materials which could cause problems in the long run. Expats, most of all, would purchase the house without a single doubt and would not be notified of this fact until at a latter date when it is too late and they would have to spend more replacing the sub-standard materials. There is a way to prevent this from happening - have your new homes "snagged". 

What is Snagging?

Snagging is a term not widely known. However, it has been gaining popularity nowadays as more people are buying homes of their own. Problems in a newly built house could be as small as lopsided doors or as big as insubstantial building foundation. Snagging is the term used when you have all the faults in your prospective house determined and then repaired. Snagging could prove to be crucial when buying a house of your own. After all, you would not want to purchase a house with a perfect façade but with rusted pipes now, would you? It could save you lots of money, not to mention, lots of future heartache. Just as it pays to be sure of any investment you make, snagging is a measure to take to ensure the quality of your new home.

Who Does the Snagging?

If you want to do the snagging yourself, then by all means, do it. However, if you are not qualified, you would not be able to detect the smallest faults (or even the bigger ones if you are totally clueless). So why pinch penny on something as important as snagging? It is better if you hire professionals to do the snagging for you. Qualified professionals include promoters, builders, and sales agents. Of course many are in it for the money and many might ask for more than what is really due them especially if you are an expat. The key here is to find good and honest professionals through the help of referrals or perhaps through your sound judgment. Do not hesitate to bargain if you think you are being charged a cutthroat rate.

What Are the Usual Results of Snagging?

There are literally hundreds of different points of inspection in a regular suburban-type home. Each point is inspected not only for their usability but for perfection. Every point in the house should be fit for human occupation and none should pose any hazard on a resident. Fees for professional snagging may cost around 250-400 Euros for ordinary suburban-type houses. The bigger the house; the bigger the fee. But most people would agree that it is all well worth it. Just imagine; there is a possibility that you will be living in a house susceptible to collapsing anytime during an earthquake. Having your house snagged before living in it could literally save your life.

These are the usual findings for homes which are snagged: water is able to seep through walls which make the concrete fragile, fixed components of the house such as toilets are improperly attached, interior dimensions alterations, substandard tiling, poor ventilation/heating system, poor paint job, and unusable garages. If you happen to get a good professional to snag your home, you will be notified of all the faults detected about your house. They will then be fixed or if the faults are too big, you will be given an option to sue the contractor.

Why Are Faults so Prevalent Among Newly-Built Houses?

There are many reasons why so many faults are found in something which is supposed to be new and in perfect condition. One might be that that local government in the place where the house is built holds only sparse building inspections. Another reason might be the shortage of skilled laborers. There are also instances when building contractors set a very short timeline making it impossible for the workers to build quality buildings. There are many other reasons why the quality of newly-built houses have dropped around the world recently. Going through them one by one would be such a daunting task. What is important is that you know what to do about your "snag list".

What to Do About the Faults in Your New House

So you are handed a "snag list" which is basically a set of list containing the faults detected in your new house. Where do you go from there? First of all, make sure you have record of everything. If possible, take photos of the defects. All verbal agreements should be quickly put into writing. Keep tab of all the costs directly and indirectly caused by the defects. The snag list should be sent to the house's developers since they are still held liable under warranty. However, you will need to provide proof that the developers are at fault. If you are lucky, everything will be settled after some talks. Otherwise, you will have to file a complaint in court which might cost more money and more time on your part. Therefore, it is always better to pursue an amicable agreement.