Snagging Survey in Londonderry

Our inspectors look far beyond fresh paint. In Londonderry, that matters on homes near Glenshane Road, Drumahoe Road and Church Road, because small finish issues often sit under a neat show-home look. Cosmetic defects are the easy ones to spot, but they are still worth recording properly, since a patchy plaster repair or a scuffed door leaf at Beech Hill View can become an argument later if it is not logged on day one.

Functional faults come next, and they are the ones buyers often miss on their own walk-through. Doors can fail to latch, windows can sit out of line, sockets can be fitted unevenly, and kitchen units can be loose or out of tolerance. On windy or wet sites around BT47 and BT48, our inspectors also check sealant, glazing, drainage falls and external levels, because a tiny gap at a frame edge can turn into a leak or a draught once the weather turns.

We also look for construction and regulatory defects that a buyer's solicitor would not pick up. That includes fire-stopping, ventilation, cavity tray details, missing insulation, poor roof tile alignment and cracks that go beyond normal shrinkage. Derry has seen concern about defective concrete blocks in the wider area, so our reports pay close attention to crack patterns, lintels and wall movement rather than brushing them off as decoration issues.

• Paint and plaster defects
• Doors not closing or latching
• Windows not sealing or locking properly
• Missing sealant, drainage issues and uneven finishes

The local pipeline is busy, and the type of build changes from one site to the next. Our research picked up 9 active or planned schemes, including Braidwater Homes at Church Road in Altnagelvin, where there are 6 new single-storey bungalows at BT47 3QQ, plus The Cashel, which has been announced as a major mixed-use project with over 3,000 homes and a phase 1 target of 800. Springtown Road has also had reserved matters approved in March 2026 for 259 affordable homes and a community centre, while Upper Galliagh Road was approved in the same month for 480 residential units, 7 retail units and 2 office blocks. That volume of work means snagging standards can vary from plot to plot.

The structure of the home matters as much as the postcode. Traditional block cavity construction with concrete ground floors is common in the region, but timber frame and modular methods are also in use through firms such as FastHouse in Limavady, Quinn Offsite and ModCon. That mix changes the snag profile. On masonry homes we spend more time on blockwork, cavity trays, pointing and roof details. On timber frame plots we watch for plaster cracks, racking, airtightness faults and poor junctions around windows and service penetrations.

Flooding and damp also shape what we look for. Derry/Londonderry ranks second in Northern Ireland for flood risk exposure, with estimated annual damages of £5.56 million, and the city region is split into West Foyle, East Foyle, Faughan and Eglinton catchments. That means our inspectors take drainage falls, air bricks, external ground levels and wet-room sealing seriously, especially near the River Faughan around Drumahoe and Claudy. We also factor in the city's Historic City and Clarendon Street Conservation Areas, plus the 675 Listed Buildings across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, because detailing and finishes often need more care in sensitive locations.

• Flood exposure around the Foyle and its catchments
• Traditional block cavity builds, timber frame and modular plots
• Historic City and Clarendon Street Conservation Areas
• 675 Listed Buildings across the council area