How to use this checklist
This checklist mirrors the structure of a professional snagging inspection: a systematic pass through each accessible room and every safely accessible element. It is written for Dubai apartments, townhouses and villas, and it works whether you are preparing for handover, checking your home during the defect liability period, or viewing a resale property.
Use it to understand what will be inspected and to follow along with your report. Keep in mind that a professional inspection adds trained eyes, tools such as moisture meters and thermal imaging where included in scope, and a documented, photo-led record you can submit to the developer.
Living areas and bedrooms
In each room, work methodically around walls, ceilings, floors and openings:
- Walls and ceilings: cracks, uneven plaster, paint drips, missed patches and visible stains
- Floors: chipped or hollow-sounding tiles, grout gaps, scratched surfaces, level transitions between rooms
- Doors: smooth opening and closing, aligned frames, working locks, handles and stops
- Windows: smooth operation, intact glazing, seals, locks and any scratches on glass
- Electrical: every socket and switch tested, light fittings working, distribution-board labels present
- Joinery: wardrobes and built-in storage aligned, doors and drawers running smoothly
Kitchen
The kitchen concentrates joinery, plumbing and appliances in one space:
- Cabinets and drawers: alignment, soft-close function, hinges, handles and finish quality
- Worktops: chips, scratches, level joints and neat sealant where surfaces meet walls
- Sink and taps: water pressure, drainage flow, visible pipework and any sign of leaks underneath
- Splashback and tiling: grout lines, cracked or hollow-sounding tiles
- Installed appliances (furnished scope): basic accessible operation where power and water are connected
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are where water-related defects hide — check slowly:
- Sanitary ware: secure toilets, basins and baths with no chips or cracks
- Taps and showers: pressure, hot water, smooth mixer operation and drainage speed
- Sealant and grout: continuous, neat lines around trays, baths, basins and floors
- Tiles: hollow-sounding or cracked areas identified through non-destructive tapping where safe
- Ventilation: extractor fans running, vents unobstructed
- Signs of moisture: staining, swelling or musty smells around fittings and ceilings
Balconies, terraces and external areas
Where access is lawful and safe, external areas deserve the same attention:
- Floor drainage: water should run to drains, not pool against doors or thresholds
- Railings and balustrades: secure, with no sharp edges or loose fixings
- External doors and thresholds: weather seals, smooth tracks and working locks
- External walls and finishes: cracks, staining and render quality
Air-conditioning, plumbing and electrics
The services behind the finishes matter as much as the finishes themselves:
- AC: controls respond, cooling airflow is observable in each served room, no unusual noise or vibration
- Plumbing: taps run clear, drainage is fast, no visible leaks at accessible pipework
- Electrical: sockets and switches work throughout, no scorch marks, distribution board labelled and accessible
Villa extras
Townhouses and villas add safe, accessible external scope: roofing where reachable, boundary walls, gates, gardens, driveways and any included plant areas. The exact external scope is confirmed in your quotation, because access and safety decide what can be inspected on the day.
Why a professional inspection still matters
A checklist helps you look — a professional inspector helps you prove. The difference is documentation: every finding photographed, located and labelled by severity, in a report delivered within 8 hours after the inspection is completed. That is the evidence a developer's team can act on, and it is far harder to set aside than a phone photo and a memory.
A professional inspection is also honest about its limits: it is visual and non-destructive, and some defects are concealed or only appear later. The report records the condition on the day within the agreed scope — which is exactly why getting that record right matters.
