Snagging lists and what to expect from builder

[Gogs]

Wonder if anyone could offer some advice or experiences they may have had regarding snagging.

Basically we have bought a house which is just over 1 year old, I guess the previous owner done some form of snag but doubt they were that bothered since were moving.

I thought we would not have a leg to stand on with any issues but I read somewhere that the builder is responsible for 2 years....is this the case?

Also what sort of things are normally brought up and what are you expected to deal with yourself.

Few things, I can think of, squint guttering along with a small section that is only held on with one clip so is not ding the job and will probably fly off when the weather comes in.

Light not working in hall, it's downlighters and not the bulb, also another downlighter came out in my hand when went to change a bulb...leaving the plaster in a state as it was obviously a botch fitting as the rest are ok.

Some large cracks around windows and doors, not sure whats classed as acceptable, quite a lot of flaking paint, mainly the coving throughout the house.

Quite a lot of popped nail/screw marks on walls/ceiling.

A kitchen door that is hinged in a way that is makes it unusable, even for someone like myself over 6ft, it doesn;t open fully as it hits the extractor, it would have made sense to fit it the other way.

Main bathroom door is hard work to get locked, en suite lock is coming away in hand, shower fittings a bit wonky.

Some doors close ok but don't actually catch properly, some dont catch at all.

Any advice appreciated as I've never bought a new/nearly new home before.

Thanks

[Adrian]

Gogs gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

AIUI, it depends. If it's not got an NHBC guarantee, then you're on your own. If it has, then there's a 10 year guarantee period.

their FAQ -

"Does Buildmark cover me against all faults and defects?

Buildmark is not a complete guarantee against all defects.

Buildmark is an insurance policy which covers you against specified risks which could be very expensive to put right. It does not provide cover for general wear and tear, condensation, normal shrinkage, damage arising from failure to maintain the property, or minor faults which first appear after the second year.

For full details you should read your copy of the Buildmark booklet which specifies the cover provided. The Buildmark booklet belongs to you so make sure you ask your solicitor for this document.

When you move in, you should also receive NHBC's 'Guide to your new home' from your builder. It contains useful information about 'running in' your new home. The 'Guide to your new home' pdf is available here."

"What if I sell my home before the ten years expire?

If you sell your home while Buildmark is still in force, the benefit of the balance of the cover automatically transfers to the new owners.

You should pass all Buildmark documents to the new owner."

[Gogs]

or minor faults which first appear after the second year

------------------------

Yes its NHBC, as we were not the first owners we never got any paperwork, however I asked about this and was told it usually stays with the deeds.

As we are still within 2 years I was wondering whats classed as a valid complaint as such and is it usually just a case of calling up the builder and saying pop round and sort it all out.

[Vass]

if he's this bad, are you sure you want him back?

[Gogs]

I believe you get the popped nail/screw marks anyway but they usually come back and tidy it up, seems they have been here before but missed a good few or they appeared when they left.

I certainly want them back to do the guttering, the list does not seem to bad on the face of it given by what I have read on the internet of some other peoples experiences.

Guess a lot of builders the same, time is money so a lot of it is rush rush.

[Andrew Gabriel]

My solicitor said an NHBC guarantee is not worth the paper it's written on.

[The Medway Handyman]

I love it :-)

[Derek Geldard]

I've heard of them on the one hand saying that they don't concern themselves with trifles when a builder tiled a bathroom with tiles from 2 different batches resulting in the walls being shaded.

And on the other hand when a defunct builder had made a mistake with all the roofs on an estate of new houses, they wouldn't have the resources to fix every roof on the estate, that wasn't what their "guarantee" was intended for. Yada yada yada.

Derek

[Derek Geldard]

And doing the job right is the almost hardest part of the job, the hardest being correcting a mess and then getting it right.

Derek