Snagging Surveys in Lurgan

A fresh plot in Lurgan can look finished long before it is right. On schemes such as the Gilford Road releases and Tarry Wood, we still find patchy paint, rough plaster, chipped joinery and untidy sealant lines after handover. Those are the items buyers notice first, but they also tell you how the trades have finished the rest of the job. If the visible work is rushed, the hidden work often needs a closer look too.

We also test the things that affect day-to-day use. Doors that will not latch, windows that do not seal, sockets that sit out of square and fans that do not pull properly turn up on fresh Lurgan homes more often than most buyers expect. A solicitor will not crawl around each opening sash or press every socket tester, and that gap is exactly where a snagging inspection earns its keep. On larger sites like Riverside Mill, different trades can leave the final fit-out looking tidy from a distance and sloppy up close.

Some defects need a louder flag. Missing fire stopping, weak ventilation, poor drainage falls, uneven floors, cracks beyond normal shrinkage and gardens left short of finished levels can all move from a snag into a warranty dispute. That matters in Lurgan because the town has flood history, including August 2008, October 2011 and November 2014, so we look hard at what the water will do around the property, not just what the kitchen door looks like on the day.

• Cosmetic defects such as paint, plaster, scuffs and sealant
• Functional defects such as doors, windows, sockets and fans
• Construction defects such as uneven floors, gaps in skirting and kitchen fitting tolerances
• Regulatory defects such as fire stopping, ventilation and drainage falls

Lurgan is not a blank estate town with no history behind it. The town centre became a Conservation Area in 2004, and there are over 40 listed structures in that core, so older streets around High Street use blackstone, yellow brick dressings and other materials that do not behave like a modern estate house. Lurgan's name, An Lorgain, refers to the ridge the town grew around, and that old shape still shows in the street pattern. That contrast matters because buyers moving from a heritage street into a new home on Gilford Road can expect very different defects.

The pipeline is active. D Gilmore Developments Ltd has plans for 78 new homes southeast of Silverwood Avenue and north of the Belfast-to-Dublin railway line, with 38 detached and 40 semi-detached properties, made up of 40 three-bedroom and 38 four-bedroom homes, plus 74 detached garages and 219 parking spaces. Gilmore Developments Ltd also has approval for 66 dwellings on Silverwood Road, while the lands 100m East of 25 and 27 Silverwood Road include 14 retained residential units and 11 new units, split between 5 detached and 6 semi-detached homes. Choice Housing's £5 million Victoria Street scheme is due to deliver 16 two-bedroom properties by June 2026 in phase 1, then 10 more homes in phase 2, including 8 three-bedroom homes and 2 wheelchair-accessible 2-bedroom bungalows. Kingham Property Specialists Developments is also active at Ballynamoney View, Craigavon, Tarry Wood, Laurelmount Meadows and Woodville Gate.

Flood history matters here too. Lurgan has been identified as an Area of Significant Flood Risk, with notable events in August 2008, October 2011 and November 2014, and flood alleviation work has been focused on Drumnamoe. That is why our inspectors pay close attention to external levels, gulley positions, paved falls and any sign that water will sit against the property on a scheme like Tarry Wood or Laurelmount Meadows. On newer estates, those small groundworks details can be the difference between a clean handover and a long argument with the builder.

• Riverside Mill on Gilford Road
• Silverwood Road approvals
• Victoria Street phase works
• Tarry Wood and Laurelmount Meadows