Snag Blog - Why is it a good idea to snag a new build?

Allow us to indulge you with a little more on why snagging a new house is an excellent idea. Again, we will briefly start with some statistics. These come courtesy of the independent New Homes Review, who conducted a survey from November 2016 – May 2017. A surprising 87% of new build homeowners reported snags, with just over half of them having found ten or more. Ultimately, 26% of those surveyed were dissatisfied with their build. If you had not guessed already, a major reason why snagging is important is that these reports are common. Unfortunately, the chances are that it will affect the average homeowner at some stage.

House building factory

You may be familiar with the cowboy builder or rogue tradesman stereotypes. The UK media portrays them with a lack of punctuality, charging extortionate prices and leaving poor workmanship in their wake. However in 2019, the more real cause for concern is, where possible, choosing carefully from an extensive list of housebuilding companies. Since the UK government intends to deliver one million new homes by 2020, the industry is awash with construction and property investors. Our point is this: the market is rapidly commercialising and house building is truly becoming a mass production affair. There is less attention to detail and more focus on meeting deadlines. Snags are often a result of the universal house-building processes used by these constructors. New build defects are frequent and almost unavoidable. Even if the efficiency of companies such as Taylor Wimpey and Bovis Homes mean that snags are usually minor, they can worsen with time. It is always a good idea to snag a new build regardless of the severity.

Snagging is also a factor of safety

The ‘What is home snagging?’ page of our website touches on the regulations devised by the Ministry of Housing in 2010. These guidelines list sometimes obvious safety demands; safe electrical appliances, sufficient ventilation and bans on toxic substances such as Asbestos to name a few. There is also the requirement of fire safety. Again, an obvious one right? Well it may surprise you that occasionally houses have snags as dire and dangerous as improper fire protection. As recently as May 2019, BBC Watchdog Live found that at least two top construction companies had failed to provide adequate fire barriers and resistance in new-build homes. It may be a little tedious considering something as minor as exposed nails or ill-fitting hinges. But snags can be potentially dangerous or life threatening. This is another reason why snagging a new build with us is sensible.

Save time and money

If the frequency and potential danger of snags are not reason enough, what about the possibility of saving money? This is yet another reason why home snagging is smart thinking. If you are a landlord awaiting the residency of tenants, snagging the build before they move in is advisable. Leaving defects to gradually emerge during their stay can be costly. Furthermore, these issues can cause the tenants unrest and perhaps even a handing in of their notice. Hiring an independent snagging company at your earliest convenience can save a considerable amount of hassle and money.

Snagg inspect early

The warranties on new-build homes are also cause for concern. These policies usually protect buyers for ten years by covering structural defects of a property. Often however, the terms lead to some consumer confusion. A survey done for HomeOwners Alliance found that nearly half of buyers (46%) in the last decade expected this warranty to cover minor snags that they had uncovered. In fact, your construction company is only required to fix these smaller issues if they are reported within the first two years. The remaining eight years of warranty cover what they deem as ‘structural defects’. In other words, snagging your new build within the first two years is extremely beneficial. Some of the comments attached to the aforementioned 2017 survey are also interesting. One buyer stated that the builder was ‘very reluctant to snag’ when queried over the warranty. Needless to say, you will never experience such reluctance from us.