What to check in a new-build development
A viewing checklist for the things that are hard to change later — the developer, the specification, the community, and what's next to the plot.
Show units are built to sell. That is not a criticism, it is their job — but it means a viewing rewards a bit of structure. These are the things worth checking deliberately, because they are expensive or impossible to change once you own the property.
The developer
What have they completed before, and can you visit one of those developments? How long have they been building in this area? Ask about the building licence and about the guarantees covering advance payments. A developer with a delivered track record nearby is a materially different proposition from a new entity with one project.
The specification, in writing
What is actually included in the price, and what was upgraded in the show unit? Kitchen appliances, air conditioning, bathroom finishes, terrace flooring, glazing, storage and parking are the usual places where the standard specification and the display diverge. Ask for the written specification and read it against what you have just walked through.
The plot and what surrounds it
What is on the neighbouring land, and what is permitted to be built there? A view sold today can be built out tomorrow. Which way does the terrace face, and at what time of day does it get sun in the season you will actually be there? How close is the nearest road, and what does it sound like at 8am rather than on a Sunday viewing?
The community
How many units are there, and what proportion are expected to be permanently occupied rather than used a few weeks a year? What are the shared facilities, what will the community fee be, and who maintains them? Are there rules about letting, pets or renovations in the community statutes? These documents are not exciting reading, and they govern a great deal of daily life.
Practical distances
Walk to the beach or the shops rather than accepting the brochure's number. Check the drive to the airport at a realistic hour. Find out what is open out of season within that distance — a development surrounded by closed shutters in January is a very different place from the one you visited in June.
The unfinished-property questions
If the building is not complete: what stage is it at now, what is the current completion estimate, and how has that estimate moved since the project launched? What is the snagging process, who inspects on your behalf, and when? Ask to see the same developer's most recently completed scheme — finished work tells you more than any render.