Snagging surveys in Inverness

New-build homes in Inverness often need more attention than buyers expect, especially on plots in IV2 where timber-frame construction is common and finishing trades are working to a tight handover programme. Our inspectors routinely find paint runs, plaster ripples, scuffed skirting, and other cosmetic defects that stand out once you start opening doors and looking along walls. On a house at Milton of Leys, IV2 6GU, that can also mean minor but irritating issues such as ill-fitting doors, windows that do not seal properly, or sockets that are not set square.

A solicitor checks title, searches and contract papers. A snagger checks the home. That difference matters at places like Westhill, IV2 5DB, where a kitchen can pass an initial show-home glance but still have poor fitting tolerances, incomplete sealant around worktops, or a hob cut-out that needs correction. Our reports also catch items that are easy to miss once furniture starts going in, such as plumbing weeps under sinks, electrical faults, and garden levels that do not match the finish described for the plot.

We also separate out the defects that need urgent attention, not just a cosmetic repair. In Inverness, where the River Ness and its tributaries bring flood risk to some low-lying areas and clay-rich ground can create a moderate shrink-swell risk, we look closely at drainage falls, external thresholds, ventilation, and signs of movement beyond ordinary shrinkage. Missing fire-stopping, undersized ventilation, and uneven floor levels are not small issues. They need a proper fix, particularly on a new home in The Maples, IV2 7GD, where the warranty clock is already running.

• Cosmetic defects such as paint, plaster and scuffs
• Functional defects such as doors, windows and sockets
• Construction defects such as kitchens, floors and sealant
• Regulatory defects such as fire stopping, ventilation and drainage

Much of the new-build stock around Inverness is timber-frame, with external finishes in render, brick, or timber cladding and slate roofs appearing across modern estates. That construction method can work very well, but it also means we pay close attention to movement joints, plasterboard fixings, door linings and the way service penetrations have been sealed. On a plot in Milton of Leys, IV2 6GU, the same house can look finished from the pavement and still need several rounds of correction once the internal trims are checked properly.

The ground conditions matter too. Inverness sits on a varied mix of glacial till, alluvium and bedrock, and clay-rich deposits in river valleys can create a moderate shrink-swell risk. Add flood risk from the River Ness, surface water issues in heavier rain, and coastal flooding pressure closer to the Beauly Firth, and the job becomes more than a quick cosmetic check. We look for drainage falls, threshold details, damp marks, and early signs of cracking that do not match normal settlement.

The city also has a strong contrast between older and newer housing. Inverness city centre, Crown and Old Town contain many listed buildings and conservation areas, while the newer estates at Westhill, High Burnside and The Maples are built to a different standard and pace. Springield Properties, Barratt Homes, Tulloch Homes and Persimmon Homes are all active locally, and the same volume-builder defect pattern often appears: paint, plaster, joinery, sealant, ventilation and external finishes. We see enough of these homes to know that a tidy sales office does not mean a defect-free plot.

• Timber-frame walls and service penetrations
• Clay-rich ground and shrink-swell movement
• River Ness flood risk and surface water drainage
• City centre conservation areas and older sandstone stock