Before accepting a new home
New-home handover checklist: what Ahmedabad buyers can check themselves
Start with ten visible, easy-to-repeat checks that can reveal unfinished work and questions worth raising before handover.
Reviewed 13 July 2026 · English (India)
Best used when
Getting possession
- Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar buyers approaching a builder handover
- Family members helping with a possession walkthrough
- Owners deciding whether an independent inspection would add value
Prepare first
Four things to arrange before you reach the unit
A useful walkthrough depends more on access and readiness than on carrying specialist tools.
Confirm the correct unit, appointment time and areas you may enter.
Ask for water, power and keys where normal operation checks are permitted.
Carry your phone, the unit plan or finish schedule, and any earlier issue list.
Do not climb, dismantle, open panels or test exposed electrical work.
High-return checks
Ten things worth checking yourself
Use normal operation, record each visible concern clearly and ask for the appropriate next step.
Correct unit and readiness
Confirm the unit number and note rooms, fixtures or finishes that are locked, missing or unfinished.
Ceilings and walls
Look for visible damp patches, peeling, damage, open joints and cracks that deserve a closer review.
Floors and skirtings
Look for chipped finishes, damaged edges, obvious gaps, trip points and unfinished transitions.
Doors
Open, close and latch accessible doors normally. Note rubbing, large gaps, loose hardware or visible damage.
Windows and external openings
Operate accessible windows normally. Check locks, handles, glass, seals and obvious gaps without leaning outside.
Taps, basins and flushes
Use fixtures normally and watch for poor flow, slow drainage or leakage.
Visible plumbing connections
Look below basins and around sanitary fixtures for fresh drips, staining, loose fittings or unfinished sealing.
Fixed cabinets and counters
Operate accessible shutters and drawers normally. Note damage, loose hardware, poor fit and unfinished edges.
Lights and ordinary switches
Operate installed lights and switches normally. Stop at exposed, loose or damaged electrical work.
Balconies and utility areas
From a safe position, look for visible damage, blocked drain openings, incomplete sealing and unfinished edges.
Interpret the result
Turn what happens into the right next action
Looks and works normally
- Record only what matters; you do not need photographs of every ordinary surface.
- Record it as a visual check; concealed condition needs a different method.
Visible issue or poor operation
- Record the room, exact location and what happened in plain words.
- Ask the builder how it will be rectified and how completion will be shown.
Needs later access or professional review
- Stop rather than forcing access or attempting a risky test.
- Mark it unresolved and ask whether an inspector or relevant specialist should review it.
Make the list usable
Record enough context for someone else to find the issue
Start every note with the room or exact location.
Take one wider photograph for context and one closer photograph for detail.
Write what you can see or operate; do not guess a concealed cause.
Mark anything unavailable, inaccessible or untested instead of treating it as passed.
Take it to the walkthrough
Download the printable checklist
Two A4 pages, no signup, with checkboxes and space for notes.
Know where to stop
Clear observations and the right next step
These checks create useful evidence about visible concerns. A professional inspection adds a systematic review and experienced judgement, while structural, concealed-services, waterproofing and legal questions go to the relevant specialist.
- Do not open panels, climb, lean outside or force fittings.
- Do not test exposed or damaged electrical work.
- Use water only where the builder permits it and normal use is unlikely to cause damage.
Reviewed for customer use
Mr. Mahimna Trivedi
Co-founderBE Civil; 14 years of builder and construction experience
Common questions
Answers for this decision
Do I need special tools for this checklist?
No special tools are needed. Your phone, the unit references and safe access are enough to record visible condition and normal operation with useful context.
Should I tap every tile or test every socket?
Focus this walkthrough on visible damage and ordinary operation. Large-area tile assessment and electrical testing need an agreed method, suitable tools and safe conditions.
What can these ten checks reveal?
They can reveal visible symptoms and incomplete work. Concealed construction, intermittent faults and specialist questions can then be recorded for the appropriate professional review.
What should I send the builder?
Send a short location-based list. For each item include the room, what you observed and one or two useful photographs. Keep the dated original and track the response separately.
Property-specific question?
Share the locality, property stage and what you need to decide
Use the guidance freely, then contact BuildInspect when an independent inspection would help.