Home Presentation Appointment

don't get too excited about the new house, you are there to check for defects not visiting display home, if you miss anything it's very hard to get them back to fix it.

Have a look at this post: http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=5573

Just a few points:

1. bring a recorder, a digital camera with huge memory card, a notebook, a 10M tape

2. bounce and jump on every corner, every room, specially upstair stairs, also knock on every wall, look for any noises.

3. if you have sliding windows, check if sliding part can be removed (normally you lift it up). Sometimes the trades person adjusted it quite tight. If you can't remove it, you can't clean the fly screen or the other side of the window.

4. check every wall/ceiling for places where painting job wasn't done properly or un-level surface

5. turn on all taps, check if any of the sinks/basins leaks, pour some water all over the places: around the sink/basin, around the taps, not just inside the sink!

6. fill all bath tub/spa tub to at least half full, check for leaks (specially if it's 2 storey houses)

7. for kitchen, check if there's huge gap under the benchtop

8. check every sink and benchtop for signs of scratches or cracks

9. check for signs of leaking in the bathroom, e.g. wet concrete.

10. check under the toile water tank see if it leaks

11. check if the floor tiles in wet area got shaded clour (see this post: http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=5640&highlight=)

12. if it's 2 storey, look out from the 1st floor window and check all the gutters for sign of water if possible

13. bring a good quality video/still camera with high zoom, stand from streets around your house and check the roof for crack tiles.

14. hire your own private inspector

15. spend at least 15-30min in every room and check every corner, don't rush

16. don't pay last payment until all issues resolved

Hope this helps!

Bring a torch look at back of all cupboards etc
Bring High powered electric light (builders halo) and shine on all walls look for any problems with fix and paint. Look for any 'wave' in walls especially if you have any walls of great length.
Bring some light bulbs, make sure all points work. Same for power.

Use laser level if you can get one.

May be you should visit your site before the handover and check all external stuffs yourself first, or even sneak in if possible...

The more you check, the more problems you might found, and more comfortable you will be...

Let us know how you go joan.

How did you go?