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Checklists

New build handover checklist

A new build handover checklist covers what to collect and check on the day the developer gives you the keys. This one has 25 items in 5 sections, from the warranty certificate and meter readings to a final check that reported snags were fixed, and you can print it or save it as a PDF.

Updated 19 October 2026

It’s the pre-completion handover checklist built into the SiteSnag app, which a snagging inspector marks on the phone at a handover visit. The results go into the PDF report, so the buyer ends up with a dated record of what was handed over and what was still to come.

Handover is a different job from snagging. A snagging inspection looks for defects in the building, while this checklist is about leaving with everything you need to live in the home and look after it. If you haven’t snagged the property yet, use the new build snagging checklist first.

New build handover checklist

Documents

Ask for these before the handover day if you can, so there’s time to chase anything missing. If a certificate isn’t ready, ask the developer to confirm in writing when it will be sent.

Keys & access

Count each set and write the numbers down, then try every key in its lock before the site manager leaves.

Meter readings

Photograph each meter with the reading and serial number in the same shot. Your first bills should start from these figures.

Demonstrations

Ask the site manager to show you each of these in person, and take notes or a short video on your phone while they do.

Final condition

Take the snag list from your earlier inspection and check each item off against it. Anything still outstanding should go back to the developer in writing.

Bring the snag list with you

The last section of this checklist asks whether every reported snag has been fixed. In SiteSnag, a handover visit can be added to the same survey as the original inspection. Each snag is then marked fixed, partly fixed or not fixed, and that history can go into the report. For the wording of common problems, see the common new build defects library.

Letting the home out instead of moving in? The rental inventory checklist records its condition for a tenancy.

Questions

What is a new build handover?

It’s the visit, usually on or just before completion day, when the developer’s site manager gives you the keys, shows you how the home works and hands over its paperwork. On some developments it’s called a home demonstration.

Should I snag the house before handover?

If the developer allows it, yes. A snagging inspection a week or two before completion gives the builder time to fix things, and the handover visit becomes the check that they did. The new build snagging checklist covers that earlier inspection.

What if a document is missing on the day?

Note it on the checklist and ask the developer to send it with a date in writing. The warranty certificate and building control completion certificate are worth chasing in particular, as your solicitor or a future buyer’s solicitor may ask for them.