Snagging a new-build villa in Istanbul: a room-by-room checklist

Snagging is the process of finding and listing defects before you accept a property, whether it is a new villa from a developer or a home your own contractor has just renovated. In Turkish, the list is usually called the eksik listesi, and the handover stage is geçici kabul. A careful snagging inspection is the moment where you have the most leverage: once the final payment is made, getting small defects fixed becomes much harder.

How to organise the inspection

• Inspect in daylight, and come back once in the evening to check the lighting.
• Bring a torch, a spirit level, a tape measure, a phone charger to test sockets and masking tape to mark defects.
• Go room by room in the same order: ceiling, walls, floor, windows and doors, services, joinery.
• Photograph each defect with the tape next to it and number it on the list.
• Agree a deadline for each item and a date for the re-inspection.

Walls and ceilings

• Shine a torch along walls and ceilings at a low angle; it shows waves, patches and uneven plaster.
• Check paint for runs, missed areas, brush marks and colour differences between coats.
• Look for cracks at the corners of openings and along plasterboard joints.
• Check that cove lighting slots are straight and evenly lit.

Floors

• Check with a level that floors are flat and that thresholds are consistent between rooms.
• Tap tiles and stone with a coin or the handle of a screwdriver; a hollow sound indicates poor adhesion.
• Look for chips, lippage (tile edges at different heights) and uneven grout lines.
• On wooden floors, check the expansion gap under skirtings and that boards do not creak or move.

Bathrooms and wet rooms

• Run every tap and shower for several minutes and watch the drains; water should never pool.
• Check falls towards floor drains in walk-in showers.
• Check silicone joints around trays, basins and baths: continuous, clean and without gaps.
• Flush every WC several times and check concealed cisterns for running water.
• Look under basins for leaks and check that access panels open.
• Ask for photos of the waterproofing taken before tiling.

Kitchen

• Open every door and drawer; check alignment, soft-close and gaps.
• Check the worktop joints, sink cut-out, and sealing along the wall.
• Test every appliance and the extractor, and check it is ducted as specified.

Windows and doors

• Open, close and lock every window and door; check handles and seals.
• Look for scratches on glass and frames and check that protective films have been removed.
• Check sliding systems run smoothly and that drainage slots are clear.
• Interior doors should close without rubbing and stay put when half open.

Electrics and lighting

• Test every socket, switch and light, including outdoor and garden circuits.
• Check the distribution board is labelled and that residual current devices are fitted.
• Dim every dimmable circuit to check for flicker or humming.
• Check data points, TV points and the internet connection.

Heating, cooling and ventilation

• Run the heating and check each radiator or underfloor zone heats up.
• Test air conditioning in cooling and heating modes; check condensate drains.
• Make sure bathroom and kitchen extraction works and is vented outside.

Joinery

• Check wardrobes, dressing rooms and TV walls for alignment, even gaps and finishing quality.
• Open every door and drawer with a load inside.
• Check integrated lighting in joinery switches on and is evenly distributed.

Outside

• Check facade paint, gutters and downpipes, terrace falls and pool equipment if any.
• Walk the garden after watering or rain to see where water collects.

Paperwork to collect

• As-built electrical and plumbing drawings
• Warranty certificates for appliances, boiler, air conditioning and fittings
• Manuals and spare tiles, stone and paint for future repairs
• The signed handover document with the snagging list attached

Keep the retention or final payment until the list is closed. For owners who cannot attend, managing a renovation remotely explains how to handle handover from abroad, and the glossary of Turkish renovation terms covers the words used in handover documents. Bathroom details worth checking are explained in villa bathroom design.