Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q I am at last getting on to the property ladder and have just bought a new home. I've been asked to prepare a snag list. What is a snag list and do I really need one? Can I carry it out myself or should I call in a professional?

Joan Clarke, Dublin

I'm asked this question so many times and the only answer is 'yes' you do need a snag list. Because there are potentially so many faults (snags) in your new property you just will not be able to see them and will only notice them when you have been living in your new home for a while. Unfortunately, when you try to get these problems resolved it could prove to be a nightmare. It may turn out that your builder is too busy or just does not want to do them . . . after all he has been paid and as we all know trying to get someone back after they have been paid is next to impossible.

A properly produced snag list will detail every conceivable fault in your new home. This snag list should be prepared before you make your final payment on your property. A copy will be provided for both you and for your builder/developer. The builder should then act to rectify the points on the list and inform you when they have been corrected. A professional person, who prepares a snag list for you, should also liaise with the builder on any points that he may be disputing to get these resolved to a satisfactory conclusion.

In my 29 years experience in the construction industry, I have come across a lot of poor workmanship which seems to go unnoticed most of the time. House buyers are just relieved to "nally get into their new home that they sometimes do not see a lot of these problems and end up spending more money getting them fixed further down the line.

Here are a few examples of some snags I have come across:

Mains water stopcock under the kitchen sink not readily accessible: These are sometimes covered in by the kitchen unit. Just imagine you have a leak in your house, the first thing you should do is head straight for the stopcock (which is usually located under the kitchen sink). To stop the flow of water into your house, you open the door of the sink unit and spend valuable time trying to flnd the stopcock which unknown to you is hidden behind the kitchen unit.

This in turn leads to more damage to your property as you are not able to stop the water from coming into your house.

Shower extractor fans: I've lost count of the amount of times I have gone into the attic spaces only to find these fans are not vented to the outside. They are just fixed to the ceiling and forgotten about, which means that the steam from your shower/bathroom is going directly into your attic space to attack your roof timbers.

Toilet bowls and cisterns not attached securely to the wall or floor: This could lead to a collapse of one or the other, or indeed both, and would cause the pipe work to break leading to a potentially costly water leak.

Baths and shower trays not securely fixed to the wall or floor: This will lead to movement which in turn will lead to the grouting or silicone seal moving and cracking which then lets water through to the ceiling below.

Electrical earth bonding of the copper pipes in the house: I have come across houses which do not have any earth bonding of the pipe work. By law, both the gas and water pipe work in your house should be connected by earth-bonding connectors to the main earth terminal near the consumer unit. Also the metallic elements in your house (pipes, light fittings etc) should be bonded by means of bonding clamps. If in the future you decide to undertake any DIY changes on your heating or plumbing system and are using the now more common plastic fittings, it is vital you restore the earth bond across the joint, which has now been broken by the use of the plastic fitting.

>>Concrete floors not laid level: This results in furniture wobbling, skirting boards running downwards, steps at junctions between rooms, tiles/timber "ooring not sitting properly, etc.

While these are a few of the more common problems which will be pointed out in your snag list, there are hundreds more. If you are purchasing a property and wish to have a snag list undertaken (from /300 upwards) contact Steve Guerin at steveguerin@gmail. com or www. tradesmenireland. com. All readers who book a snag list with Steve in March, April and May, will be entered into a draw to have their snag list prepared free of charge (one winner each month). Draws will take place on 1 April, 1 May and 1 June 2007. Winners will be noti"ed by email. When booking your snag list please quote the reference ST1.

WRITE TO US If you have a building-/renovation-related query that you'd like Steve to help you with, email: doorstepdoctor@tribune. ie Steve Guerin is managing director of www. tradesmenireland. com, the one-stop website that will help you find a tradesman, a site for sale, a property to rent or buy and all the plant hire and machinery you need to complete your house build or renovation