Pre-Handover Checklist: 12 Items to Walk Through With Your Client

Many first-time buyers do not know which issues should be raised before completion. The agent's presence is not just witness; it is the bridge that turns verbal promises into written records. Problems found during inspection can become the basis for pre-completion repairs, price reductions or retention of deposits.

This piece provides an inspection workflow only and is not engineering or legal advice. Structural, waterproofing or electrical issues should be referred to qualified professionals.

One: walls and ceilings. Check for cracks, water stains or peeling paint. Freshly painted walls can hide old cracks, so look for repair marks. Two: window frames and air-con ledges. These are common leak points, especially in older buildings or renovated units. Three: bathroom and kitchen walls. Feel for dampness and check grout for mould. Four: the ceiling of the flat below. If accessible, water stains downstairs can indirectly reveal drainage leaks in this unit.

Leaks often do not appear until after rain. If you cannot inspect after rainfall, note in the provisional agreement that the right to claim is reserved.

Five: taps and drains. Turn on every tap and observe water pressure and drainage speed; check wash basins, bathtub and kitchen sink drains. Six: distribution board and sockets. Test major sockets, check labels on the board, and confirm fuses or breakers work. Seven: windows and door locks. Open and close every window and the main door; check locks, handles and hinges. Eight: air-conditioning units. Look for heavy rust, abnormal noise during operation, and whether drainage is clear.

These four are the most common day-to-day failure points and the items buyers most often complain about in the first month. Test and photograph each one to reduce disputes.

Nine: flooring and tiles. Check for hollow tiles, cracks or lifting; for wood floors, look for water warping. Ten: lights and ventilation. Test every switch and bulb, and check exhaust fans and bathroom ventilation. Eleven: rubbish and cleaning. Confirm the unit has been cleared as agreed, with rubbish and old furniture removed. Twelve: keys and remotes. Count every door key, mailbox key, car card, access card and parking remote, and test them on site.

Item twelve sounds trivial, but missing keys or a dead access card after completion can be time-consuming to fix.

From experience, leaks, slow drainage, insufficient electrical loading and ageing window frames most often become obvious two to three months after move-in. They are hard to spot in fine weather or during a short inspection, so pay special attention to these areas during the handover and ask the seller for recent maintenance records.

Writing the inspection results into a checklist signed by both parties, or confirmed via messaging, is the most effective way to reduce later arguments.

Our viewing and handover checklist tool can be downloaded by the client before the meeting and ticked off on site. The agent's role is to lead the walkthrough and record problems as they are found.

The value of the checklist is not 'finding every problem' but 'systematically confirming the basics'. Structural or engineering issues beyond the checklist should be referred to a qualified inspector or engineer.