Whether you buy a high-end coastal villa or a sleek penthouse in Marbella, snagging works the same way. A new-build property is finished by a crew working to a strict deadline, and small, costly faults can easily get missed. A professional snagging list serves as the official record of those imperfections, and the best time to compile it is before you complete your purchase, when the builder still has every incentive to fix things swiftly. Adopting a methodical approach is essential, because it is remarkably easy to spend an hour admiring the panoramic Mediterranean views and forget to check fundamental details like the windows or doors when looking at properties for sale in Costa del Sol.
Go round in the same order every time
Pick a route and stick to it: front door, hallway, living areas, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, then outside. In each room, check ceiling, walls, floor, windows and fittings in that order. A repeatable sequence stops you skipping the cupboard under the stairs. Take a torch even in daylight, and use your phone to photograph everything as you go.
What tends to get missed
Open, close and lock every window and door. Doors that catch on the frame and windows that don’t latch properly are among the commonest faults, and they are much easier to fix before you move in. Run all the taps at once and flush the toilets to see how the water pressure holds up. Test the sockets with a cheap plug-in tester and switch on every light.
Hold the torch flat against each wall and look along it. Raking light shows ripples in plaster and brush marks in paint that are invisible head-on. Look at the silicone round baths, showers and worktops for gaps, and tap the tiles with a knuckle to listen for any that sound hollow. Hold a tissue against each extractor fan to check that it moves air. If there is a loft hatch or a roof space you can reach, look in.
Write it down and send it in writing
Photograph each fault with a note of the room, number the list and date it. Send it to the developer or sales team by email, not only as a chat on site, and ask for a date by which the work will be done. Keep a copy. If you are asked to sign a form accepting the condition of the property, add a line saying the acceptance is subject to the attached list.
Do a second round
Once the first round of repairs is done, check every item again. Plenty of faults come back “fixed” with a fresh coat of paint over the same problem. Then live in the house for a few weeks. A slow drain, a window that sticks in hot weather or a door that warps as the building dries out often only shows up with use, and a second, shorter list a month in is perfectly normal.
Warranties and who to call
New homes come with warranties, but the details differ between countries and between types of defect. In the UK, most new builds carry a ten-year structural warranty from a provider such as NHBC, and the developer is normally responsible for putting right faults in the first two years. In Spain the law sets separate periods depending on whether a defect affects finishes, habitability or the structure, and a lawyer can explain which applies to your purchase. In either country, a dated, written list is what makes a later claim straightforward.
