WHAT DO THEY DO/Paul Hughes - Snagger: Builders pay real attention to an independent snag list maker. Bernice Harrison reports

A snag list is one of the few technical terms in the building industry that's easily understood. When a property is finished - in that the tradesmen have been through it - a list is made of those details (snags) that have yet to be completed or rectified.

Typical items would be skirting boards that aren't affixed to the wall properly, internal doors that don't open or close correctly, uneven plasterwork and light switches or sockets that are crooked or loose. In new houses builders do their own snag list and the trick for house buyers is to be involved in that process. Either see the list (not the easiest in that some, particularly smaller builders, prefer the informality of not writing anything down) or go on a walk of the house with the builder to spot defects.

Some sort of snag list is vital because it's often too late a couple of months after you take ownership of your new home to realise that the tiling in the bathroom is really off and needs to be fixed. Far better to get the whole thing sorted before you finally sign contracts when you still have some leverage.

Paul Hughes is an engineer with 20 years experience who, to fund his time off to do a masters degree in health and safety legislation, set himself up as a snag list maker, providing a service to, usually, new house buyers though he has had clients who want snag lists made for old properties.

"To make a snag list, I'd go through a house systematically, internally and externally, going from room to room paying particular attention to the finishes," says Hughes, adding that in his experience, builders tend to pay a great deal of attention to an independent snag list maker.

"I had a case recently of a woman in a new house in Naas where the floor in the hall was destroyed by a leak in the heating system due to a faulty joint," says the Lucan-based engineer. "The builder ignored her until presented with the problem from me, a third party."

After Hughes' intervention, the builder agreed that the faulty joint was his problem and he replaced the floor. Women, particularly single younger female house buyers, can get a raw deal, he says, when it comes to getting their houses snag-free. "Though really most people are so excited about finally getting into their new house that they don't notice the small snags that should have been fixed."

Several professionals will do a snag list for a new house buyer, including architects, surveyors and engineers. I know of one apartment buyer whose solicitor was so well versed in the regulations regarding insulation and flooring that he negotiated with the builder and held up the sale on behalf of his client until the property was brought up to standard.

Buyers themselves can put together a list by walking through a house room by room, taking a close look at the details. The trick is to be able to negotiate with the builder and not to be bamboozled. A hall door that has been hung so that a gale force wind blows in under it will not "settle in time" - but some buyers may back down in face of an excuse from the builder. An independent third party isn't going to back down and should have the experience of negotiating with builders to see that the snags are corrected. Paul Hughes charges approximately €450-€500 to do a snag list on a typical three-bedroom new house.

Paul Hughes, engineer, snag list maker. Tel: 086-8126055

This column appears fortnightly