Key Post: Snag Lists.

How much should I pay for a snag list on a newly built 2 bed apartment and who should I go to?

Granard or Glasnevin ?

I have just moved into a new apartment in Knocklyon, and I paid 250 euro for snag list, 2 reports(builder & me) and check-up following the snag 'completion' by the builder. I was able to go with the snagger on both visits, who explained the issues. Good guy who knows his stuff - Aidan 086.2269016
Some of my new neighbours are still chasing issues with the builder that their snagger failed to catch. Amazing how things change after money changes hands !!!!!

Im sure there must be "the big book of snaglists" out there somewhere, but I havent been able to find it. You know what I mean, sheets of tick-boxes broken into categories to allow you do your own check list. I wouldnt reccomend this as an alternative to a professional snagger (just a thing to do yourself as well).

I find the whole snagging thing to be a bit of a game played between the builiders Foreman and the Professional Snaggger. Hopefully when the game is over the 90% of the items are dealt with to your satisfaction and the remaining 10% are in the minor/trivial bracket.

Would any one be interested in posting their snag lists here (modified to prevent identification)?

Its years since I got my house snagged but some items which I remember are:
unlevel floors, doors not closing properly, windows not closing properly, bathroom suite wrong colour, shower tray not draining properly.


ajapale

Hi

I cut and pasted the price below from quote received from snagit@eircom.net prior to them doing my own snag on a 3 bed semi -D in Kildare


"2 bed apt & 2 bed houses € 200 "

That should give you an idea.

Found them very good by the way


Cheers

Laura

Sorry for the state of this, but it a simple cut and paste. I couldnt be bothered to make it look all nice.
Here are the topics which I used on my recent snagging.

I have this in a nicely laid out word doc but I don't see anyway I can attach it (I suppose it is not a good idea anyways).

If anyone wants a copy, let me know.

Walls - level?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp floors - level?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Skirting Boards&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Water (any Leaks?)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Ceiling&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extras? - Lights/Plugs?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Glass Scratch?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Fittings (straight & secure)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Power? Socket?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Locks Handles?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Insulation&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Door Frames&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Saddle Board&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Floorboards (clean? Creak?)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Fireplace&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Doors (kitchen units) (rattle)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Sinks & Toilets flush & fill up&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp No extra rubbish around&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Plastering&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Tiles (Roof and Front)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Gutters (and Shores)&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extras Ordered &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Drains Shores & Gutters&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Ventilation - 1 in each room&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Walls around property&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Keys for all locks&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Manuals for anything - Gas?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Front & Back Door condition&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extractor Fan&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Anything lose?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Gaps around doors?&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Window Sills & HandlesDrivewayWardrobesRadiatorsTilingFireplace & ChimneyTaps?Bathroom Fittings secure

can you give me a tel. no. for snagit.com were they thourough in the snags and did they pay a return visit? did they chase up the builders for you to do the work?
thanks, and the best of good luck in your new home. may happiness follow you in your new home.

Just fixed up MaceFace post.

Walls - level?
floors - level?
Skirting Boards
Water (any Leaks?)
Ceiling
Extras? - Lights/Plugs?
Glass Scratch?
Fittings (straight & secure)
Power?
Socket?
Locks Handles?
Insulation
Door Frames
Saddle Board
Floorboards (clean? Creak?)
Fireplace
Doors (kitchen units) (rattle)
Sinks & Toilets flush & fill up
No extra rubbish around
Plastering
Tiles (Roof and Front)
Gutters (and Shores)
Extras Ordered
Drains Shores & Gutters
Ventilation - 1 in each room
Walls around property
Keys for all locks
Manuals for anything - Gas?
Front & Back Door condition
Extractor Fan
Anything lose?
Gaps around doors?
Window Sills & Handles
Driveway
Wardrobes
Radiators
Tiling
Fireplace & Chimney
Taps?
Bathroom Fittings secure

Jimmy

Contact number for Snag It agent who did my list is 086 6018658.

Very thorough indeed. 12 A4 pages of a written report. Second visit was included as standard.

Laura

Thanks very much for the tip in relation to the snagger. Contacted him after seeing your posting. Got the 8 page report back this week, with pictures of my new apartment. Very exciting !!
Snagger seems to have it all covered.
Happy to recommend the guy - Aidan 086 2269016 email snaglist@o2.ie

Another post

s
Unregistered User
www.snagging.org/

Legend

I used a site called www.snagging.org/
For £10 sterling you can download a 52 page snagging list created by an engineer. We used it to snag our house and found it very good.

_s

www.inspectorhome.co.uk/ is a similar site.

They sell a snagging cd rom for £19 stg which features printable snag check lists and video clips.

Im not sure how relevant these are in Ireland though.

and
www.whatprice.co.uk//trad...tml#Whinge is interesting.

More things to look for once you’ve been in your new house for a few days/weeks.

Leaky plumbing fittings
Unreliable electrics – tripping out etc.
Doors not fitting properly
Taps and fittings that have worked loose.
Real fireplace – chimney draws air sufficiently.
New turfed lawn – is it dead yet?
Loose floorboards
Plaster falling off the ceiling especially over joist nails.

an excerpt from the sunday times: by Zoe Brennan www.timesonline.co.uk/new..._1,00.html

The Sunday Times - Property

Who does it?

You can do snagging yourself, but I would advise hiring a professional. They know what to look for, they have more leverage and the process will be less stressful. Do it yourself, and you risk being fobbed off by a wily builder, who will tell you that all sanded boards have rough machine marks or that it was your choice of paint that resulted in patchy walls. The best option is to get a chartered surveyor in. They will charge £150-£200 for a one- or two -bedroom flat, or £200-£300 for a three or four-bedroom house (plus Vat). There are dedicated snagging firms, but make sure you get what you pay for: the sort of inventory clerk used by letting agents to itemise defects on rental property will not be qualified to snag a large building project. Some snagging companies charge more than qualified surveyors.

Doing it yourself

Operate room by room in this sequence: floor, walls in a clockwise rotation, ceiling, joinery (architraves, window frames), check windows, doors, latches and locks, services and fixtures. Check electricity, gas and water, and that the builder has the electricity and gas safety certificates and guarantees for damp-proof courses and so on. Turn on the taps, flush the lavatory, run the dishwasher and washing machine, turn on all appliances and the central heating. Make sure sockets and switches are straight, and pay close attention to paintwork. Check for level floors, leaks and soundproofing. Do snagging in good daylight. Several websites offer snagging “lists” to use as a guide; www.snagging.org has one for £14.99.

ajapale

Anyone recommend a snagger in Cork?

[canman]

I'm a first time buyer who is just in the process of getting a property. Understand that we all need to save as much as we can but
Whoever you decide to choose to do a snag list, make sure they are a member of Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS).
Check there website for a listing of members
http://www.scs.ie
This is important as only it's members have professional indemnity insurance (in case anything goes wrong). Remember you can't sue yourself.

Hi,

Need a suveyor to do the snagging on my new 2-bed apartment. Can anyone recommend someone to me? I know there are some recomendations above but they're a year or so old, so if anyone has has recent experience I'd appreciate it.

Buying a home is a big investment of hundreds of thousands of euro. Spending 200 or 300 euro is very small for piece of mind. You could use "nixer mick", a Architectural technican by day and snagger by weekend, for 200 and no vat and no comeback if things go wrong. Seriously consider a professional Engineer, Architect or Surveyor but only if they work in the housing market and are used to the games some builders play. A message above gave www.scs.ie but you could also contact the Architects equivalent www.riai.ie or Engineers www.iei.ie On balance 99% of homes being built at the moment will be fine but its the other 1% where professional help is worth the few extra euro above "nixer mick".

Less than 300 euro. Where are you based?

[Geegee]

Having looked at www.snagging.org and www.inspectorhome.co.uk, both are the same price for a snagging guide, the latter having a CD-ROM. Can anyone recommend one over the other?

[buttonmoon]

If you're going to give it a once over yourself too then it's worth reading these:

http://members.tripod.com/~lfinegan/snag.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~lfinegan/snag_2t.html

I love the egg test :

Check the work surfaces are level - they won’t be because nothing ever is but take along an egg (not a technical term for an obscure industrial measuring tool but the oval object that comes from a hen’s rear) Why? ...well the builder will try to belittle your attempts to show him that the worksurface isn’t level by saying it’s close enough for "accepted building standards". For me the proof is that if the egg won’t stay where you leave it on the worksurface then the level is just not acceptable - this is a kitchen after all and eggs will be expected not to gather themselves onto the floor when you turn your back.

[joey]

I have got my money in place (finally!)
I rang the auctioneer to ask when the snagging would be completed and he told me that the builder has said that my snaglist is excessive and will not be met. They have had it for 5 weeks and did not contact me. I have shown the snaglist to a few people and they have said that it is very normal and that I should push for it all to be completed. I accepted at the start that it wouldn't all be met but I don't think that it is excessive bar maybe one or two things.
But I'm wondering is this a ploy being used by the auctioneer to either lower my expectations or put me off pushing to get everything done?
The auctioneer has said that the builders engineer checked the apartment out and that is is completed.

Any advise or views would be appreciated thanks.