Inspect your new condo before renovation conceals its original condition. Record each suspected defect, send a traceable report and check the repair before closing the item. Collecting the keys is the start of that process, not your only opportunity to report a problem.
This checklist is for buyers taking a new private condo from a developer. A resale handover has different contractual arrangements. It is a desk-researched guide, not a building survey or a report on the development in the featured photograph.
Confirm the dates before booking renovation
Ask your conveyancing lawyer to identify the relevant notices, the date vacant possession is delivered and the start and end of your defects liability period (DLP). Keep the notices and proof of receipt together. Do not assume the date printed on a key-collection invitation settles every deadline.
URA’s key-collection guide describes a 12-month DLP starting from the earlier of vacant possession or the 15th day after receipt of the specified notice that TOP and infrastructure works are complete. Check your signed sale and purchase agreement (S&PA), including its applicable version and any approved changes.
TOP is not a promise that the unit has no workmanship defects. URA distinguishes regulatory approval from the developer’s contractual responsibility for defects. Avoid fixing a non-refundable moving or renovation date solely because TOP has been announced.
Prepare an inspection that you can follow up
Bring the agreed specifications, floor plan, handover inventory, a charged phone, torch, tape measure and a way to label observations without damaging finishes. Confirm water and electricity availability with the handover team. An untested appliance should be marked “not tested”, not “passed”.
Start with wide photographs of each room, then take close-ups of individual issues. Keep original files in a dated folder and give every item a unique number. Photograph the location clearly enough that someone who was not at the inspection can find it.
If you hire an inspector, obtain a written scope: what will be inspected, which tests are excluded, the report format and whether a return visit is included. A report can document observations; it does not by itself establish the developer’s liability or a right to reimbursement.
Walk through the unit in a fixed order
Use the same route on the first inspection and the return visit. Describe what you observe rather than prescribing a repair you are not qualified to design.
- Floors, walls and ceilings: record visible cracks, chips, stains, uneven joints and damaged finishes. Include a scale beside a crack where safe. A photograph or a hollow sound alone does not establish its cause.
- Doors, windows and cabinets: operate accessible fittings normally, checking alignment, locks, handles and drawers. Record sticking or damage. Do not lean outside, remove safety devices or spray water from an exposed window.
- Bathrooms and kitchen: use taps and sanitary fittings normally while someone watches accessible joints and drainage. Stop if water escapes where it should not. Leave controlled ponding tests and electrical investigations to competent people.
- Air-conditioning and supplied appliances: check against the inventory and follow operating instructions with the handover team. Record noise, dripping, error messages and anything that could not be tested.
- Access and common areas: note problems on the route to the unit, including doors, lifts or visible leaks. Report common-property concerns to the developer and the managing agent; do not treat them as permission to alter shared parts.
Do not open electrical panels, touch exposed wiring or investigate a suspected structural problem yourself. Keep clear of an immediate hazard and contact the responsible building team or emergency service as appropriate.
A quality rating is useful context, but not a substitute for checking your unit. BCA’s Quality Mark describes the condition at assessment. Its workmanship assessment does not cover every design issue or aesthetic preference.
Make a defect log that survives a change of staff
The example below is invented. Use one record per observation and retain both the initial evidence and the later repair record.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Reference and location | K-03: cabinet below the kitchen sink, right hinge. |
| Observed problem | Door catches against the adjoining door when opened normally. |
| Evidence | Dated wide photo, close-up and short video; retain original filenames. |
| Notice and receipt | Date sent, recipient, submission reference and acknowledgement. |
| Access and response | Appointment, person attending, proposed work and unresolved questions. |
| Recheck | Date tested after repair, result and any remaining damage. Keep open until resolved. |
Use the developer’s reporting system and check the formal notice requirements with your lawyer. Export the submitted list and attachments rather than relying only on continued portal access. A conversation with a contractor is not a substitute for a record showing what was reported and received.
Follow the repair process before spending money yourself
URA’s guide says the developer must rectify defects within one month of receiving the rectification notice. If this fails, follow the S&PA procedure before appointing another contractor or seeking deductions from stakeholder funds. Obtain legal advice on notices, evidence and the permitted amount; do not simply subtract an estimated bill from a payment due.
BCA explains that defects reported during the DLP remain the developer’s responsibility if unresolved beyond it. Keep outstanding items open with the original notification dates. A repair visit is not proof that the defect has been fixed.
Recheck the reported function, photograph the result and note any new damage caused during access. If asked to sign a completion or acceptance document, make sure its wording matches what has actually been resolved. Ask your lawyer about disputed wording rather than signing a blanket statement you disagree with.
Plan the move around unresolved work
For an occupier, identify which outstanding items affect safe daily use: a functioning bathroom, secure windows, kitchen water, cooling and access. Separate these from finishes that can be repaired while you are away. Agree access arrangements and protect possessions before contractors return.
For an investor, do not promise a tenant an unconditional move-in date while essential repairs remain uncertain. Budget for vacancy, inspection visits and management charges during the gap. For an upgrader, include temporary accommodation and storage if the old home must be handed over first. Our sell-first or buy-first guide helps organise that moving sequence.
Before renovation, preserve evidence and agree how rectification will be coordinated with your contractor. Check the estate’s renovation requirements. An improvement you prefer is not automatically a defect the developer must pay for.
If there is a dispute
Request a written response addressing the disputed items. URA encourages negotiation and then consideration of mediation, with legal advice on the appropriate route. A complaint to a regulator does not automatically recover your repair costs or decide a contractual claim.
Measures effective from 22 May 2026 allow land-sales disqualification and sales suspension for specified serious developer misconduct. They are regulatory sanctions, not an automatic payout or a replacement for your contractual notice process. Their application depends on the circumstances and the authorities’ assessment.
For a serious structural concern or a problem discovered after the DLP, obtain appropriate technical and legal advice promptly. There is no blanket 15-year structural warranty established by this guide. The earlier article incorrectly presented one and gave a fixed escalation ladder that did not establish which forum had jurisdiction.
Updated 17 September 2026. Corrected DLP timing and rectification guidance; removed unsupported defect counts, inspection prices, DIY tolerance rules, structural-cover claims and the fixed dispute ladder. The Interlace photograph is exterior context only and does not allege defects at that development.