Inspect before you sign the handover note, not after, because your leverage drops sharply once you have accepted possession. Record every defect in writing with a date against each, and collect the occupancy certificate, specification sheet and warranty documents at the same time.
Key facts
- Inspect before signing. Once you sign the handover note, a defect becomes a request rather than an obligation.
- Go in daylight, with a torch, a socket tester, a coin for tapping tiles and the written specification sheet.
- Take someone who is not emotionally invested. You will be excited; they will notice things.
- Photograph everything with timestamps, including defects you have already reported.
- Tap every floor tile. A hollow sound means it will lift, and the repair is disruptive once you have moved in.
- Park your actual car in your actual bay before accepting it. Bay sizes vary and plans flatter them.
- Collect the occupancy certificate at handover. If it does not exist, that is a bigger issue than any snag on your list.
What should I check at handover, room by room?
Work through it in this order, and write down everything. A defect you noticed but did not record did not happen.
| Area | What to check | How to check it properly |
|---|---|---|
| Walls and ceilings | Cracks, damp patches, uneven plaster, paint coverage at corners | Check the ceiling below every bathroom and balcony above you. Damp there is a waterproofing failure, not a paint issue. |
| Floors | Hollow tiles, level, chipped edges, skirting gaps | Tap every tile with a coin. A hollow sound means it will lift later, and the fix is disruptive. |
| Doors and windows | Alignment, locks, hinges, sealing, mosquito mesh | Open and close every one fully. Check windows seal against rain by looking for staining on the inside sill. |
| Plumbing | Pressure on every tap, drainage speed, leaks under sinks, flush function | Run every tap at once and watch pressure. Fill a basin and time the drain. |
| Electrical | Every switch, every socket, earthing, DB labelling, AC points | Carry a cheap socket tester. Count the sockets against the specification sheet, not against memory. |
| Bathrooms | Slope to drain, silicone sealing, hot water, exhaust fan | Pour a bucket of water on the floor. If it pools rather than drains, the slope is wrong and it is a tiling job to fix. |
| Kitchen | Counter level, plumbing points, chimney and gas provision, socket positions | Check that socket positions actually suit appliances you own. |
| Balcony and external | Railing height and fixing, drainage outlet, external paint | Railing fixing is a safety item, not a finish item. Push on it. |
| Common areas | Lift finish and function, lobby, parking bay size, signage | Park your actual car in your actual bay before you accept it. |
| Documents | OC, specification sheet, warranty documents, utility connections | Written handover list with every snag recorded and a date against each. |
- The written specification sheet, so you are checking against what was promised rather than what seems reasonable
- A torch, for under sinks, inside ducts and behind doors
- A cheap socket tester
- A coin, for tapping tiles
- A phone with the timestamp on, for photographs
- Someone else's eyes
When should the inspection happen?
Before you sign the handover note, and in daylight.
The sequencing matters more than anything else on this page. Before you sign, outstanding defects are the developer's obligation under the agreement. After you sign, they become a request that you are making to a company whose incentive to help has just dropped. Nothing about the defects changes; your position does.
If you are told that you must sign first and the snags will be attended to afterwards, that is a negotiating position, not a rule. The reasonable counter is to sign the handover note with the snag list attached and referenced in it, so acceptance is explicitly conditional on those items. Get that in writing.
Daylight matters because most finish defects — uneven plaster, paint coverage, tile level, damp staining — are invisible under artificial light. Do not accept an evening appointment for a handover inspection.
What if the developer says a defect is normal?
Sometimes they are right. Hairline shrinkage cracks in plaster during the first year are genuinely normal. Minor settlement is normal. Perfectly uniform paint over a large wall is not a realistic expectation.
What is not normal, whatever you are told: damp patches, hollow tiles, water pooling on a bathroom floor, doors that do not close, sockets that do not test correctly, railings that move, or a drain that backs up. If any of those is described as normal, ask for it in writing that it is within specification. The request usually resolves the disagreement on its own.
Three practical moves when you are stuck:
- Refer to the specification sheet, not to your expectations. "The sheet says anti-skid tile with a fall to the drain; this floor holds water" is a much stronger position than "this seems wrong".
- Ask for a timeline, in writing, with a date. An undated promise to fix is not a commitment.
- Escalate to RERA if it comes to that. Structural defects carry a statutory defect liability period, and the state authority has a complaints process. Knowing this exists changes most conversations.
What documents should I collect at handover?
Collect these at the handover itself. Chasing them afterwards is considerably harder.
- Occupancy certificate for your tower, with its issue date. If it does not exist, stop — this is a larger problem than your snag list, and taking possession without one weakens your position substantially.
- The signed handover note with your snag list attached and referenced.
- The final specification sheet as applied to your unit.
- Warranty documents for fittings, waterproofing and any appliances included, with their start dates.
- Utility connection details — electricity meter number, water connection, gas where provided.
- Maintenance details: the current per-square-foot rate, what it covers, and what it becomes after the association takes over.
- Association contact, where one exists, and the current sinking fund position.
- As-built drawings if available, particularly for concealed plumbing and electrical runs — invaluable the first time you drill a wall.
What happens after you take possession?
Three things to stay on top of in the first year, while obligations are still live.
The defect liability period. Structural defects carry a statutory liability period under RERA, and fittings usually carry shorter warranties. Note the dates. Defects that appear in month ten and are reported in month fourteen are a weaker claim than the same defect reported promptly.
The first monsoon. Waterproofing failures almost always appear in the first heavy rain, not at handover. Inspect ceilings, external walls, balcony junctions and window sills after it, and report anything immediately in writing.
The handover to the association. When the developer transfers common areas and maintenance to the resident association, that is the moment to establish what the sinking fund holds and what maintenance will actually cost. Attend that meeting. It sets the financial terms you will live with for years.
The honest limit of any snagging checklist: it catches finish defects and misses the expensive ones. Structural issues, undersized services, waterproofing that fails in year three and a sinking fund that was never built are all invisible on handover day. A clean snag list is not a guarantee that the building is sound — it is a record that the visible work was done. The risk you cannot inspect away is why the developer's delivery record and the association's accounts matter as much as the inspection itself.
This guide is general and practice varies by state, by developer and by agreement. Specific obligations depend on your own contract and on the RERA rules that apply where you are buying, and nothing here is legal advice. Where a defect matters financially, take your agreement to a lawyer rather than relying on a checklist, and verify any statutory period against the current rules rather than this page.
Questions buyers ask
Answered from this page's own research. Last reviewed 3 November 2026 by the PropIQ World research desk.
When should I do the snagging inspection?
Before you sign the handover note, and in daylight. Before signing, outstanding defects are the developer's obligation under your agreement. After signing, they become a request to a company whose incentive to help has dropped. If pressed to sign first, sign with the snag list attached and referenced in the note, so acceptance is explicitly conditional.
What should I take to a handover inspection?
The written specification sheet, so you check against what was promised rather than what seems reasonable; a torch for under sinks and inside ducts; a cheap socket tester; a coin for tapping floor tiles; a phone with timestamps on for photographs; and someone who is not emotionally invested in the purchase.
How do I check for hollow tiles?
Tap every tile with a coin and listen. A hollow sound means the tile is not fully bonded to the bed beneath it and will lift eventually. It is a cheap fix before you move in and a disruptive one afterwards, so it belongs on the snag list even though the tile looks perfect.
What defects are genuinely normal in a new flat?
Hairline shrinkage cracks in plaster during the first year, minor settlement, and imperfectly uniform paint across a large wall. What is not normal, whatever you are told: damp patches, hollow tiles, water pooling on a bathroom floor, doors that do not close, sockets that fail a tester, or railings that move.
What do I do if the developer says a defect is normal?
Ask for that in writing — that the item is within specification. The request often resolves it. Refer to the specification sheet rather than your expectations, ask for a dated timeline rather than an undated promise, and remember that the state RERA authority has a complaints process and structural defects carry a statutory liability period.
What documents should I collect at handover?
The occupancy certificate for your tower with its issue date; the signed handover note with your snag list attached; the final specification sheet; warranty documents with start dates; utility connection details; the maintenance rate and what it becomes after the association takes over; and as-built drawings for concealed plumbing and electrical runs if available.
What if there is no occupancy certificate at handover?
Stop, because that is a larger problem than anything on your snag list. Taking possession of a building without an occupancy certificate weakens your position substantially and can create difficulties with utilities, resale and financing. Ask when it is expected and get the answer in writing before you accept keys.
How do I check the bathroom slope?
Pour a bucket of water on the floor and watch it. It should run to the drain and leave no pools. Water that stands is a tiling defect, not a cleaning issue, and fixing it after you move in means relaying the floor. Do the same test in every bathroom and in the utility area.
Should I check the parking bay?
Yes, and with your actual car. Bay dimensions on a plan flatter the reality once columns, pipes and the neighbouring bay are in place. Park in it, open the doors, and check you can get out comfortably. Also confirm the bay number in writing matches the one in your agreement.
What should I watch for in the first year after possession?
Three things. The defect liability dates, because a defect reported promptly is a stronger claim than the same defect reported months later. The first monsoon, when waterproofing failures appear — inspect ceilings, external walls, balcony junctions and window sills afterwards. And the handover of common areas to the resident association, which sets your maintenance terms for years.