Guides
How to run a renovation handover properly
Handover is a stage of the work, not the end of it, and the snag list is the tool that makes it finish properly.
A snag list is only useful if it is specific. "Tiling needs attention" is not a snag; "two hollow tiles beside the shower waste" is. The difference matters because the second can be found, fixed and checked, while the first becomes a discussion about whether anything was ever agreed.
Decision guides set out how to judge a quote, a programme or a contractor fairly, so the comparison is made on like-for-like information.
The second requirement is order. Walking the job room by room with the drawings in hand, recording as you go and agreeing priorities on the spot turns a list of complaints into a work plan. Everything cosmetic can follow the items that affect function — water, power, drainage, doors and locks and anything that could cause damage.
What matters most on this page
Walk it room by room
A structured walk finds more than a general look, and it produces a list that can be scheduled rather than a feeling that something is off.
Record location and description
Room, element and what is wrong. Photographs plus a sentence make each item actionable.
Separate function from finish
Water, drainage, power and safety first; paint and sealant last. Priority makes the close-out plan obvious.
What else belongs at handover
Services left on and demonstrated
Every circuit, isolating valve, appliance connection and drain should be shown and tested with you present.
Materials and spares handed over
Spare tiles, paint and any keys or access equipment. Keeping them makes every later repair easier.
A date for the close-out
Agree when the list will be closed and how it will be verified, before the final payment is released.
A handover that closes out
Fix the walkthrough date in advance
Everyone who can answer for the work should be present, not reachable by phone.
Write the list once, in one place
One document, dated, with items added and signed off as they are completed.
Verify before the retention is released
Check the items yourself, or with whoever is holding the retention, before the money moves.
Questions we are often asked
How long should snagging take?
The walkthrough itself is short. Closing the list takes as long as the items take, which is why the retention exists.
What if new problems appear after handover?
Record them the same way, with dates and photographs. A written record is what makes a later conversation solvable.
Should the final payment be held past snagging?
Yes. Retaining a stated sum until the list is closed is the simplest structure and the most common.
Related guides
- Living at home during a renovationAnother decision worth settling at the same stage.
- What to prepare before a renovation surveyAnother decision worth settling at the same stage.
- Planning a renovation budgetAnother decision worth settling at the same stage.
- Villa renovation costThe next question people ask about the same work.
browse the guides, or see all renovation and fit-out services. We work on homes and commercial premises across Dubai.
Tell us about the property
Tell us what you are deciding between and what you have been given so far. We will tell you what is worth checking next.
Phone
+971 56 181 0106Good for talking a job through and arranging a visit.
WhatsApp
Send a messageUseful for photographs, floor plans and measurements.
Next step
Agree how handover will work
Ask us how we record snags, who attends the walkthrough and what has to be verified before the last payment.