Participation in shared construction is associated with worries and anxieties. But now a happy moment comes: the time of waiting and doubts has come to an end - you are waiting for the inspection and acceptance of an apartment in a new building. You need to prepare for this step in order to protect yourself, at least from unnecessary financial losses. Despite the fact that any object of shared construction has a warranty period, it is better to identify all imperfections and construction defects at the stage of acceptance and signing of the act (inspection sheet). Otherwise, residents will have to repair the defects at their own expense or endure repair and restoration work already during their stay.
The process of accepting an apartment involves a thorough inspection of the premises, identifying malfunctions, inconsistencies in the quality of work with the equity participation agreement (DDU), entering all inconsistencies into the acceptance certificate with an indication of the deadlines for elimination.
Preparing for pre-acceptance inspection
Such defects in the finishing of an apartment as lagging wallpaper, streaks, dampness on the ceiling, walls, cracked glass can be noticed without being a specialist builder. But to see more specific flaws, you need to arm yourself with tools and / or grab a familiar professional for inspection and acceptance.
Now on the market there is a service of assistance in the acceptance of an apartment. Specialists will detect defects in construction and finishing, help fill out an inspection sheet, measure the level of electromagnetic, radioactive radiation, correctly calculate the area and provide a plan with real numbers.
For independent inspection and acceptance of housing (without the accompaniment of a specialist) you need to go with the following tools and devices:
- Paper, pencil - useful for rough notes, calculations when measuring the area of \u200b\u200bthe premises before acceptance.
- Chalk or felt-tip pen - when roughing out an apartment with an open screed and walls, they circle defective places (knolls or pits) that need to be improved.
- Lantern - for inspecting hard-to-reach places.
- Lighter - it checks the number of cameras in double-glazed windows.
- A thin sheet of paper - to check the operation of ventilation.
- Building level.
- Indicator screwdriver for checking the operation of sockets (can be replaced with any compact electrical appliance).
- Powerful drill.
- Hammer.
- Voltmeter.
- A light bulb, a light stepladder or a stool - sometimes the acceptance takes place before all the lamps are screwed in.
Going to accept an apartment in a new building, you need to take a DDU with you: the document contains a list of works, a finish option (rough, fine), and the materials used are listed.
Attention: if the material of a certain manufacturer is indicated in the annex to the contract, then if you are not a specialist, you will not be able to determine this during an eye examination. The representative of the developer is obliged to present documents confirming that the material of the specified company (quality) was used in the decoration of the apartment.
Inspection stages
First, an inspection is carried out for compliance with the dimensions. If the parameters differ from the figures in the contract, the real area of the apartment should be measured and recorded - the developer will be obliged to return the money paid for the missing meters. The height of the ceiling is also measured for compliance, a very low ceiling is a serious defect and a reason for refusing to accept.
Further inspection of the apartment before acceptance is carried out methodically point by point.
Floor inspection
The surface of the floor should be flat, interior differences should be invisible. The joints of the floor covering must be airtight, the material itself must comply with the declared (laminate, linoleum, tile). In an apartment with a rough finish, when there is no floor covering, it is necessary to inspect the screed before acceptance: are there any crumbling places.
Voids in the screed are easy to detect by lightly tapping the floor with a hammer - the sound in hollow places and in areas of screed lagging (swelling) will be louder. Do not forget to circle the detected marriage with chalk.
Inspection of ceilings and walls
Before acceptance, attention should be paid to the absence of differences between the plates, the quality of the sealing of joints and seams. Corners and walls in all rooms of the apartment are measured by level: a deviation of 5–7 mm is permissible for the entire height of the ceiling. Damp areas on the ceiling, mold indicate poor-quality thermal insulation - this information is also entered on the inspection sheet.
Window inspection and check
Open and close each window in the apartment (including the glazing of the loggia or balcony), bringing them to the “wide open” and “ventilation” positions, note the presence of a seal, the operation of the locking mechanism, and the integrity of the glass.
Double-glazed windows must be checked for compliance with the declared thickness: bring a lit lighter to the glass and determine the number of cameras by the number of reflections of the light.
Inspect the window sills to see if there is any wind from below (a signal that there is no heat-insulating tape and / or foam), for scratches and abrasions.
Be sure to pay attention to the horizontal line of the window sill: a slight slope is acceptable, but it should not be visually noticeable. If the window sill strongly “sinks” to the side or back (towards the glass), then the slope should be measured with a level to be recorded in the defective statement. Experts even recommend taking a picture of the window sill with a lying level for clarity.
Door inspection
Check the ease of opening and closing interior doors, the operation of latches and locks. If you came to the acceptance of an apartment with a rough finish, make sure that the lower edge of the door leaf is at a sufficient distance from the surface of the screed so that later, when laying the flooring, the door opens easily without touching the linoleum or laminate.
The front door is checked for compliance with the declared quality (filler, metal thickness, manufacturer). Also at the inspection stage, you need to make sure that the locks are functioning, that there are no dents or damage to the paint layer.
Checking the heating system
Pipes and radiators in the apartment you are accepting should not leak, the adjustment taps should turn easily. If the inspection and acceptance of the apartment take place during the heating season, the uniformity of heating of each battery is checked. Pay attention to the position of the battery section: it must be firmly fixed, at least 2 cm from the wall, 7 cm from the window sill, 10 cm from the floor.
Electricity
Before accepting the apartment, write down the readings and the meter number, make sure that the sockets and switches are securely fastened.
The operation of the network is checked with the help of brought instruments: a voltmeter, an indicator screwdriver, a charger from a telephone. Turn on the drill for 2 minutes - the machines should not turn off the power in the apartment from such a load.
Water supply, plumbing, sewerage
In the process of inspecting housing before acceptance, check the operability of stopcocks, mixers. Sanitaryware (toilet, sink, bathtub) must be free of cracks, chips, correspond to the declared quality and manufacturer, securely fastened. Water meters are inspected, readings are recorded.
Attention: be sure to write down the counter numbers so that when issuing their passports, check compliance.
Ventilation
The ventilation in the apartment is checked by bringing the prepared piece of paper to the hole: it will be pressed against the ventilation grill with a stream of air. If this does not happen, at the end of the inspection, feel free to make claims to the developer about non-working ventilation.
Important details of inspection and acceptance
The entire visit will take approximately 2 hours.The representative of the developer can convince you to end the formalities of signing the acceptance document as soon as possible, but you should not give in to persuasion: you need to methodically check the apartment and write down all the defects found on the inspection sheet.
After completing the inspection and finding a marriage, you can:
- Refuse to sign the transfer document until the developer fixes the problem.
- Sign an acceptance certificate with a list of all defects and the timing of their elimination - this option is practiced more often.
In both cases, it is imperative to record in writing all claims against the developer in 2 copies, with the signatures of both parties (on the part of the developer, the representative is the foreman or company manager). Claims must be substantiated, specific discrepancies with the contract, project documentation, copying of the BTI are indicated.
In addition to the detected malfunctions, systems and communications are noted on the inspection sheet, which for various reasons were not checked. For example, the fire safety system.
If any defect during the inspection slipped your attention, and you realized it after acceptance, you should not be upset: all apartments in new buildings are subject to a guarantee of 3 years. Even if the developer indicated otherwise in the contract, the law is on the side of the new settlers: the builders will compensate for the damage incurred through their fault.
Quick acceptance - does it make sense?
New builders may have personal reasons for quick acceptance, and builders are not always in a hurry to correct their flaws. Therefore, in practice, tenants often accept an apartment, turning a blind eye to lagging wallpaper or a staggering toilet bowl.
- For economy-class new buildings, such an acceptance tactic justifies itself: the initial finishing of this segment of housing is often so unsightly that it has become the norm to change wallpaper or plumbing before moving in.
- Elite housing is too expensive to hire additional specialists after its acceptance to correct the shortcomings of the finish, therefore, in this case, the apartment should be accepted correctly, with a thorough and meticulous inspection.
If an expensive finish according to an individual design is planned in a new building, then it is necessary to wait 1-2 years with its execution. During this time, the house will shrink, and expensive repairs will not suffer later.
A specialist hired for inspection or your own theoretical training does not ensure that you receive an apartment without marriage, but a correctly completed acceptance certificate allows you to receive a discount or compensation.
