At handover, leave with the means to access and run the home, the documents you need, and a written record of anything still outstanding. Start a folder for the reservation specification, notices and correspondence before completion. If you’re moving to a new estate in Solihull, keep both the developer’s plot reference and the final postal address in the folder so you can match documents and report issues.
Before You Collect the Keys
- Confirm the key collection time with the site office and let the conveyancer handle any question about the completion date.
- Ask for the home demonstration and confirm whether it coincides with the pre-completion inspection. Keep your inspection record and the developer’s response separate from your handover notes.
- Have your agreed specification and list of upgrades available. If the developer says a substitution was agreed, locate the written record so you can check the detail.
- Confirm parking and access for the removals van, especially where site works or phased handovers are still in progress.
At the Appointment
Check access. Count the keys and fobs for the front and back doors, communal entrance, garage, mailbox and any cycle store that applies. Test the key or fob while someone from the site team is available. For a flat, identify your allocated parking bay and get the managing agent’s contact details.
Record the starting position. With access and where safe, photograph each meter reading and serial number. On an estate with several meters in one location, ask the site team to confirm which meter serves your home. Ask them to show you the water stop tap, heating controls, ventilation controls and other equipment you’ll use. Keep instructions and warranty details for included appliances.
Collect the paperwork. Ask for the warranty cover and policy documents, guarantees, complaints and aftercare procedure, and any outstanding-work schedule. For eligible homes under Version 2 of the New Homes Quality Code, the developer should provide the Building Regulations completion certificate if available or explain what happens if it isn’t. Ask your conveyancer which documents they already hold. For an apartment, clarify who can answer questions about shared areas and outstanding work.
Example: One Issue, One Record
Imagine a buyer in a Shirley apartment receives one entrance fob and notices a chipped tile beside the kitchen sink. Record those as two separate entries. For the fob, note how many were expected and who will supply the rest. For the tile, include the location, a photo and the date first recorded. Send the list to the named aftercare contact and keep their acknowledgement and expected response dates.
During the First Few Days
Update your record as outstanding items are closed. Log new concerns with a location, photo and description of what happens. Where the home is occupied and you want a systematic check of accessible defects, ask Ashbridge Design about a new build snagging survey.