Snag List 101: How to Inspect Your Home Before Handover

The last few weeks of home construction in Mysuru feel like the finish line. Painters are packing up, the gate is fitted and the family is already choosing curtains. This is exactly when a careful inspection matters most, because small defects are cheapest and easiest to fix while the builder’s team is still on site.

A snag list is simply a written record of everything that is incomplete, damaged or not built to the agreed specification. It is not a sign of distrust. A good builder expects one and uses it to close the project properly.

This guide walks you through when to inspect, what to carry, what to check in each part of the house and how to make sure every item actually gets closed.

Before the walkthrough: timing and tools

Ask your builder for a pre-handover inspection date once all finishing work is complete but before you move furniture in. An empty house shows cracks, stains and uneven floors far more clearly. If possible, plan two visits: one in daylight for finishes and one in the evening for lighting.

Carry these with you:

• A printed copy of your written specification and approved drawings
• A phone for photos, with timestamps switched on
• A spirit level and a measuring tape
• A small ball or marble to check floor slope
• A phone charger or small lamp to test every socket
• A notebook or a shared spreadsheet with columns for room, defect, photo number and status

Take one family member who notices details and, if the budget allows, an independent civil engineer. A second set of eyes catches what excitement hides.

Room-by-room snag checklist

Work in a fixed order, top floor down or front door to back, so nothing is skipped. Compare what you see against the specification, not against your memory of the brochure.

Structure, walls and ceilings

• Look for cracks near beams, lintels, window corners and where walls meet columns. Hairline plaster cracks are common and fixable, but note them all and ask the engineer to explain any wider ones.
• Check for damp patches, efflorescence (white salt marks) or bubbling paint, especially on walls behind bathrooms and below the terrace.
• Run a hand along walls under angled light to spot uneven plaster.

Flooring and tiles

• Tap tiles with a coin. A hollow sound can mean poor bedding underneath.
• Check that joints are evenly filled and grout lines are straight.
• Place the ball on bathroom, balcony and utility floors. Water should drain towards the outlet, not pool in corners.
• Look for chipped edges, colour mismatch between batches and lippage where one tile sits higher than the next.

Doors, windows and grills

• Open and close every door and window fully. Nothing should scrape, stick or swing shut on its own.
• Test every lock, latch, handle and tower bolt with the keys you will be given.
• Check that window frames are sealed at the edges, since gaps here let in rain during the monsoon.

Plumbing and bathrooms

• Run every tap for a few minutes and check pressure on each floor.
• Flush every toilet and watch the cistern refill.
• Look under wash basins and the kitchen sink for drips.
• Fill a bucket and pour it on the bathroom floor to watch the drain.
• Confirm hot and cold lines are not swapped, and that the geyser point is where the drawing shows it.

Electrical

• Test every switch, socket, fan point and light point, including outdoor and staircase lights.
• Check that the distribution board is labelled, and that each circuit breaker trips and resets.
• Confirm the number and position of points match the electrical drawing.

Kitchen, terrace and exterior

• Inspect countertop edges, sink fixing and any wardrobe or cabinet shutters for alignment if interiors were part of the scope.
• On the terrace, look at waterproofing finish, parapet tops and rainwater outlets. Blocked or badly sloped outlets cause many leaks.
• Walk around the outside for gaps in external paint, compound wall cracks, sump and overhead tank covers, and the slope of the driveway away from the house.

How to record and raise snags

A snag list only works if it is specific. “Bathroom tile issue” will get argued about. “First floor master bathroom, third tile from the door, hollow sound, photo 42” will get fixed.

Follow a simple method:

1. Number every item and link it to a photo.
2. Note the location, the defect and what the specification says it should be.
3. Share the list in writing with the builder’s project lead, by email or a shared document, so there is a dated record.
4. Agree a rectification date for the list, not item by item on the phone.
5. Re-inspect after the fixes and mark each item as closed, open or disputed.

Do not sign a handover or completion note that says the home is defect-free while items are still open. You can accept possession with an attached list of pending items, if both parties agree in writing.

What happens after handover

Some problems only appear once the house is lived in: a slow leak after heavy rain, a door that swells in humid months or a crack as the building settles. This is why the after-handover terms in your agreement matter as much as the inspection itself.

At Uniq Builders, every package includes a workmanship warranty and one year of free service after handover, alongside construction to a written specification that you can hold the finished house against. You can compare what each option covers on our construction packages page. Whoever you build with, ask for these terms in writing before work starts, not at the end.

Keep your snag list, photos and the builder’s responses in one folder. If an issue comes up in month eight, you will know whether it was reported earlier and what was agreed. For more guidance on each stage of the build, browse our home construction in Mysuru articles, or read how our residential construction service runs a project from design to handover.

Frequently asked questions

Should I hire an independent engineer for the snag inspection?

It is worth considering, particularly if you are not familiar with construction or live away from Mysuru. An engineer can judge whether a crack is cosmetic or structural and read the drawings more quickly. Even so, walk the house yourself too, because you know how you plan to use each room.

How long does it take to fix a typical snag list?

It depends on the number and type of items. Paint touch-ups and hardware fixes are usually quick, while tile replacement or waterproofing repairs need more time to cure. Agree a written date with your builder and schedule a re-inspection rather than relying on a verbal estimate.

Can I still report defects after I move in?

Yes, as long as they fall within the warranty and service terms in your agreement. Report them in writing with photos as soon as you notice them. If you are planning a build and want to understand these terms upfront, book a free site visit and consultation to discuss them.