FAQ
Snagging

Snagging in real estate is the process of inspecting a property for damages that were not disclosed before the inspection was conducted. Sometimes the words punch-listing or walk-through are used as synonyms. The snagging inspection is also referred to as handover inspection.

Regardless of the name, the process stays the same: An inspector will walk through the inspected property and conduct tests.He’ll document all damages found and take pictures. These findings are collected in a thorough report for the client and the developer if applicable. The selling party has to rectify the damages found. Usually there’s a second inspection afterwards, to make sure, the damages have been repaired.

It’s important to get the snagging inspection done before signing a contract or handover document. With damages discovered after signing a contract, there could be liability issues.

When it comes to properties, a “snag” is any damage that was not disclosed before a snagging or handover inspection was done. This could be anything from non-leveled floors to a poorly installed component or a major defect. Sometimes the difference is just a few millimeters, which is why snagging is usually performed by snagging companies with experienced professionals. These companies also have professional tools to conduct tests on-site.

A snagging inspection is important to identify damages on your future property that weren’t disclosed  by the seller or developer. That’s not always due to bad intentions, sometimes small snags just slip his assessment. 

A snagging inspection, also known as handover inspection, allows you to claim for repairs. A prerequisite for this is, that you don’t sign the contract or the handover document before you get the inspection done. Otherwise you might have difficulties claiming any repairs from the developer, especially structural and civil work issues.

Anyone who is engaged in a property purchase should get a snagging inspection before handover, if you’re a private party or a corporate one. We also recommend snagging or handover inspections for sellers as well as buyers.

Sellers will profit from knowing their property’s value and can sell it with a clear conscience. Buyers however, can use snagging inspections to make sure that their investment is worth it and they’re getting damage-free property. Note that in both cases, damages discovered beyond handover could lead to complications claiming liabilities.

We offer snagging inspections for:

Residential Spaces, such as

• Villas
• Townhouses
• Apartments

• Townhomes

Commercial Spaces, such as

• Offices
• Warehouses
• Restaurants
• Retail spaces

For second-market properties, there’s a similar inspection called “condition inspection”. As opposed to the snagging inspection, the inspectors take into account normal wear and tear.

Yes! Maintenance teams only interfere if a problem arises after you’ve moved into your new property. A snagging professional, on the other hand, is meant to reveal hidden defects to avoid future issues, e. g. a poorly-installed water pipe. With missing support in the false ceiling or on the roof, it might blow up and will cause water to flood your property and damage your belongings. 

To make sure that all such defects are found, reported and fixed by the developer before you step into your new property, it’s important that you get an independent snagging inspection by a professional company done.

Even with trusted developers snags are at a high rate, as developers don’t always have the time to get a snagging inspection done and they themselves are not always experienced in construction. Since any property is a big investment, you better make sure everything is done properly before signing anything.

Independent inspectors are the most reliable, since they’re obligated to no one but you. That way you know you’ll get a reliable snagging report and advise on what to let the developer fix before signing and moving in.

Even with trusted developers snags are at a high rate, as developers don’t always have the time to get a snagging inspection done and they themselves are not always experienced in construction. Since any property is a big investment, you better make sure everything is done properly before signing anything.

Independent inspectors are the most reliable, since they’re obligated to no one but you. That way you know you’ll get a reliable snagging report and advise on what to let the developer fix before signing and moving in.

Yes, using a professional snagging inspector is highly recommended. It will allow you to find out about damages that slipped the developer and / or ordinary people wouldn’t notice.

An experienced inspector knows what to look for, what common issues arise, and how to spot the difference between something that’s tolerable and something that might lead to future complications. Professionals also bring expert tools and equipment on site to conduct tests and perform measurements. By doing so, they can identify damps into walls, defects in electric wire connections, and performance issues of air conditioning systems, to name just a few examples. 

All findings are documented thoroughly. This report can be used as a checklist to get repairs done before signing a contract or moving in.

Your new property is probably built according to the law but might still have a few defects here and there. It’s not always possible to catch every single defect during construction. Especially, when many contractors are working on different properties at the same time.

Another problem in construction is  the many parties involved. A lack of coordination can lead to issues, such as tasks left not being performed by one of the contractors assuming that others will do. Or workers leave handprints on walls because they weren’t paying attention. 

Be aware that the developer will try to reduce the amount of rectification work that he’s requested to do by the snagging report. You usually don’t get all snags fixed before moving in, since some of the snags are considered “conceptual design” by the developer. 

However, a good snagging company will advise you on what to insist on to be fixed before signing the contract and handover document, and what you can get done afterwards. Usually, the snags to be fixed after you’ve moved in, can be rectified by the maintenance team during the warranty year. In some cases, you can schedule a secondary inspection visit to prepare a snag list for the maintenance team.

In all cases, the snagging report is your best friend and the perfect checklist for snags that need to be fixed before you sign the final contract.

It’s your right by law to ask for a snagging inspection and in our experience there’s usually no problem in requesting that. If the landlord or the developer doesn’t allow for a snagging inspection, get in touch with a snagging company like us. We have experience working with landlords and developers and usually can convince them.

In rare cases, a landlord might try to conceal defects on your future property before you sign the contract so he doesn’t have to pay to fix them. Insist  on a snagging inspection if you feel like he’s trying to do that, to make sure you’re buying damage-free property.

No, the process of snagging itself will not delay the property handover or transfer. Depending on the property’s condition respectively the rectification of snags will cause delays. Since you want the damages fixed before moving in, you should give the developer time to do so. Sometimes, you can negotiate how long he’ll get for the repairs. 

If the property was bought on the secondary market, some people still insist on getting the snags fixed before moving in. Others might use the snag report to negotiate the price and get the snags fixed afterwards.

A snag list, also called a snagging report, is a document that outlines any damages or defects that need to be fixed in a property – usually before you, our client, signs the contract and the handover document.

The snag list is based on the snagging inspection and meant to give you an overview of your future property’s quality. But it’s also a checklist to be used by contractors when rectifying the damages.

For you as a new owner, it can be helpful to get an idea about the condition of the property you are investing in, so you can get the damages fixed before signing anything. But we also have a lot of sellers booking our services, so they can sell their properties with a clear conscience and avoid liability issues. In both cases, the snagging list or snagging report is also helpful if any problems arise in the future.

The snag list or snagging report is prepared by an inspector, the so-called snagger. He is qualified and experienced – and he knows your property and the snags best, since he found them during his inspection. His job is to ensure that all damages, defects, and encountered issues are not only identified but also documented clearly, so that they can be fixed by the contractor.

In some cases, the developer will assign his own engineer or a clerk to assist the inspector and take notes in a report provided by the developer. This is done by some developers to unify the report format and make it easier for the contractors to fix the snags found. 

Other developers ask the inspector to upload the report with all data and comments on their own cloud platform. In that case, the report is prepared in their own report format.

With a pre-owned property, the relationship is more amicable, and most of the time the pre-owner or his representative will be present on-site at the time of the snagging inspection to take notes. If you get your snagging inspection done by SnagMe, we’ll send you your SnagReport by email nevertheless. We want to do this to make sure you’re informed and to avoid misunderstandings. We also need to do it in order to fulfill our legal obligations.

That depends on the company. At SnagMe, for example, you can expect your snagging report three days after your inspection is done, sometimes even earlier. 

How long the snagging report takes depends primarily on the area of the property inspected. An apartment differs from a townhouse which differs from a villa and a corporate building. It also depends on the volume of defects and issues found at the inspection.

The snagging report needs to be as short as possible, but also as detailed as necessary so the constructor understands the issues. Usually, pictures of the snags are included as well as comments about possible causes.

Make sure to let a de-snagging inspection get done after the snags have been fixed. Sometimes, the contractor or the developer misses some of the snags to repair due to negligence or misunderstandings, which will be detected at a de-snagging inspection. In this case, he’ll be asked to fix them again through a secondary report.

A de-snagging is any inspection conducted after the first snagging inspection and is usually done to verify that all reported snags were rectified. The de-snagging inspection is usually carried out by the same inspector as the snagging inspection.

In case of non-compliance, a secondary report will be sent to the developer to carry out the necessary rectification work. Rectification work after a de-snagging visit may take a few weeks, depending on the reported issues.

You can request as many de-snagging visits as you like until you feel comfortable and are satisfied with the developer output. Keep in mind that the developer might interfere at some point. We’re happy to consult in case you need assistance.

Generally speaking, developers don’t accept snags that haven’t been mentioned in the first report. The same goes for snags that have been found during a de-snagging inspection.

A problem, however, is that contractors sometimes will cause damages while fixing snags. That can be everything, from hand marks left on painted walls to dents or scratches. Professional inspectors like ours are aware of that and will prove to the developer that these damages weren’t caused by you, but by the contractors. That way you’ll get your snags fixed before moving in.