New Home Surveying

New Home Surveying: snagging inspections for new-build homes

New Home Surveying is a professional snagging company based in Swindon, Wiltshire, operating in the town itself, across Wiltshire and in Bristol. Its work consists of inspecting new-build homes to identify defects, known in the trade as snags, and providing the homeowner with a report they can present directly to their developer.

The company was founded by two construction professionals, and its team is made up of surveyors who are full members of the RPSA (Residential Property Surveyors Association) and the CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building).

What snagging is and why it is commissioned

In a new-build home, the developer gives the buyer a two-year warranty period to correct any defects they report. The homeowner must walk around the house, draw up their own list of snags and send it to the developer for repair. Common problems include heating faults, water leaks, unlevel floors, missing insulation or poor joinery, among many others.

According to the company, a snagging report identifies an average of between 50 and 100 defects. If they go unnoticed during the warranty period, the homeowner bears the cost of repairing them. The company stresses that a single major defect can cost several times the price of the survey.

The new-build context described by the company

New Home Surveying explains that every new home needs time to settle: materials absorb moisture and must dry out and stabilise, so shrinkage cracks in paint and plasterwork are normal within that process. The company notes that, due to housing demand, a typical development home is built in around seven months and that, when problems arise on a plot, the rush to make up the schedule can lead to poor workmanship and lower safety standards.

As an example of technical detail, the company recalls that air vents should be positioned at a minimum of 75 mm above external ground level, since if they become fully or partially blocked they can cause condensation in the underfloor void and lead to internal damp problems.

Inspection and reporting methodology

The team carries out a systematic inspection of the home and photographs and notes every defect it finds. The images are compiled into an easy-to-follow PDF report, designed for the client to forward to their developer without further formality. The company maintains that the quality of a snagging list depends on the defects that can be identified, and that its surveyors apply their on-site experience together with NHBC standards, Build Control Standards and British Standards.

The company also addresses the option of doing the snagging yourself: it acknowledges that it is possible, just as you could plaster a ceiling or fit a kitchen, but warns that the result is unlikely to match that of a professional with years of knowledge and on-the-job experience.

Team profile

New Home Surveying was founded by two construction professionals. One of them, James, has more than fifteen years of experience as a heating and plumbing engineer: he has installed hundreds of heating systems, bathrooms and kitchens, and has been involved in major renovations and new-build projects from start to finish.

Services and booking process

• Snagging inspection for new-build homes.
• PDF report with photographs and notes on each defect, ready to send to the developer.
• Contact form on the website where the client provides property details (number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms excluding the cloakroom, whether there is a garage), developer, development name, preferred inspection date and floor plans or a link to them.
• The company states that it responds within 24 hours via the form.

The website includes a pricing page and an FAQ section, and displays customer reviews highlighting punctuality, communication during the process and the speed of report delivery.