10 House Defects That You Need To Check Before Moving Into Your Newly Bought House

Much like any product, a house can come with loads of defects but did you know that you can check all of these defects on your own? Every new house will come with a Defect Liability Period (DLP) where the developers are responsible to repair particular defects on your house starting from the day you became the legal owner of the house until a certain period of time.

What is Defect Liability Period (DLP)?

In short, it’s kind of like a warranty for the house. Most of the time, DLP will only be given for 24 months. So you need to check all of the defects in your house within these 2 years and you can claim for repairs for FREE. (It is best if you avoid doing any renovation during this period.)

However, do note that the developers won’t repair everything. You can ask them about the kind of defects that you can claim. Most of the time they would have their own standard defect form, so you can just fill it out accordingly.

Of course, you can simply hire professionals to do a home inspection for you. However, do you really want to spend more money when you had just bought a house? Thankfully, with the right tool and guidance, you can check it yourself!

Also Read: Here Are 5 Pros And Cons That You Need To Know Before Buying A Landed Property

Here Are The Tools That You Need When Checking For Defects

1. Marker Pen, Pen & Paper

To mark all of the defective points in the house and jot them down (You can also write the notes on your smartphone)

2. Masking Tape/Sticker

Again, you need to tag all of the defective points in your house. So just stick these on the defects to make it easier for them to find.

3. Stool / Stairs

To reach high places such as fans, pipelines, and lights.

4. Measuring Tape

To measure the lengths of defects such as the crack on the wall or where the pipe is leaking.

5. The House Agreement And Floor Plan

From the floor plan, you will be able to get the exact measurement of the house. So you will be able to identify the problem better.

6. Screwdrivers/coin

To tap on the floors and tiles and find out whether it is hollow on the inside or not.

7. Flashlight

To light up hidden and dark areas of the house.

8. Electronic Device 

Any electronic devices such phone charger or a small light that you can carry around to check on all of the electrical plugs in the house.

10 Defects To Check Before Moving Into Your New House

1. Check for water stains, lumps, and uneven colours on the ceiling.

2. Tap on tiles and floors to find parts that are hollow. Make sure to put a tag on the said areas.

3. Check on the walls and look for cracks, holes, and water stains.

4. Make sure all of the electrical plugs are functional.

5. Check whether all of the pipes are working properly. Whether it has leakings, low water pressure, or is loosely attached.

6. Make sure all of the water in the bathroom flows into the drain properly without leaving any big puddles behind.

7. Check all of the doors and windows making sure that they open and close properly. Do this a couple of times. Push sliding doors and windows to the very end to make sure that it is not stuck.

8. Make sure that the doorknobs are firmly attached and all of the keys are properly functional.

9. Tap on the door frame to find areas that are hollow. Put a tag on these areas as well.

10. For houses with stairs, you can check on the handrails to make sure that it is not wobbly. Shake it a little to make sure that it is firmly attached.

Just look at how this YouTuber did it!

Good Luck!

Now that you know what to do, make sure to take your time with it. Do all steps several times as needed and check thoroughly. Remember,  if you feel overwhelmed by all of these steps, you can always hire a home inspection service.