New Build Snagging - any advice?

badmoon

Thanks to you both for your advice and help. I'm not that picky at all really, will just be overjoyed to be in a house of my own at last!

Anyway, as I said in one of my previous posts, I emailed the sales lady at the developers the other day just to let her know I was considering using them as a courtesy, and got a long email which was okay but a bit curt with the upshot being they don't allow professional people in to do the snagging (or words to that effect). That they have all their own quality control and audit systems in place etc., etc.,

A bit surprised and not sure how I should feel. I'd given it some further thought in between and my Dad is a former draughtsman and surveyor so he's more than willing to help me and confident he can spot any errors i may not be able to find. I just find their response a bit odd and troubling though am not sure if I should be. Oh well, my dad's like a rottweiler with these type of things so they may wish they'd gone for the professional option in the end.

Thanks again for your advice everyone.

Fire_Fox

Speak to your conveyancing solicitor. Using a professional snagging company is little different in my eyes to using a qualified surveyor for an older property. This is tens of thousands of pounds you are spending, don't let some low rent saleswoman dictate terms! If you can use your dad and he is cheaper go ahead.

badmoon

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Speak to your conveyancing solicitor. Using a professional snagging company is little different in my eyes to using a qualified surveyor for an older property. This is tens of thousands of pounds you are spending, don't let some low rent saleswoman dictate terms! If you can use your dad and he is cheaper go ahead.

I think i will as I just can't be doing with the hassle. The sales woman forwarded it onto their head office who responded.

I agree with what you're saying, but they did stress in the email it wasn't because they were afraid of what we might find. Just does seem odd and annoys me actually that they won't 'allow any admittance to any professional employed by me'.

Whenever I've questioned anything which I never get shouty about and always ask nicely, they go on the defensive straightaway.

Sorry, am ranting now.

tux900

Arrange a professional snagger and accompany him to the property. Your relationship to this 'friend' that you've brought with you is immaterial and, more to the point, none of the developer's business.

Mathew

Ulfar

Your buying the property if you want to have a professional snagging company look at the property it is no different to have a surveyor perform a survey.

If the company selling don't like it tough, it would make me look all the harder.

badmoon

Ulfar wrote: »

Your buying the property if you want to have a professional snagging company look at the property it is no different to have a surveyor perform a survey.

If the company selling don't like it tough, it would make me look all the harder.

Exactly re the 2nd sentence. I can't believe their cheek really and the fact that they wouldn't consider that it might actually make me more concerned.

Going to give it some thought over the next few weeks and I'm not replying to their email at all for now.

Thanks to you too Mathew, I suspect given that I've given them an inkling this is an idea of mine especially if they turn up with clipboard and then produce a full report straight after, they'd twig fairly easily but I might give it some consideration.

tux900

Don't worry about it too much, and don't necessarilly read the worst into it either. I'm sure a professional snagger is every developer's worst nightmare even if they've got nothing to hide as I imagine that no matter how perfect the build might be some 'issues' will be found albeit likely of limited significance, but still enough to be a pain in the proverbial.

Furthermore, many snags can be subjective and these are the ones that are harder to resolve - it is these that a professional is more likely to raise over an untrained eye.

Getting snags resolved at this stage is infinitely easier than further down the line so don't let them bully you in to taking the easy (to them) route. Get a snagger in - your peace of mind and future home are all that count.

Mathew

bitsandpieces

If they have good quality control, what's harm in getting a professional snagger in? Speak to your solicitor - I guess that what they can allow/not allow will depend on what was agreed when you exchanged contracts, though it would be surprising if you couldn't get a professional in to check things over.

OTOH, if your Dad definitely has the skills to do this - and is free - getting him to do this could be a good plan anyway. Worth remembering that (unlike if a pro you've employed makes a mistake) you won't be suing your Dad if he misses something - but not sure how relevant this is with snagging.

tux900

There is no legal liability attached to snagging - all you are paying for is an opinion.

Mathew

bitsandpieces

MJNewton wrote: »

There is no legal liability attached to snagging - all you are paying for is an opinion.

That's interesting - I thought a liability might attach if the opinion was badly and expensively wrong, though?