What is a snagging list, and how do you handle a new-build handover?
A snagging list records defects and unfinished work in a newly built home, so the developer fixes them under their obligations rather than at your cost. Getting it right in the first weeks matters disproportionately, because the leverage you have declines sharply once you have moved in and signed.
What counts as a snag: paint and plaster defects, doors and windows that stick or do not seal, poor sealant, uneven tiling, scratched glass and worktops, missing insulation in the loft, incomplete external works, taps and drainage that leak, sockets that are dead or misplaced, and heating that does not balance.
What is more serious, and worth separating out: anything structural, anything affecting fire compartmentation, drainage falls, ventilation, and evidence of water ingress.
The process that works:
Book a professional snagging inspection before or immediately after handover. An independent inspector typically finds many times what an owner spots, because they know where builders cut corners and have the instruments to check level, damp and ventilation rates.
Inspect in daylight and with a torch, and check the loft, the roof line, the drains and the outside.
Photograph everything with a reference and a date.
Submit in writing to the developer, numbered, and keep the correspondence.
Be present for remedial work, and re-inspect rather than assuming.
Do not sign anything confirming satisfaction until you have inspected.
Your protections. Most new homes carry a structural warranty of around ten years, where the first two years are generally the developer's responsibility for defects and the remainder covers structural issues only — a much narrower scope than people assume. Consumer codes for new homes provide a complaints route, and independent dispute resolution exists in many schemes.
The realistic timeline. Some snags cannot be fixed immediately: plaster cracks as the building dries out over the first year, which is normal shrinkage rather than a defect, and is usually addressed in a single visit at the end of year one.
Keep a running list throughout that first year.