There is a big demand for cheap homes across Britain. People are prepared to pay very low house prices in an effort to get onto the property ladder. Builders are attempting to build fast and cut corners, in an effort to get homes built and ready to move in. Inevitably, quality is going to take a hit.
Snagging is a trade term used by home inspection teams that will scour a property looking to defects, areas of low-quality build, illegal completions and shoddy work. A snagging team would not simply take a glance within properties and cast a critical eye over the brickwork, window fitting, guttering or plaster finishes; they go a lot more in-depth than that.
Snagging is a relatively new kid on the block, in terms of trade. In the past, tradesman would finish a quality job and there would be a building inspector to make sure the work was done properly. The problem was: building inspectors give most homes the once-over look and then quickly go through to the next dwelling. Time was restrictive and the snagging process limited.
Builders are cutting corners and rushing work in an effort to meet stringent targets set out by government planning departments and developers alike. Every week, hundreds of families move into a new build home, only to find it is not fit for purpose.
There are now a growing number of home snagging teams springing up in the UK, Home Snag, is one such pioneer in this industry and its duties have been clearly listed for all potential homeowners to see.
Snagging teams, like Home Snag, will test properties to see how much draught or heat loss occurs. It offers an optional extra of a thermographic test to show you just how much heat is being lost through poor ventilation, low quality breeze block work and plastering work that has not sealed correctly.
The home snagging team will also check on the cavity insulation finish. This can be done with a borescope camera. Thermal images are taken of radiators, with a task to see if sufficient warmth is being radiated through from the hot water supply.
The quality of the soil is also checked by the home snag team. Some properties are built on flood plains, such is the desire and need to meet targets. If the drainage of the soil the home is built upon is in any way liable to flooding, then a home snagging inspection will find this.