AN OBJECTIVE OPINION ABOUT THE CONDITION OF A NEW HOUSING COMPANY THROUGH A ONE-YEAR PRE-INSPECTION

Most common faults and deficiencies observed during a one-year pre-inspection

The most common faults in the exterior face structures of new buildings are deficiencies in cladding and joints, unfinished structures and deficiencies caused by erroneous installation order of the structures. Structural solutions that are not suited for the conditions on site, as well as structures for which there were no plans and that were just realised somehow on site are also often observed. In addition, the exterior faces of new buildings often include several different types of structures, and defective implementation of these will cause more problems.

On average, 40 deficiencies are recorded in the exterior faces of buildings that are 12–15 months old in inspections by Raksystems.

Raksystems expert assists in the one-year inspection process

We often represent the shareholders of a housing company during the one-year inspection. Our expert service includes a property inspection before the one-year inspection (one-year pre-inspection) to identify and record faults and deficiencies that require action by the seller. The expert prepares a report on the property inspection, and representatives of the housing company will present it to the seller at the one-year inspection, supplemented by their own comments. If necessary, our expert can also participate in the official one-year inspection organised by the seller. Based on a decision by the housing company, our expert can continue on to supervise the repairing of the faults and deficiencies.

A professionally drafted snagging list (a list of defects and deficiencies) will speed up the process of reaching an agreement in the negotiations on warranty repairs between the parties.

Why place an order for a one-year pre-inspection?

When approximately one year has lapsed from the handover of a new apartment, the developer is obligated to arrange the housing company’s one-year inspection. There are regulations on the one-year inspection in the Housing Transactions Act, and the inspection secures the right of the buyers and the housing company to have faults and deficiencies repaired by the developer if any faults and deficiencies for which the developer is liable have been observed in the housing company.

Benefits of the one-year pre-inspection

During the one-year inspection process, the building company is obligated to inspect the structures and systems included in the housing company’s maintenance liability and submit complaints to the developer if any faults have been detected. Similarly, each shareholder is obligated to inspect the apartment in their control with regard to matters included in the shareholder’s maintenance liability.

Both the housing company and individual shareholders may, if special expertise is needed, arrange for a pre-inspection by experts. The housing company should always use experts to ensure that all errors, defects and damage in structures and systems are detected before the one-year inspection, because in the form of a report prepared by experts, the housing company can provide the developer with a detailed list of defects and deficiencies in the property at the latest at the one-year inspection organised by the developer.

Contents of the one-year pre-inspection

The one-year pre-inspection of a housing company covers the outside of the buildings, technical facilities, public premises and six of the apartments. The inspection will be performed by a team consisting of three experts.

Before the site visit, representatives of the maintenance company in charge of the property and representatives of the client are interviewed. Prior to the site visit, the experts also review drawings of the site, building specifications, measuring and inspection records prepared at the commissioning stage, inspection records from statutory inspections, any sewer and thermal imaging reports, maintenance records and sales brochures to the extent that these documents are available at the site on the date of the site visit.

The inspection of building technology elements is always performed using sensory methods and a surface humidity indicator. Exterior faces and balconies are inspected from ground level and from the balconies of the six apartments. The experts inspect the foundation, frame structures, roofs, exterior walls, balconies, windows, entrance doors, yard areas, as well as surface structures and accessories in the housing company’s technical facilities and public premises. In the six apartments, the inspectors inspect all structures and building elements included in the housing company’s maintenance liability. Any crawlspaces in the base floor structures and any unheated attic spaces in the inspected apartments are also included in the scope of the inspection, provided that the inspectors have unrestricted access to these areas during the site visit.

The HVAC and automation engineering inspection covers heating, water, sewer, ventilation and automation systems, as well as the ventilation system air volumes, water flows and room temperatures in the six apartments by means of random checks. The inspection results are compared with the building regulations and design values. The inspection is mostly performed through sensory methods, and the functionality of systems is also studied based on air and water flows and by measuring temperatures.

The electrical engineering inspection includes a visual inspection of all electricity and telecommunications systems in the facilities included in the scope of the pre-inspection. In addition, the inspection includes the taking of random measurements in order to determine current values, voltage levels, illumination efficiency, the functionality of fault current circuit breakers and compliance with regulations. The measurements taken during the site visit are compared with standards and recommended values.

One-year pre-inspection report

The team of experts prepares a report after the one-year pre-inspection, where the inspection observations are presented in detail, including locations of the faults and defects, in the form of a snagging list. The housing company can submit the report as such or furnished with its own snagging lists to the developer. Tables including measurement results are submitted to the client with the snagging list.

Performing the one-year pre-inspection

The one-year pre-inspection of a housing company is performed using non-destructive methods.

The total price of the inspection includes the following measures:

• Agreeing on the date of the site visit with the client
• Preparing a notice for residents
• Organising a resident poll
• Interviewing representatives of the maintenance company and the client prior to the site visit
• Selecting, together with the client, the apartments to be inspected
• Reviewing the site’s drawings, building specifications and sales brochures
• Performing the inspection in the buildings of the housing company
• Preparing the inspection report and delivering it to the client

Additional services

The housing company can also place an order, at the same time as the inspection or separately, for the following additional services at a separate cost:

• Lift inspection
  If there are lifts in the property, they can be inspected during the site visit as an additional service. The lift inspector will increase the size of the team of experts from three to four.
• Inspecting the exterior faces with a personnel hoist
  We recommend placing an order for an exterior face inspection by an expert when placing the order for the one-year pre-inspection. The inspection is performed from a personnel hoist (an elevating-platform truck) so that the experts can inspect eaves joints and other parts connected to the exterior face that cannot be inspected during the one-year pre-inspection, which is performed from ground level.
• Supervision of warranty repairs
  We recommend that the experts performing the one-year inspection will continue on as the supervisors of warranty repairs. Our reliable and experienced supervisors can ensure that the repairs are appropriate, which significantly reduces risks.
• Apartment-specific pre-inspection
  Shareholders can also place an order for an inspection of their apartment. We will then perform an apartment-specific pre-inspection to detect any faults and deficiencies in areas falling under the shareholder’s maintenance liability.

We also offer the following:

• Participation of an inspector in the one-year inspection organised by the developer
• Presenting the inspection report to the Board of Directors