For all you first time homeowners and property investors, a guide to check your newly acquired property for defects and getting your monies worth out of your investment.

Part 1 - Introduction

After picking-up the keys to your new home/investment be it a house or condo, you should check for defects immediately and fill-out a defect rectification form.

Some developers will provide you with a standard form; others will just require you to list out the defects on a piece of paper and send it in.

The fist time I checked my first purchase the outcome was just a simple list of defects, BIG mistake!

Maybe the contractor just didn't bother with reading the defect list I painstakingly jotted down Or maybe I didn't pay extra attention into detailing where the defects are located. When the rectification work was done the contractor didn't fix everything, only the very obvious flaws.

I'm writing this for my second home, and I'll share what I've learned the hard-way!


PS: Mods I'm reserving a few posts for the remainder of this article and some pictures I hope it's all right!

One of the units mine is in the background



This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 23 2006, 01:21 AM

Part 2 - What You Will Need

Besides a pen and paper you'll also find the following items useful:-



1) Marker Pen
2) Masking Tape
3) Measuring Tape
4) Spirit Level
5) Torch Light
6) Stool
7) Digital Camera - camera not shown in photo for obvious reasons

I) Marker Pen & Masking Tape

Use the Marker Pen and Masking Tape to mark out areas of concern so that contractors doing rectification work can easily spot trouble areas.

It helps because it's mystifying to figure out where the defects are from the description on the defect list to an actual flaw on the house.

You can also scribble notes and express your displeasure on the masking tape so there is no miscommunication.

II) Measuring Tape & Spirit Level

Use the Measuring Tape & Spirit Level to determine if there are any structural deviations with the room dimensions and walls. The sprit level also helps determine if doors and windows are properly vertical/horizontal. The spirit level also helps check walls and ceilings are horizontal and not slanted.

Trust me it's better than trying to visually confirm a slant with the naked eye.

III) Torch Light & Stool

A Torch Light and Stool is great for exploring nooks & crannies or highlighting those high out of reach places with masking tape. It's also a lot easier to carry around a stool than a 7'ft ladder.

IV) Digital Camera

Use a Digital Camera to document the defects with photographs, if there is any dispute or misunderstanding, this helps to demonstrate if defects have been fixed or overlooked by the contractor during rectification work.

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 23 2006, 01:16 AM

Part 3 - Defect Checklist What to Look Out For

Now that you've got all your defect hunting tools together here is what to look out for

1) Walls and Ceiling
2) Tiles and Floor
3) Doors and Window
4) Miscellaneous Fixtures
5) Leaky Pipes

1) The Walls & Ceilings

I'm referring to all Wall and Ceiling surfaces.

I) Cracks, Wavy and Uneven Surface.
It's pretty common and you should be able to see it quite easily.

Cracks on the Walls


Sorry no pictures of uneven or wavy surfaces it was impossible to get it to show up in pictures.

II) Holes and Chips.
Holes and Chips on walls and ceilings are also another common defect and can occur due to accidental knocks and bumps or poor quality of materials used.

Oh gawd chips everywhere and not the kind you can eat

Chips Everywhere around the Staircase Area


Missing Plaster



III) Fungus and Water Marks.
It can happen due to piping leakage or roofing defects. On the top floor the ceiling is covered in ceiling boards make sure the boards are not damaged or dirty.

Fungus & Water Damage


More Water Damage


Not a fungal or water mark but definitely an Indon mark


IV) Others.
Lumps & Bubbles, Flaky Paint, Protruding Objects:- like nails, stray pipes, loose wiring & iron rods sticking out of walls and ceilings.

Exposed Metal Rod


Window Frame Covered in Cement


Poor Paint Job



This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 23 2006, 01:12 AM

2) Tiles & Floor
The Tiles & Floor include kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, floor tiles and cornices.

Tiles - Missing/Cracked/Chipped/Slanting

Missing and damaged Tiles & Floor are easy to spot for defects. However it's not easy to check for hollow tiles which are due too little plaster underneath.

The danger is the tiles can come off or crack if not remedied. Tap on tiles and if they sound hollow mark it out as a defect anyway and get the contractor to fix it.

Also make sure that the joints between the tiles are properly filled in with plaster. If you notice deep gaps make sure they fill it in.

Gaps in the Wall Skirting


Not many other defects on the tiles everything is fine as far as I can tell!

3) Doors & Windows

Doors and Windows are fairly easy to check. Ensure that doors and windows easily open and unobstructed. Check for shoddy workmanship like missing screws, damage and rust.

Also ensure that everything is properly installed and there are no large gaps between the door and window frames. It's also a good time to check for water damage since windows not properly installed will leak during heavy downpour.

Check also that rubber seals for the windows are intact.

4) Miscellaneous Fixtures

Check the developer's inventory list for missing fixtures and accessories. You'll usually get a list of items that come with your home such as the number of electrical points, taps, sink, shower heads and etc.

Check the list thoroughly and make sure nothing is missing!

BEFORE:



AFTER:



Yup the sink was missing so was the wiring, seems some gawd damn thief carted away those items from our finished unit.

5) Leaking Pipes

Leaking Pipes are also easy to detect, check the exposed piping for leaks or walls where the pipes run through for water stains.

Query the developer on where the pipes in your unit are; in future it will help to prevent accidents due to accidental nailing or drilling. You don't want to hang a picture frame and puncture a pipe all in one go.

I'll end it here, I'll start inspecting more of the unit tomorrow and post extra pictures once I'm done.

Feel free to comment and suggestions/improvements are welcomed!

....More to come pictures being cropped and uploaded

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 23 2006, 01:17 AM

AAron.. wheres the house, looks interesting.. Im looking for a double storey link also. Btw, looking at the cracks on the wall, how do u think the contractor will help to solve the problem? AFAIK, the houses are build from sand bricks, not clay bricks. So u got to becareful not to nail anything on the wall coz it will just puncture and damage the wall.

This post has been edited by Jenn77: Dec 23 2006, 01:23 AM

Nice guide
Anyway, your new house got so many defects ! May I know who's the developer?

Click this link for more details...

Basically it's Taman Puchong Utama Phase 10B!

Why don't you mention where is the location you're interested in and the budget you have?

Happy hunting and I hope this post would be useful when you got your own home sweet home

The cracks and defects the developer will repair because the house is still covered by the defect liability period which is 18month.

Most likely they will cover it up with more plaster and paint it over. Clay bricks are expensive

Yeah I know where the pipes are I also know where most of the wiring are

It's not that bad I'm a pest and looked at every nook and hole pictures are from one of two houses we purchased.

Most of the defects are fairly common. Minor cracks, chips and leaks are expected it's not too bad.

It could be worse, I could have a slanting wall, broken tiles, deep holes, major cracks, indoor waterfall etc...

The developer is Hillcrest S/B I think they are linked to Glomac since they have an address at Manara Glomac just guessing here

Anyway the defects will be fixed by the developer



Stay tuned for more pictures

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 23 2006, 01:59 AM

My parents bought a house from Hillcrest S/B also in Tmn Sri Gombak. Anyway, it was 20 years ago and the house has no defect when they bought it.

I have few of my friends telling me not to buy property from some of the delevelopers because of quality,defects, house not ready in time etc. Anyway, I forgot the name they mentioned.

This post has been edited by Civil: Dec 24 2006, 05:22 PM

Talam or Mayland or maybe MKLand there are just too many errant developers to keep track off...

You can google around especially Talam "Puchong Lestari" the houses are abandoned and those completed had quality issues. Not to mention Puchong Lestari is near a dumpsite. Stinks to high heaven when it rains

You can still drive by and see all the abandoned houses, really pity the owners.

You can also google for Mayland the defects in their apartments are totally shocking

Merry Christmas


edit: BTW Don't worry about Hillcrest the defects aren't too bad it's minor and not entirely unexpected but the water stains really cheesed me off

The important thing is to find all the defects and get it fixed

edit2: Talams Many Problems

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 25 2006, 01:30 AM

TALAM CORP ! That's it!
Eh...I taught MKLAND was a good developer. The company seems ok what, sponsor there ..sponsor here..

Just saw their project after LDP near the curve. Quite ok!

This post has been edited by Civil: Dec 25 2006, 01:23 AM

Metropolitan Square is a disaster for some of it's buyers... it's an MKLand Project not to mention the endless stream of complaints from owners of Armanee Terrace another MKLand project see here http://forum.armaneebuyers.com you'll have to register to read the forum.

On yeah and look here too http://propertymalaysia.blogsome.com/2005/...sales-strategy/



This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 25 2006, 02:39 AM

this is a great topic!

drawing from experience, it is a good practice for buyers to inspect the house personally, preferrably with the construction drawings approved by the architect(s) in hand the whole time. problems highlighted by aaron in this topic are mostly superficial, although it does make ur house look "cheaper" than what u've spent.

however, it is my experience that contractors sometimes could make such a huge error, for example, missing a floor beam! before applying for CF, usually architects will do a thorough inspection of each and every house in the development. but inspecting 500 houses in a week can be tiring, and even architects can miss such errors.

and do take extra care on "cracks". there are several types of cracks, most commonly are plaster cracks, which is virtually small matter and can just be patched with fillas and painted over. other cracks can be structural, which something u must pay attention to. it's very hard to differentiate even for the experienced.

Hi,

How do you find out whether your new house will be flooded??

Dreamer

and guys... dont forget bout termites!! i just bought a house in putra heights... the stairways and room wooden panel are filled with this critters! luckily also the house is under warranty. the exterminators came n spray. if that doesnt help, need to drill holes and inject pesticide into the ground... find out from ur developer wut land is ur house on. rubber estate or kelapa sawit. mine was k.sawit hence the termites... baskets!! rubber estates dont have such problems.... my developer is sime UEP.

chloelew good advice!

Ex estate but I don't know what kind of plantation it was!

However I got a cert from the developer that the ground has been treated by a pest control company for termite infestation

but do check ur house every 6months for infestation. check wooden panels... if u see a sand tunnel sort of like a wasp nest.... if u see those... call pest control ade... somemore i heard they can roam on ur walls.... feasting on wirings and cables... they wont eat ur wall bricks.sometimes u will see them coming out from ur wall power socket... damn scary.... and if ur roof also got infestation... call ASAP!

aaronpang, your house alot of prob le.... mine is just leaks, minor tweaks (sliding door cant open, some paint work and most serious..... termites!) who is ur developer?? must watch out...for my house, if its not for termites.... ill say my house would be quite perfect.... this is my house....


Attached thumbnail(s)

Hi dreamer101,

I'm not 100% sure on a guaranteed method to check and predict the risk of flooding...

But I did make it a point to purchase my home on higher ground it should reduce the risk of water flooding my home! I'll try to snap a photo!

Actually there is another source of information and that's to check with your insurance agent... they should be able to help on a personal basis.

I pestered my agent for the risk information on the surrounding area and property. I can't post the information online because she only showed it to me from her laptop.

Hi chloelew and azarimy,

Thanks for your feedback I'll incorporate it into the guide! TQVM!

BTW chloelew that is a nice home you've got there

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Dec 29 2006, 02:35 AM

I would like to add on, if you have a chance, do check your house during or after heavy rain. Watermarks do not appear immediately. Best is to check every single spot.

hi aaron, after u mentioned those defects to your developer, does the developer do what they need to do? my house got some painting problem (the door frame got white colour(paint from the wall)), and i want them to clear the mess for me since i don't want to waste money to buy a new paint. However, i dunno they will do last minute touch up or not lar, actually i haven't get the key yet but the door lock is not fixed yet so i just went inside the hse and see..

roof top leaking is important. during raining days, i will go up the manhole and take a look. A few leakage was found. The developer is now cutting cost on installing those materials, dont know what its called.. only brown paper or aluminium foils on the roof..

usually is aluminium foil. one is to prevent leaks and another thing is to reduce heat. we have to live with it. workmanship is not wut it was 10 years back. my parents house bout 26-30 years already.... no such thing as termites nor leaks even untill now.... new houses now is a risk itself.

stormchaser.... go to the developer office and fill up the form.they have to do it.

btw, guys... if u have recently bought a house.... and ur house location is quite famous for notorious house breakins.... or have alot of our indon frens, pls keep in mind dont always think of them entering ur house from the back or the front.... they are now coming in from the top. afew of my frens house in usj kena already.... so beef up security on the roof....just a reminder only.....

anything we can do on the roof? some of my friends installed the metal pieces on top of their ceiling.. it will prevent, but i think it's very hot during sunny days.. what other things we can do?

add wooden beams..... usually in all roof, there is a 12" gap between wooden beams. so if u add another in between those 2 beams, the gap will be shorten to 6". ppl cant get in. ive added additional wooden beams already to my house. feel safer la... cause if ur out on a business trip and ur wife or gf only one at home.... those indon frens come from the top, then wut will happen? take things nevermind... if they hurt ur wife/gf cialat man.... local girls does look and taste better. prevention better than cure my frens..... price range is bout Rm1.5k-RM3k depending on how big is the house. but u better make sure ur house got no termites on the roof first b4 u do it. usually the contractor will check for u. if got termites they wont do wan.... ask u settle those ants first....normally la....

metal piece is also good... 100% secure but then sunny day, ur house will be like an oven! no need la.... very very much more expensive than wooden beam. price range is bout RM4k-7k or more....

but bear in mind, if ur house is still under warrantly from the developer and u do this adding beam thingy, ur roof warranty will be gone. meaning if roof leaking, u need to find back ur contractor which does the wood adding for u. developer wont cover... they got spies... alot of them... when i did mine, the developer contractor came n take pictures of my personal contractor doing my roof. its their proof... so cannot argue if have leaks. smart @ss....

This post has been edited by chloelew: Jan 4 2007, 11:06 AM

normally how developer deal with those fungus mark on the wall? they jus repaint it?

i have motion sensor on top the roof and all the manhole are alarmed.. not 100 percent but better than none at all...

the aluminium foil paper on the roof were used now but b4 that i they they have an insulation material like cottons right ?

adrianocy, if u call the developer and tell them bobut fungus mark on the wall, they will just come n scrape it off n paint it back up. just thats not the way. u need to do certain treatment to the wall. usually fungus growth is the cause of leaks. check on it. ur wall is wet hence fungus growth. once u checked the leaks n repaired, treat the wall with anti fungus paint sealer then only paint over.

hackwire, motion sensor ar? so hi tech... must have cost u a bomb. i also wan sensor.... no fundings.... haih....

not really, i nstalled 2 on the roof and its around RM 300 plus plus only...

hackwire, what type of sensor u r using? Rm300++ ok wor.. How does it work? When senses something then alarm activated? or ??

actually my alarm cost for all protection including grill and door cost not more than RM 1800. i add sensors for the roof as well..

i hack it and my house is fully protected with alarm now.at night i can switch on the roof sensor.

it detect movement and body heat.. my advise is to get the 360 degree sensor for the roof ...

This post has been edited by hackwire: Jan 4 2007, 04:49 PM

the metal pieces u referred to ..zinc sheets?...placing them on roofs is a fire hazard
and will render your fire insurance void.

another way to secure your roof is to have timber strips across the roof truss, close enuf to prevent someone squeezing thru.

this is my defects so far...look at those fungus !! is it worst?

hackwire..may i know wats da alarm brand? any contact for it?

??!! : do u hav any sample pic on the timber strips?


crack tiles at the master bathroom edge...imagine water flow into it.


fungus at master bedroom. location near to the window. i can see water stain mark from roof..suspect leakage


fungus mark enlarge


poor tiling work...internal empty

This post has been edited by adrianocy: Jan 8 2007, 05:09 PM

Hmmm better inform your developer about that cracked tile... could you tell us where is the fungus located inside the house or outside...? Near any windows?

If it's growing on outside then its expected coz the paint that the developers tend to use is the cheapo variety so fungus can grow on it after raining.

If it's on the inside typically the fungus will appear on walls and ceilings where there are piping/roof leaks... sometimes funguses will grow near window panes because there could be cracks or the window seal/frame is damaged and let moisture inside.

Any case get the developer to check the inside of your home for leaks and patch it because painting it over won't make fungal growth go away... the fungus will just reappear later

If it's on the outside of your house go buy some good quality paint with anti-fungal formula and repaint... ps remove the old paint and fungus first before repainting get the developer to do that.

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Jan 8 2007, 05:03 PM

i've edited my post pic wit description

timber strips price ranges between RM1.5k -3k. affordable la... if full zink metal... damn hot ur 2nd floor during noon time... and if fire break out, cannot claim insurance. kinda scary. if u have additional $$$, get an alarm but if its sensor alarm wut if rats and cats caught by the sensor? will it trigger the alarm? if it does... then prob also. oh well.. nothing is perfect... do wut is neccesary in ur view will be fine.

i just did the grill to my house. not those normal grill... its reinforced. thicker metal pieces and its not joined by welding. some places are.. but mostly the bars are all slide into each other. those normal ones... use car jack can pry open...this is safer but cost more... but wut the heck safety comes first... this friday will be doing the plaster ceiling.... my termites prob is still doing... haih.... big problem that one. then do he kitchen cabinet and wardrobe, lights and fan and thats it. maybe we can gang up to do some furniture shopping. can get mass discounts! LOL... just a thought..... hahahaha

btw, my fren say ikea's wooden furniture no good. they are using chip wood so things get crack and broken very fast with our malaysian style. can anyone confirm this? thinking of getting my kitchen cabinet done by them... after my fren said this... kinda scared... does anyone of u have experience with ikea's furniture?

chloelew...hows da plaster ceiling cost? how big is da area?

adrianocy, it cost me bout RM4k (ceiling+wiring+paint+install lights & fan).total size is bout 20'X18' (2 portions).

Just so everyone knows there are typically 3 types of grilles for homes:-

Steel RM8 to RM10 psq
Wrought Iron RM16 to RM25 psq. depending on design
Stainless Steel RM 40 and above psq.

Steel grilles are what you'll find in most homes and they are hollow so it can be easily cut or pried open using crowbars...

Wrought iron and stainless steel are harder stuff so it's difficult to bend or cut compared to iron grilles.

The advantage of stainless steel is also low maintenance and rust resistance. You don't need to repaint every few years.

There are also other stuff but I won't go there... the price's quoted is only an estimation but essentially stainless steel is the most expensive so mostly I see those in the homes of rich folks

Let me tell you guys, even a house worth 1.6M still have over 600 defects if you check very cautionly.

ahhhh.... confirm sure have wan la... unless u build the house urself.... even that also sure got defects wan... human error....sure have wan....

yea i second to that statement .. human tend to make errors...
anyway chloelew regarding the ikea's kitchen set... i think using chip wood is kind of comman and whether it will be spoilt lies on the user ..
if u want to go for tougher materials u can go for solid wood ..

the design fella say ikea cabinet got 10years warranty. how sure am i on this statement i dunno. have to ask further on this....they have a wide sellection of woods.... u on budget, chip wood lo... u got $$$ solid wood lo.... price variance between RM6k-8k. installation charges is bout RM1k already for kitchen cabinet. transport charges is RM65 (i thought it was free!)oh well.... it all balls down to budget....

A 1.6M house with a QA of 300-400K house? Something wrong with the developer.

also rememeber to check how many years of warranty left.... usually if new house, nobody stay b4... got time la... but still check on the warranty status. u dont wan to be caught off guard if something happens like leaks etc....

Bad news no more photo updates from me... lost my camera and all the photos on Tuesday...

Some thief broke into my car and stole my camera; I went out on Tuesday to take some pictures of the house then went to 1Utama for dinner. Barely a half hour after parking my car, it was broken into and my camera stolen

Oh gawd I feel so crappy right now.



They smashed the rear window then took my camera which I hid under the passenger seat, I left it behind because I tot it would be safe from snatch thieves.

Incidentally several other cars are broken into that day besides mine. Is there no where safe these days??

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Jan 18 2007, 01:10 PM

is dat a kembara or CRV?

guys.. also wanna let u guys know, if detected termites... go straight to the baiting system. 3 methods are available, spray, drill and baiting. baiting system is the latest now.... cost abit more.... but at least its more promising than the spraying technique and more neat than the drilling method. pricing is bout RM2.5k-3k. 1 year free maintanence period.

problem la this termite problem.... knn

bw, my house finish the paint n the ceiling ade.... planning to move in kitchen cabinets and wardrobe but scared become termite food. better settle the issue first.

sad to hear that.. i can feel your loss. during puasa month, i parked in sg wang about buka puasa time for dinner with my fren. went bk to car and found pieces of glass around one side of my car. feared the worst - cos i left my bag with books inside and some pc stuffs. hope the thieves got smarter after reading 'how to zen up your life' while trying to BT without an installer cd.

guard with motorcyle came after seeing me and when i asked 'mana u?'. he said 'semua buka puasa'. i diam diam after that.. no i c.

back to topic, thanks.. your thread helped when my family checked out our new place. lucikly not much defect to report.

If u guys don't mind, i want to Bump this informative thread to front..

haha... getting my new hse soon..... i'm ready with your method of rectification of house defect...

storm,where ur house?

Wow.. nice guide. Last time when I move in VP that time there's a large crack on the wall (near the ceiling) and there are *craps* on the floor. Damit.. why can't they just find a toilet!

It's all fixed up now. I wonder how they will react when I paste there "Remove crap". Hmm...

---

Added on February 13, 2007, 5:14 pmP/S: Perhaps this should go under the property subforum. Hmm..

This post has been edited by suiteng: Feb 13 2007, 05:14 PM

yes..i agree...MOD, pls move to property talk forum, thanks

hmm i want to know if the contractor dont do their job properly,can we file a complain and get compensation???

Yes you can, rightfully if the defects have been fixed there should be a letter between you and all parties agreeing to that fact... did you sign it? I believe its called joint inspection or something to that effect

If there are disputes better start documenting (take pictures) and build a case.

But there are rules to follow give your developer the time frame specified in your S&P I believe its 1 month for the defects and 2 weeks after that for follow-up work.

Please make sure you communicate everything to your developer in black and white...

After the 1 month and 2 weeks you can start writing to your developer and S&P lawyers (stake holders) to inform them that you intend to fix the defects yourself per the provisions in the S&P agreement for non-compliance of the defect rectification and attach a repair quote from a contractor specifying the repair costs.

Don't be afraid to complain and make noise, you paid hard earned money so you should demand nothing less than a perfect house

edit: Sorry if I've left you hanging... its best you follow-up with your stake holder and developer and then decide on what to do after their feedback

There is a provision in you S&P that allow the developer another 30 days to make good on the defects but I'm not a legal eagle... I'm unsure if you can just hire your own contractor during the additional 1 month period or after


This post has been edited by aaronpang: Feb 14 2007, 11:47 AM

good guide. thanks...Now Im gonna fans, lights, bathroom fittings and fan. Where to find cheap good ones ? Its for my condo to rent out in Subang.

If property bought from developer, the developer is obliged to make good the defects. You deal with the developer, not their contractors., as you have not contractual dealing with the contractors. The contractors are agents of the deveoper.

Inform the developer of the defects. If defects rectifications are not done in reasonable time, put them on notice that you will get your own contractors to do the rectifications if defects are still not attended to after expiry of the notice period. Enclose the quotes from your own contractors.

aaronpang,

This guide is very useful. Although most of it seems like common sense, I like the elaboration of the details rocks.

You must have quite some experience with RE. By the way, what do you do with developers who don't do a good fix?

ie. You ask them to repair, and although they've done some work they still do a below average job.

The most common incident here is marble re-polishing.

This post has been edited by KeNNy: Feb 18 2007, 10:45 PM

Hi KeNNy,

Thanks! If you disagree with the shoddy work quality done by the developer don't sign off on the joint inspection form... because it will let the developer off the hook.

Follow the steps above (Post 54) and inform the stakeholder regarding your unresolved issues and get your own contractor to do the work to your satisfaction.

I'll be honest the word defect is used loosely and can be subjective in some cases.

For example if you don't like the manner in which the plaster is applied to your walls either it's wavy or lumpy but to the developer some level degree of error is acceptable.

It's the same with polishing of marble floors...

However there are no clear definitions on what are the allowable/acceptable margins of error before it becomes a defect.

Nice stuff, thanks for sharing.

Shall we get the key first then only list out the defect to them.. or we should avoid getting the key before the defect fixed??

Actually, legal possession would have taken place when the notice to take possession is issued, notwithstanding whether purchasers take physical possession or not.

If dont take key, how are you gonna check on the property and file a list of the defects, leh?

??!! is right take the key first...

Usually the developer's representative will make an appointment to show you around the house, whilst you're there with the rep remember to ask for the defect rectification form.

Also there will be an inventory checklist that the representative will ask you to sign. In that form there will be a list of things such as the number of taps, electricity socket, kitchen sink, etc.

Go through the inventory list with the rep. and make sure everything is present, installed and accounted for in the house before signing the inventory list.

BTW if your unit is a house with gates bring along a few good padlocks (2 should suffice) so you can lock the front and back gate!

Also when you submit the defect list, the developer will ask you for a set of the house keys so the contractor can enter and fix the defects. I know most folks don't like to give away house keys but you can change the locks later and install metal grilles with additional padlocks.

Go spot check and visit your house regularly during this period.

Good luck and show lah some pics of your new house

MOD...can u move this into property talk sub-forum?? thanks

I was wondering is Ikhlas developer ok was thinking to get a unit at bayan ikhlas at serdang

any comment on that area arr??

is there anybody has a complaint template to send to developer as the 1st Defect works period has lapsed after 30 days. now already 2 weeks late from the agreed 30 days

I don't think there is a template however you can write to your stakeholders requesting to withold releasing the final 2.5% stake to the developer.

This should get the developers attention... I'll try to draft one for you if it will help!

No promises but hopefully if I've got the time...

thanks aaron...appreciate ur help

draft a formal letter or a ask your lawyer to write for you

The letter should indicates CLEARLY that the contractor has FAIL to fix your defects. Tell them your intention to fix the remaining defects with your own contractor after 14 days from this letter issued & will claim the cost from the stakeholder fund.

Normally after the letter you will see a few more Indons come to fix your house. It is because it is always cheaper for the developer's contractor fix ur house than your own. After all they do not want you to claim that fund with your expensive contractor.

This post has been edited by billytong: Mar 7 2007, 06:00 PM

Hi adrianocy billytong is right just write a simple letter and threaten to fix it yourself. If ever the developer decides not to make good on the defects you can go ahead and get it fixed yourself.

You can find the sample letter I've promised here... I hope it helps!

This post has been edited by aaronpang: Mar 7 2007, 11:18 PM

Thanks again Aaron & Billy. Both of u reli care.

When developer has failed to attend to your defects within the stipulated time, purchaser has to put the developer on notice that you will carry out the works yourself if they fail to do so within another 14 days' grace You also have to include a quote of how much it will cost you. Ensure that this step is adhered to. I believe this is a proviso stipulated in the Act.

While taking this step, pl make sure that you have actually spoken to the developer and not their contractor. In practice, there's no reason for developer not to attend to defects rectifications. This is becoz, the contract amount paid to contractors includes defects warranty to match the period stipulated under the SPA. Many unhappy episodes happen becoz sometimes, purchasers complain to contractor (usually the sub-sub contractor's men) they see on site...and ended up with some merry-go-round finger pointing and unattended defects,

This post has been edited by ??!!: Mar 8 2007, 03:58 PM

Stumbled upon this thread. Very helpful.

last weekend i joint inspection wit the developer and da contractor, they miss out so many defects dint do.
ends up need to fill in da defects form again.

My defective list of 80 over items is fixed in 3 days.. i went to check myself lar... but they haven't call me to do inspection yet.. ahh... waiting waiting.. now have to wait for electricity..


Added:

And thanks aaronpang for the tips of rectifying defective in hse. I've done what u've taught...... thanks again..

This post has been edited by stormchaser: Mar 28 2007, 04:45 PM

Sorry double post

This post has been edited by jasontmh: Mar 29 2007, 04:48 PM

Ya, this thread very helpful. Not much defect on my house but my brothers' was quite bad. Crack, leak, patches etc. I've attached the pic Can't wait to move in...

This post has been edited by jasontmh: Mar 29 2007, 04:50 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)

Wow, nice hse, is it some where near anggerik? cheras? from taman connaught to taman bukit anggerik?

jason. which one is urs and which one is ur bro's?

Grey color is mine and the other is my brother. My brothers' house seems to have more cracks. Not that mine don't have but less... The houses are not in Kl they are in JB.Grey color is in Setia Indah and the other one is is Austin Perdana.

mind to PM me the details of the security company that u engaged? is it reliable?

yes...me 2. pls PM me as well.

finally, this thread pinned . Big thanks to Mod.

topic pinned !!! good job!!!

i agree... this thread should be pinned long ago... kekeke... thanks to this thread, now almost all people on the developer side knows me... submitted hundred over defects item to them... kekeke... btw, it just small items like 5 cents dirt on wall... i asked them to repaint ! kekeke....

u can submit as much as u can , but they will always left out some undone.....

wow, this is just in time.

hello everyone! need some advice ..

I've submitted the defect list to the site supervisor, and now I found some more, can I submit again? will it "reset" my submission time? heheh...

ok, seriously, I may not be able to wait for all the defects to fix. If I ask my contractor to start renovation works (but do not affect the defect area, will this void the right that I have? Do I have to wait till the defect fix b4 do reno?

u can submit as many list as u can during the warranty period .... the additional list u submit will top up the previous one if they havent completed fixing the previous list....

Why bother about fixing when u are planning a renovation alrady? Unless it's major, there is no point getting ur cents worth.

err..yeah, some is major. For example, I got a broken sewage pipe between upper floor toilet to ground floor

Try flushing it and see.

No need to flush, it's very obvious, there's a big hole there. I inspect it coze found the ground floor plaster ceiling got water spot around the monhole. climb open the manhole, found a broken piece of the pipe.

Even though my reno work is nothing to do with the toilet & that ground floor portion, I was concern if they will not fix it becoze I start do reno?

My contractor said probably I can start my reno next week. Shud I hold him?

There arent suppose to be any manholes in your compound. I think the build ur house wrongly. U better ask for construction drawing and check.

Better to postpone the renovation work until your defects are finished otherwise there will be a blame game if anything gets broken or new defects crop up.

Also renovation will probably void your DLP and there will be finger-pointing between your contractor and the developer especially if surrounding parts of your house near the renovated area developes new defects or damage.