snagging - do cosmetic items ourselves & negotiate reduced price?

[KernowQ]

i'm waiting to hear back from our solicitor to see if this would even be possible, just wondered if anyone had done similar?

we've had a surveyor do a new build snagging survey & he's come back with an extensive list of issues, the majority are purely cosmetic & just shoddy work/lack of care. we'd be happy to do some of the tidy up work ourselves (paint splashes etc) & get tradesmen in to do other items. not too keen on the builder trying to fix these items as i doubt they'd be up to the standard we want, so thought we'd get done ourselves to our spec. & try to get a reduced purchase price.

there are a few items of snagging that will still require the builder to fix as these could be areas that could cause long term problems if not corrected (we want to be covered if anything went wrong in future - ie. problems in a bathroom need rectifying as area is unlikely to be watertight at the moment).

are we daft to even consider this option?

 

[Tony]

The answer is already no - you have nothing to lose by asking. However, if it is one of the bigger builders it will be more difficult as there is going to be less flexibility in a big corporation. Some people agree retention clauses until the snagging is done.

 

[KernowQ]

The answer is already no - you have nothing to lose by asking. However, if it is one of the bigger builders it will be more difficult as there is going to be less flexibility in a big corporation. Some people agree retention clauses until the snagging is done.

Thanks Tony, wasn't aware of the retention info, might come in handy. it's a very small development by a independant builder, so hopefully a little more flexibility. Will take a fair few man hours to fix all the minor issues picked up on the survey, so we can but hope the builder sees the 'value' in our offer!

 

[NewHomeExpert]

A snagging inspector that comes back with mainly cosmetic items hasn't really inspected properly in my opinion!
If they cant snag easy to remedy decoration issues then the more non compliance with regulations and standards will definitely be evident.
"Surveyors" are not as good as Professional snagging inspectors in my opinion.

 

[KernowQ]

A snagging inspector that comes back with mainly cosmetic items hasn't really inspected properly in my opinion!
If they cant snag easy to remedy decoration issues then the more non compliance with regulations and standards will definitely be evident.
"Surveyors" are not as good as Professional snagging inspectors in my opinion.

it was a professional snagging inspector & he did pick up more than just cosmetic issues, trust me! we still want those dealt with by the builder in case of future problems, as mentioned on my 1st post

 

[NewHomeExpert]

I would agree, especially with decoration snags, the only way to get the quality you want is to take your time and DIY.
This will not affect the warranty, but it might make it more likely the builder will think you will give up and do the other things too.
Most important of all for you is report everything to the builder IN WRITING within the first two years.