Essential Inspection Tips for Your New Property

Essential Inspection Tips for Your New Property

Congratulations on your new home, how to do the inspection?

The first time ever that I bought a new property was when I bought my first condominium in Penang. My wife and I were so excited when we went to get our keys. It was also an upgrade from our first home which was a 730 sq ft to a new 1,258 sq ft condominium. The next thing you would have to do quickly is to check for defects because if you do it later, then it will take some time for the developer to fix the defects. Many homeowners may have submitted their forms before you. Thus, the developer’s contractor may only be able to rectify your defects only after they have already fixed the ones that has submitted their forms earlier than us.

Plus, before you start renovation, all these defects has to be fixed. Else, if you find problems later, the developer might blame your contractor, and fixing things after you’ve moved in can be a big hassle.

Here are some tips to help you spot and fix any issues quickly:

Be Prepared: Bring a pen, paper, marker, masking tape, measuring tape, broom stick, and a good digital camera (a 5x zoom would be great). A ladder is useful for checking high places, and having a detail-oriented friend along can be really helpful (plus, you can treat them to coffee afterward!)

Walls and Ceilings: Look for cracks, uneven surfaces, holes, or missing plaster. Check for fungus or watermarks, which might indicate plumbing issues. Any lumps, bubbles, peeling paint, or loose wiring are also red flags. Write down your findings on the Defect Rectification form and mark the defects with tape so they’re easy to find later.

Tiles: Give each tile a gentle tap with a broom stick and listen for a hollow sound. If you’re unsure what this sounds like, ask a real estate agent for help. Hollow tiles can lead to tricky and messy problems down the road!

Floors: Check for gaps in the wall skirting—these are usually easy to fix. Uneven floors might be a bit trickier, but hopefully, the developers have done a good job.

Doors and Windows: Look for gaps when windows are closed and check for any water marks. Test doors to make sure they open and close smoothly. Fix any issues now to avoid problems later.

Missing Fixtures: Make sure all the fixtures and accessories promised by the developer are in place. This includes electrical points, broadband points, water heaters, taps, sinks, and kitchen cabinets. Ensure everything works properly and opens or closes smoothly.

Electrical Points: Developers usually check these during the keys handover. If they don’t, you might want to get an electrician to check them for you.

Pipes: Ensure there are no protruding pipes.

Duration of the inspection

Depending on the size of your property, I think the whole process would probably take anything from one and a half hour to 2 hours or more. My best experience was with my first condo. I hardly found any defects (or maybe I was very inexperienced then as it was my second property), while the worst had major issues like broken tiles. It was 8 years later that I sold the property but there were no water leakages etc.

Sometimes, even after inspection, we may still miss some important stuffs. Well, just go back to the developer. Usually, if it’s due to them, they will still honour it. I know mine did.

Happy inspecting, and enjoy your new home! It’s exciting to finally have a place of your own, and it’ll be a great asset in the future

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