Snagging - Advice and Links

[ellybabes]

Folks, since some people will be snagging and moving in duing the next month or so, I wanted to start a snagging thread, where we can store advice and links.

For example, are you going to snag the house yourself? If so, do you have a checklist to follow? What specific things should people look for?
Are you going to get a professional company to snag the house for you? Who have you chosen and why? Are they expensive? Do you have previous experience of their work?

In an effort to keep things neat and tidy, please don't post specific Adamstown snagging problems here, I'll set up another thread for that purpose.

[ellybabes]

Article on snagging from www.myhome.ie

Proliferation of new home 'snagging' services brings new risks
Snagging surveys grow in popularity but with it comes choice and pitfalls.
Stories of leaky, flawed and defective homes and consequential personal suffering have resulted in an explosion in the number of new home snagging companies - it is no longer a question of whether or not to get a snagging survey but rather which company to choose for the job.
It is important that new homebuyers choose with care to ensure they get good value for money and a professional service. This short checklist will help discerning homebuyers choose the right snagging company.
1. Are they truly independent?
Never use a snagging company that works for or is recommended by your house builder as this represents a potential conflict of interest and may result in the production of a "watered-down" snagging report to suit the developer's needs rather than yours.
2. What do you get for your money?
Does the price include a second visit to inspect the remedial work? If not, how much do they charge for this? Does it include any after care service? If it does, what does this include?
3. Are the inspectors qualified and experienced?
Currently it is possible for anyone to set themselves up as a snagging inspector. Make sure you get someone who is qualified and experienced. Qualifications vary, but look for professional qualifications in subjects such as chartered surveying and building surveying and membership of professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Building.
4. What track record has the company got?
How experienced is the company? Do they have customer testimonials available? Do they have good media relations, which can be a good tool for resolving extreme cases?
5. How fast is the service?
Larger companies with nationwide coverage will be able to provide the fastest and most efficient service. They will be able to arrange an inspection at short notice and issue the snagging report within the shortest timeframe.

[ellybabes]

Snagging Checklists for purchase:

Snagging.org (http://www.snagging.org/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=17&category_id=1&option=com_phpshop&Itemid=1) - £15.00

If you want to do it yourself:
Louis Finegan's Snag List Page 1 (http://members.tripod.com/%7Elfinegan/snag.htm)
Louis Finegan's Snag List Page 2 (http://members.tripod.com/%7Elfinegan/snag_2t.html)

Has anyone got any more that we can add?

[paulk]

I must say I find it very interesting that you guys are going to a lot of bother trying to save a couple of hundred Euro by doing the snagging of your own houses in lieu of getting a professional to do the work. These check lists mentioned on other threads will only prompt you to look out for the obvious superficial defects that may occur. They do not give you a comprehensive assessment of the properties compliance with the building regulations.



For example, would you know how to check if the waste disposal system is sized properly or at the correct gradient?

Would you know if a room needs mechanical ventilation or natural ventilation based on the floor area and usage?

How do you know if the walls or floors as constructed satisfy the requirements in respect of airborne or impact sound resistance?

Would you be able to tell the difference between a crack in the plaster as a result of thermal shrinkage or a crack due to consolidation/differential settlement of the foundations? (especially important if your house is close to the vibrations of a rail line)

Would you recognise if the roof was ventilated only at the eaves or if supplementary ridge ventilation is required based on the span and roof pitch?

These are only a few issues that I can think of but there are many more.



I know the builder is homebond certified but considering you are probably spending close to 0.5 million Euro on your property, are you willing to take a chance that he has built it properly and/or that you have picked up every defect? The consequences of not flagging up a major problem will cost you a lot more than a couple of hundred Euro.



It`s amusing that some people will pay a plumber or an electrician hundreds of Euro to fix a minor problem but wont spend a few hundred Euro on an professionally qualified Engineer to do a comprehensive check on probably their most valuable asset. It`s like avoiding going to a dentist because you have looked in the mirror and not noticed any cavities!



I don’t mean to sound alarmist but just think about what you are paying solicitors, property managers etc., it doesn’t make sense skimping on your snagging

[ellybabes]

I must say I find it very interesting that you guys are going to a lot of bother trying to save a couple of hundred Euro by doing the snagging of your own houses in lieu of getting a professional to do the work.
In fairness, no one has said if they are going to snag themselves or get a professional company in yet - the question was only asked to see if i can find out what people are planning to do?

To answer your questions, I wouldn't be able to snag the whole property myself, but working in the construction industry, I know plenty of people who could. I've organised the snagging of a factory that cost several hundred million to build, and I helped to do some of the snagging as well. If you know of any good companies (that you have used in the past), then please post up the details here, many people will be glad of that information!

I moved your post into this thread as the other thread is being reserved for people to report specific snagging issues that they come across, this means that people who snag after them can ensure that the person snagging their home can pay specific attention to those areas.

[ITguru]

.

What happens if the snagging company/professional finds some defect with the house?

Would Castlehorn correct the defect?

Is it mandatory that we have to do snagging?

[ellybabes]

.

What happens if the snagging company/professional finds some defect with the house?

Would Castlehorn correct the defect?

Is it mandatory that we have to do snagging?

I think so, you come up with a list of 'snags', things in the house that have not been completed as per the provided specifications or up to Irish standards, then the builder fixes them, once all are done then you complete the sale and get the keys.

I guess you don't have to do snagging, but then you would be liable for any defects and rectifying them - Castlethorn have no more responsibility after you take ownership of the property.

By the way, all of the above comes with a "this is as far as I understand it" disclaimer, people should feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!!

[castlegate]

Just one correction Ellybabes, you will have a period of about 12 months from when you close your sale for any defects which the builder is obliged to attend to.
Remember you might not be able to spot everything when snagging you home before you take your keys...for example there might be a slow leak which will only appear to be a problem sometime after you occupy your home.
You also have the comfort of a Homebond guarantee for any structural defects.

[Craig]

I'm Scottish and new to the snagging process in Ireland. So can someone please help explain our rights as purchasers e.g.....
After the initial snagging is that it? We can't go back to the builder to get things repaired after this?
With most new homes there is generally some shrinkage resulting in cracks in the walks etc will the builder repair these?
As per the last posting is there a time limit of 12 months where we can still report problems to the builder and expect them to repair these?

Any insite in this process most welcomed as it appears the Irish process may differ from what I've experienced in the past?

Thx

[ITguru]

.
Could any one give a list of companies (with contact number and website/email address if possible) who do snagging in Dublin and the approximate price for the same?

Is there a standard list of issues that should be checked. Would the person who comes to check , climb up the roof and check for any problems there!

I think it would be better to get the snagging by a construction professional rather than doing it myself !

[pek]

Hi

Regarding snagging companies, look up home services/surveyors on www.myhome.ie. We paid 280 euro and this includes a follow up visit.

Good luck

[abrown15]

I got a guy who was working as a contractor where I work to do my snag list - we had also downloaded snagging lists from the internet. Two points - firstly he picked up things we missed - the fact the the gaps in the brick work between the party walls and the roof were too large to compliy with fire regs, and the 2nd thing was I felt that an official snag list with all the engineers qualifications list on it took a lot of argument away from the builder - to be fair though our builder is very good, especially the site forman who fixes a lot of the minor snags himself.

At the end of the day I paid €300 for 2 visits - which was 0.1% of the purchase price and gave a lot of piece of mind.

[Andy White]

HI Guys, we got a guy from Dublin to do our snag list they where brill, plus he was the one to have a go at the builder when he wasnt doing the job right.
Give him a go if you want his name was Gerry Swan mobile number 087 6799809.

[ITguru]

HI Guys, we got a guy from Dublin to do our snag list they where brill, plus he was the one to have a go at the builder when he wasnt doing the job right.
Give him a go if you want his name was Gerry Swan mobile number 087 6799809.

How much you paid for him?

[F@ces]

Hi,

Just thought I'd post this here for anyone looking for help snagging their boiler etc.

We snagged this week and got a guy out to specifically snag the boiler (as we wanted to obviously be really careful with something like this). He is Bord Gàis certified and trained. We found him to be very nice, on-time and extremely helpful. He identified numerous small issues with our boiler relating to all sorts or regulatory standards (and certainly things I would never have thought about).

Anyway, he was very professional, and also done this work for a very reasonable €40. His name is Richard, and he can be contacted on 087 9264536.

Good luck snagging everyone. :cheers4:

F.

[deromalley]

I think people are wasting their money if they pay a company to do a snag list for them. A snag list is not meant to be a survey of the property, it is just to pick up cosmetic problems. If you use common sense and test toilets, doors, heating, etc and ensure paintwork and surface finish is correct there is no need to spend 200-300 euro on a "professional" snag.

These companies have a standard list of stuff that they put down and no matter how good they seem you would probably do as good a job yourself.

I have moved in 2 weeks ago. I supplied a resonably small snag list which was promptly addressed. I have since found a couple of other problems that have been sorted immediately. The plumber and electrician have been back to my house within 30 minutes of me reporting problems.

I think, having spent so much on your property you should think of the value of the work your getting done. Personally, I suggest using the money towards an alarm system or furniture...

[F@ces]

I think people are wasting their money if they pay a company to do a snag list for them. A snag list is not meant to be a survey of the property, it is just to pick up cosmetic problems. If you use common sense and test toilets, doors, heating, etc and ensure paintwork and surface finish is correct there is no need to spend 200-300 euro on a "professional" snag.

Do you work in the building trade der? If so then your statement above would make more sense.

For most people purchasing a new home, they are not aware of what to look out for in snags. I work in IT - so I haven't a clue! But before snagging I done some research, printed up lists of common items to look for, and done up a document to mark things in. I then spent a considerable time going around looking for "cosmetic problems". I very much doubt, however, that most people (like myself) would have a clue about electrics/heating for example. What I done was find the interim solution; I got a guy (as posted above - Richard) to check my electrics/heating. He identified numerous things to do with boiler regulations etc that I would have no idea about. Also note that while you may think everything is fine, in 6-12 months something may become damaged because it was not properly installed in the first place.

I do not think it is sensible to post messages telling people they do not need to snag. I believe (however one wants to go about it) it is necessary to a degree, partcularly when spending such a large amount of money. And surely better to pay €XXX to make sure of that than finding out in later months you need to pay €XXXX to repair it.

F.

[smp]

Do you work in the building trade der? If so then your statement above would make more sense.

For most people purchasing a new home, they are not aware of what to look out for in snags. I work in IT - so I haven't a clue! But before snagging I done some research, printed up lists of common items to look for, and done up a document to mark things in. I then spent a considerable time going around looking for "cosmetic problems". I very much doubt, however, that most people (like myself) would have a clue about electrics/heating for example. What I done was find the interim solution; I got a guy (as posted above - Richard) to check my electrics/heating. He identified numerous things to do with boiler regulations etc that I would have no idea about. Also note that while you may think everything is fine, in 6-12 months something may become damaged because it was not properly installed in the first place.

I do not think it is sensible to post messages telling people they do not need to snag. I believe (however one wants to go about it) it is necessary to a degree, partcularly when spending such a large amount of money. And surely better to pay €XXX to make sure of that than finding out in later months you need to pay €XXXX to repair it.

F.


I agree - I think getting someone to snag was one the better things that I have done. I too printed out snag lists and obtained lists of problems from friends but there was no way I would have identified half of the items that our snagger had found. He came out four times because despite putting things on the list - these items were not fixed and perhaps we would not have realised this ourselves.

Neither myself nor my partner are in the trade so it makes perfect sense to hire someone. Even though there are many things that obviously enough can only be found out by living in a place, I still would rather have as many items as possible sorted prior to moving in - the purpose of a snag !!!!

Another issue is that I don't have the time to be hanging around during the day waiting for castlethorn to fix the things they should have addressed in the first place.

Unfortunately I didn't know about Richard prior to doing my snag so we asked him to come out last night to inspect the gas and as one would expect, it is not up to irish standards.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I feel that the above statement is not throughly considered as if people think they can move in and without the proper expertise and knowedge and snag themselves, they may be in for a shock in the medium to longer term.

Before considering not to invest in a snagger remember that proportionally to the potential expenditure of a problem arising in the future, this is a small amount of money and means significantly less hastle. Buyers should be fully informed and look through the various problems that have been identified on this forum and if they are happy, go ahead!

As they say caveat emptor!!!


Smp

[deromalley]

I actually do agree with what you have said. My point is that you should be clever with how you spend your money. Anybody can say they will do a snag for you and change 250 Euro for the service (there are many people mentioned on this website that do it). But because they are not qualified and don’t give a guarantee you may as well not get them to do the job for you.

You paid a guy that is qualified to install boilers and knows what he is talking about - that's money well spent. You don't have to pay someone several hundred euro to tell you the paintwork needs to be touched up, etc.

I would advice anyone spending money on a snag to ask what is the comeback if the "snagger" misses something. I doubt they will accept liability in 6 months time if, for example, your boiler packs in. However this would be covered under your 10-year guarantee from the builder, which is already in place for the house.

There are examples on this website of people paying for a snag and finding a lot of stuff afterwards that still required fixing.

[F@ces]

Der, you have made some very good points, and all discussion on this is constructive. Likewise smp. I believe that altogether we are saying that there should be some input with regards to the more specialised areas in our premises, but beyond that the more cosmetic and aesthetic ones can be assessed oneself.

On another related point with regards to post-completion issues discovered, while there have been posts here on snaggers missing things, there have also been posts that have highlighted an inability by Castlethorn to address problems in a timely manner. In association with the point made by smp on not having "the time to be hanging around during the day waiting for castlethorn", likewise, who wants to also have to wait days/ weeks for a boiler to be repaired (it's still cold enough these days!) or something else similar?

Overall I agree that we must utilise some common sense in it all. That's why I spent 2.5 hrs flat (barring a sneaky 5 min cig break!) going through my place top to bottom. It may be overkill. But I think the point Der is also making is that there is no substitute for having a look around yourself, because ultimately you care far more than any unknown snagger will.

Anyway, interesting discussion. I'll leave it at that as I don't want to clutter up this sticky with anything further.

Good luck all :smile4:

F.

[Ryan Arch.]

I'm an Architectural Technician and did my own snag list (See attached)
I had no problems with getting all of these snags completed.
I'm interested in doing some nixers,
PM me with your house type if you want a quote
Thanks
Liam

[gary]

just curious to know how long has it taken for people in general to resnag after the first one and how much notice do you get from the builders before snagging?
due to snag on the copse in jan or thereabouts and wont be in dublin for it

[hadit2here]

I was asked to resnag, the day after my snag list was sent in. When I went out to resnag, there was about 5 guys just finishing off things on it, but they did everything. So it was very quick for me, no delay.
When they sent out the completion notice, it said I had seven days, from date on the completion notice, to get the snag list in, just one snag list can be sent in.

[Granger1]

Hi,
I have booked in Steve Guerin to do snagging for me in Adamstown on 15 January. He writes a column on building issues for the Sunday Tribune and has come highly recommended by a friend in the business. If you Google his name, you will find his website.
Best of luck,
D

[armchair]

Hi Guys,

I bought in Adamstown and found, after a lot of research, that check lists were a waste of time and money. The basic problem is that the check list did not know what my property was like and so made it very confusing for both myself and the foreman to follow.

In the end I used a snagging company called A New Home Snagging service. A very nice lady called Clare Meade came out and did a very detailed snag list. It was all done on dictaphone and every snag on the list existed. She explained what each snag was and how it occured.

It gave me a great peice of mind and I would heartily reccommend her. She has been snagging in Adamstown since it was first launched and even introduced me to my neighbours that she also snagged for!

Her web site is; www.newhomesnagging.net

It was money well spent and included a second visit. I definately beleive that if you are spending all that money on a property then you should not take short cuts.

Armchair

[timmfive]

em... the above post reads as an advert.
similar writing style as that lame webpage.
maybe i'm wrong. guess we'll see if you submit more than 1 post armchair!