If statistics are to be believed, the UK is something of a new-build heaven. Every year an estimated 247,000 more houses are built than demolished. On the face of things, new-build properties seem the dream. Remember the days of worrying about a lack of damp-proof course in older properties. Or, what about that chimney stack that can’t be moved, but acts as a total eyesore in your front room.
While more traditional problems might have been erased, new ones have come in their place. Today’s guide is all about showcasing how you can extract the most from your new-build, and not join the army of movers that are riddled with problems with these properties each year.
Make snagging your top priority
Our first piece of advice is to hold fire with moving your belongings in (if you’re really struggling, look at a self storage company). The reason? Snagging.
This is a term that you’ll know plenty about by the time your move is complete. Put simply, it involves identifying all of the minor problems that affect a new-build property. The list can be well and truly endless; it might be a door that doesn’t shut properly, or a socket that doesn’t work. It’s not uncommon to uncover hundreds of these small problems.
With furniture in place, it’s difficult to carry out. Start on an empty room and see how you go. If you’re allowed (some developers won’t permit it), source a snagging company before completing.
Bonus tip: some problems ARE expected
Want some ‘good’ news? Some problems are expected. For example, let’s talk about condensation. As your house is still drying out, you will see signs of it and in the short-term at least, it’s not a major problem.
You may also spot a salty substance on bricks. Again, this forms part of the drying out process, and needn’t be taken seriously in the early days.
Be cautious with the heating
On the subject of drying out, we would urge you to exercise caution when it comes to turning the heating on. Your move might be in the middle of winter, but if you ramp up the thermostat too much you’ll find that cracking soon starts to occur because of shrinkage. Again, this is one of those unfortunate issues that occur with new builds.
You won’t have everything included
Finally, this is where you need to double-check every piece of documentation that your developers have sent over. Contrary to popular belief, your new property probably isn’t going to resemble the beautiful showroom you were given the grand tour of.
Instead, there will be all sorts that is missing. This could range from blinds and curtains, right the way to house numbers, door bells and everything in-between. There will be some items that are included, but are probably not up to your specification either. In other words, prepare for magnolia walls and cream carpets.
If you can establish what is included in advance, you can even negotiate for higher-spec items before the basics are installed.
JLCPCB – Prototype 10 PCBs for $2 (For Any Color)
China’s Largest PCB Prototype Enterprise, 600,000+ Customers & 10,000+ Online Orders Daily
How to Get PCB Cash Coupon from JLCPCB: https://bit.ly/2GMCH9w
The post Moving into your New Build: Tips and Tricks appeared first on The Engineering Projects.
No comments:
Post a Comment