By Propedia Consultancy founder Sr Vicky How

It is a happy moment to receive the notice to collect your keys for your property, especially if it is your first home. From your first impression, the property may appear to be in perfect condition, but in reality, this may not be true.

Finding defects in any building, old or new is common. Instead of blaming the developer for the faults (if any), the onus and duty lie with the owner to inspect the property during the vacant possession period.

To Read More: Standard procedures during Vacant Possession of a new house 

Bear in mind that defects are not to be confused with dirt. I have seen many first-time homebuyers complain about the dirtiness of the door (which could be easily removed with a piece of cloth) rather than the defects on the door, for example, scratches, uneven surfaces, or misalignment of the doorknob.

The good news about buying a property from a developer is that you are entitled to a defect liability guarantee period of 12-24 months after the date of vacant possession which is specified in your Sale and Purchase agreement (SPA).

During the stated period, you can give notice of the defects to the developer. They are obligated to remedy or make good the reported errors. The notice of defects should be given before the commencement of renovation works (if any) for the property during the defect liability period. This is to avoid a situation whereby the developer refuses to make good the defects, arguing that the flaws had happened during the renovation works.

Many people are also unaware that they can inspect the new property themselves. To do the inspection, you need to bring along a few things; a golf ball, torchlight (preferably warm white light), handphone charger (or a test pen) and label stickers. If your property does not come with good lighting, it is best to inspect it during the broad daylight.

1. Try out the keys and locks.

The first step upon entering your unit is to inspect all the keys that are given to you as well as the locks on all the doors. The keys or locks may be defective due to manufacturing mistakes. Possibly, the wrong set of keys may be given to you earlier and it will not fit the locks.

2. Inspect the surfaces

Inspect the walls of the property to see if there are any plastering defects such as uneven surfaces, cracks, tears or holes. Flash your torchlight in front of the wall, and you should be able to see the flaws. The same methodology can be used to inspect the doors as well.

3. Check your windows

Try to open the windows as wide as possible. The windows should open and close smoothly.  You should also observe the powder coated paint on the window frames for scratches.

4. Turn on all the water taps

Open all the water taps in the property for a minute and let the water flow out. The purpose of this test is to ensure that all the taps are in working order and to ensure that the piping in the property are correctly installed without any blockages. Also, remember to flush all the toilets to make sure that the water system is in excellent condition. While you are doing all these, look out for any leakages.

5. Test your electricity

Bring along a handphone charger or a test pen. Use those to test all your socket units to see if they are working properly. If you phone is charging or the test pen is lit-up, this would indicate that the electric socket is connected correctly.

6. Check your unit flooring

The sixth step involves checking for uneven unit flooring. To test whether the floors are even or otherwise, you can throw a golf ball on the floor. If the ball gets stuck at the corner of the house, it shows that the floor is in excellent condition. But if it gets stuck in between the tiles, this is an indication that the tiles are uneven.

7. Ensure that your kitchen cabinets are installed properly

The cabinet doors should be installed properly with the screws and nuts in the designated place. Some of the cabinet doors may have been installed with only two screws even though there are four screw holes.

After spotting all the defects, adhere a label sticker on the spot and indicate a number for each defect so that you can inform the developer of the location of the defects based on the numbering. Note down the location of each defect on a piece of paper for easy references.

About the contributors

Sr Vicky How

Sr. Vicky How is the Founder and Principal of Propedia Consultancy. Propedia Consultancy is a property consultant company which offer services such as sales and lease of property, property management, and valuation. In addition, she is also an invited guest speaker for special events and has been a trainer for Real Estate Agencies and also a coach.

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