Harry Yates, founder and managing director of HouseScan, said: “The statistics tell us that it’s a near certainty that a new-build home will come with snags."
An estimated 98% of new-build homes have defects of varying degrees of severity, according to HouseScan.
Low-level defects might include issues like internal doors being poorly fitted, or blocked guttering, costing an average of £75 to £90.
Also included within low-level issues are decorative problems, such as poor paint finishing or inadequate plastering which will cost an average of £440.
Mid-level problems might necessitate professional help; examples include external doors that have been poorly fitted, this presents a security risk and an energy efficiency problem.
The most severe new-build issues include inadequate or incomplete brickwork pointing, makingthe home vulnerable to damp issues and frost damage.
Harry Yates, founder and managing director of HouseScan, said: “The statistics tell us that it’s a near certainty that a new-build home will come with snags.
"Buyers should be protected by guarantees from the developer in instances where snags need fixing, but this guarantee always comes with a time limit and all too often they will brush them off or hide behind the small print of an agreement.
"If you only discover a snag after the guarantee has expired, it’s going to be up to you to pay for the fix.
"As we see from this data, doing so can be both vitally urgent and very expensive.
“When buying a new-build home, it’s always wise to get a professional. third-party inspector to examine it thoroughly.
"Doing this as soon as possible can save you hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.”
