What we check, item by item.
This is the checklist. It is published in full because the specifics are the difference between a survey and a walk-through — and because you should know exactly what you are buying before you pay for it.
Around 100 points for a condo. More than 150 for a large pool villa.
The checklist scales to the property. A one-bedroom condo has no pool plant, no roof void and no landscape drainage, so those categories fall away; a four-bedroom villa adds all of them and more besides. Every applicable point is recorded as pass, defect or observation, which means the report shows you what was checked and found sound, not only what failed. That matters later: if a fault appears six months on, the report establishes that the item was inspected and working at handover.
Three findings from one villa handover
- CriticalNo equipotential bond to pool pump or ladderPool plant room. Rectify before anybody swims.
- MajorSlider track drainage slots blocked with groutLiving room, east elevation. Water backs up over the threshold in heavy rain.
- MinorHollow floor tiles, 6 of 44 percussion-testedBedroom 2. Incomplete adhesive bed; they will crack under load.
Twelve categories.
Expand any category to see the individual checks. Items marked for villas only are omitted from condo inspections.
The parts that are expensive to put right and easy to miss in a freshly painted room.
- Crack mapping and classification by width, position and likely cause
- Differential settlement indicators at junctions, thresholds and openings
- Movement and expansion joint provision, position and sealant condition
- Lintel presence, bearing and deflection over openings
- Blockwork coursing, bed joints and unfilled perpends where visible
- Render debonding, tap-tested across all elevations
- Render cracking at reveals, junctions and dissimilar substrates
- Column and beam alignment, honeycombing and cover to reinforcement where exposed
- Damp-proof course position and continuity where visible
- Ground clearance and splash-back staining at the base of walls
- Soffit, fascia and eaves detailing
- External wall verticality and bowing, spot-checked with level
In a monsoon climate this is the category that decides whether the building is a problem or not.
- Tile, sheet or membrane condition, fixing and alignment
- Ridge, hip and verge bedding and mechanical fixing
- Flashings at abutments, chimneys, upstands and penetrations
- Membrane laps, direction of lap and termination detail
- Upstand heights at terraces, thresholds and parapets
- Parapet coping, throating and cavity tray provision
- Valley and gutter falls, ponding and outlet condition
- Rainwater outlets, gratings and overflow provision
- Downpipe fixing, joints and discharge point
- Terrace and balcony waterproofing, falls to drainage and threshold detail
- Roof void inspection where accessible: insulation, daylight, staining, vermin, ventilation
- Solar or plant penetrations through the waterproof layer
- Thermal imaging of ceilings below flat and terrace areas
Water that is not taken away from the building ends up inside it.
- Hardstanding and paving falls, confirmed away from the building on level
- Surface-water gullies, gratings, silt traps and connection condition
- Manhole and inspection chamber covers, seating, benching and flow
- Drainage run inspection and camera check where access permits
- Foul connection, gully seals and vent pipe termination
- Soakaway and discharge point location and evidence of surcharge
- Driveway and threshold levels relative to internal finished floor level
- Boundary walls, gates, copings and gate automation
- Retaining structures: movement, weep holes, drainage behind
- Landscape drainage, planted bed levels and irrigation leaks
- External lighting, meter positions and service enclosures
- Septic or treatment plant access, venting and condition where present
The sliders on a Phuket villa are opened thousands of times and are the most common source of water ingress at the terrace.
- Operation of every opening light, sash, slider and door under normal effort
- Alignment, squareness and consistency of reveal and margin tolerances
- Frame fixing, packing and sealant to structure
- Perimeter seals, gaskets and brush seals, continuity and compression
- Water-tightness of sliding tracks, drainage slots and weep holes
- Track condition, roller adjustment and end stops
- Threshold detail and level change at terrace doors
- Ironmongery operation, handles, locks, keys and restrictors
- Glazing unit spec, sealed unit integrity and evidence of misting
- Safety glass marking at doors, low level and wet areas
- Insect screens: fit, operation and damage
- Sound and draught check at closure
- Balcony and terrace door threshold waterproofing
This is where a buyer sees the most and a surveyor measures the most.
- Floor level and flatness checked to tolerance with a two-metre straightedge and level
- Tile flatness, lipping between tiles and edge alignment
- Tile hollowness, percussion-tested across every floor
- Screed condition, cracking and evidence of voids
- Grout lines: width consistency, filling, cracking and colour
- Silicone at all internal junctions, wet areas and thresholds
- Wall flatness and plumb, spot-checked room by room
- Ceiling flatness, board joints, taping and shadow-gap consistency
- Paint finish: coverage, roller marks, overspray, cut-in lines and touch-up mismatch
- Skirting and architrave fit, mitres, fixings and junctions
- Door leaf alignment, gaps, closing and stops
- Staircase treads, risers, nosings and balustrade fixing
- Threshold strips and floor finish transitions
- Moisture readings at all wet-area walls and any staining
Fitted furniture is often the last trade on site and the first to be signed off without a look.
- Carcass fixing to structure and to adjacent units
- Door and drawer alignment, gaps and consistency across a run
- Hinge adjustment, soft-close operation and door swing clearance
- Drawer runners: operation, level and full extension
- Worktop joints, sealing and support
- Worktop cut-outs at sinks and hobs, sealing and edge treatment
- Splashback fit and sealing
- Wardrobe internals: rails, shelves, fixings and load capacity
- Handles and ironmongery fitted, aligned and secure
- Panel finish, edge banding and visible damage
- Ventilation to enclosed units housing appliances
- Scribes and filler pieces at walls, floors and ceilings
Visual and functional inspection with test instruments. Where a full certified test is required we say so and tell you who to appoint.
- Consumer unit location, enclosure condition and accessibility
- Circuit identification and labelling, checked against actual circuits
- RCD or RCBO presence, rating and trip test on every applicable circuit
- Main earthing and main protective bonding conductors
- Supplementary bonding to wet areas, bathrooms and pool surrounds
- Socket polarity, earth continuity and loop tested at every accessible outlet
- Socket and switch positions, levels, alignment and secure fixing
- Lighting circuits, switching, two-way operation and dimmer function
- External and pool-area fittings: IP rating appropriate to zone
- Cable containment, glanding and visible cable damage
- Isolators present and accessible for AC units, pumps and water heaters
- Smoke and heat detection: presence, position and test
- Data, TV and telephone outlets terminated and live where provided
- EV charge point and generator or inverter provision where present
- Distribution board schedule and any certification supplied at handover
Everything is run under load. A tap that works alone and fails when the shower runs is a defect you want listed now.
- Flow and pressure at every outlet, individually and with multiple outlets open
- Hot water delivery time and temperature at the furthest outlet
- Water heater installation, isolation, pressure relief and discharge
- Trap presence, seal depth and waste connections at every fitting
- Leak check under load at all visible connections and beneath every unit
- Shower tray, wet-room and bathroom floor falls to drainage
- Shower enclosure fit, sealing and door operation
- WC operation, flush volume, fixings, pan connector and seal
- Basin, bath and sink fixings, sealing and overflow function
- Sanitaryware condition, alignment and level
- Stopcock and isolation valve locations, operation and accessibility
- Water tank condition, cover, overflow and support
- Pump set operation, cycling, noise and pressure vessel
- Water meter position and reading recorded at handover
- Outside taps, garden irrigation and pool top-up connections
Condensate is the single most common cause of a stained ceiling in a one-year-old Phuket villa.
- Every unit run and temperature differential measured across the coil
- Condensate drainage falls, checked on level along the full run
- Condensate termination point and discharge, not to a void or a soffit
- Condensate pump operation where fitted
- Refrigerant line insulation, continuity and condition at both ends
- Line penetration sealing at external walls
- Outdoor unit mounting, level, vibration isolation and clearance
- Indoor unit fixing, level and drip tray
- Filter access and condition
- Controller operation, pairing and mode function
- Extract ventilation to bathrooms: operation and flow
- Kitchen extract: operation, flow and termination to outside air
- Trickle and background ventilation provision
- Plant noise at the boundary and at bedroom windows
The pool is frequently the most expensive thing to put right and the least inspected at handover.
- Shell condition, visible cracking and structural movement
- Tile, liner or finish condition and waterline consistency
- Coping stones, bedding, level and overhang
- Waterline tiling, grout and sealant condition
- Skimmer operation, weir door, basket and water level
- Return inlets: number, position and flow
- Main drain and suction fittings, covers secure
- Pump operation, prime, noise, seal and strainer basket
- Filter type, pressure reading, media condition and air bleed
- Valve operation through every position including backwash
- Backwash line, discharge point and non-return provision
- Pool electrics: isolation, IP rating and RCD protection
- Equipotential bonding of pool structure, ladder, rails and plant
- Pool and terrace lighting, transformer position and operation
- Salt chlorinator or dosing system operation and cell condition
- Deck falls away from the pool and terrace drainage
- Overflow and balance tank where fitted
- Plant room drainage, ventilation and access
Every appliance is run. Handover is the moment a dead appliance is free to replace.
- Every supplied appliance run through a working cycle
- Appliance isolation: switched fused spurs and isolators accessible
- Hob operation, ignition and flame or element function
- Oven operation, seal, shelf runners and door alignment
- Extract hood operation, speeds, filters and light
- Extract termination to outside air rather than recirculation where specified
- Fridge and freezer water and ice connection, isolation and leak check
- Dishwasher and washing machine supply, waste, standpipe and leak check
- Sink and tap operation, waste, trap and disposal unit where fitted
- Worktop and splashback sealing at all wet points
- Appliance ventilation within enclosed units
- Appliance documentation, warranties and serial numbers recorded
The paperwork is part of the asset. Chasing it after handover is much harder than asking for it before.
- Smoke and heat detection: coverage, position and function
- Means of escape from every habitable room and internal door widths
- Emergency and escape lighting where provided
- Balustrade and guarding heights at stairs, terraces, balconies and pool
- Guarding gap tolerances and climbability
- Safety glass marking at all critical locations
- Slip resistance of external and wet-area finishes, noted where a concern
- Fire extinguisher and blanket provision where specified
- Pool safety provision: fencing, gate self-closing and latch height where applicable
- Handover documentation pack: as-built drawings, O&M manuals, service records
- Warranties and guarantees for structure, waterproofing, pool and appliances
- Utility meter readings, account details and juristic person handover documents
- Keys, fobs, remotes and access codes counted and recorded
163
Return-to-supply differential across the coil. Below 8°C on a unit this size means it is not doing the work it was specified to do.
Instruments, not opinions.
Where a judgement can be measured, it is measured, and the reading goes in the report. That is what makes a snag list something a developer acts on rather than argues with.
- Moisture meter — wet-area walls, thresholds, any staining or suspected ingress
- Thermal imaging camera — ceilings under terraces, chases, pipe runs, AC coils, hidden damp
- Spirit level and two-metre straightedge — floor and wall flatness to tolerance
- Laser level — drainage falls, terrace falls, threshold levels across a room
- Socket and RCD tester — polarity, earth continuity, loop impedance and trip times
- Tile percussion testing — voids and incomplete adhesive beds under floor and wall tiles
- Drainage and manhole inspection, with camera survey where access permits
- Digital thermometer and hygrometer — AC differential, hot water delivery, humidity
Pass, defect or observation. Every point, every time.
A checklist that only lists failures tells you nothing about what was looked at. Ours records a result against every applicable point, so you can see the scope of the inspection as well as its findings. Defects are classified Critical, Major, Minor or Observation, located by room and elevation, photographed, and given a reference number the developer signs off against. Observations are the items that are not defects but are worth knowing — a filter that will need replacing, a detail that will need watching through the first monsoon.