What to check before handover on a new Werribee home
The pre-handover items that matter most, in the order we look at them.
In short: Handover is the last point at which the builder fixes items at no cost to you. A good list makes that count.
Start with water
Leaks cause the most expensive damage, so we look first at showers, wastes, mixers, roof penetrations and rainheads. On Werribee handovers we have found water escaping shower recesses and wastes draining slower than the water arriving.
Then the roof space
Exhaust fans must discharge outside, not into the roof. Ducts should run without crimps, and insulation should cover the ceiling without gaps.
Outside the house
Weep holes need clearance above the ground, the site must fall away from the slab, and cappings should be fixed from the sides rather than through the top.
Doors, windows and hardware
Doors should latch and close without binding, windows should lock, and external doors need weather seals.
Finishes last
Paint, plaster and cracks are judged against the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2015. They matter, but they come after anything that lets water in.
Send the list straight away
Forward the report to the builder the day it arrives, ask for a completion date for each item and book a recheck before settlement.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Werribee. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
