NEW-BUILD SNAGGING AND DEFECTS NOTICE
Important jurisdiction and formalities warning
This fictional notice is a worked example, not legal advice and not a universally effective claim or admission about construction liability. For a home in England and Wales, rights may arise from the sale contract, consumer legislation, building regulations, a warranty provider’s scheme, negligence or other law, and deadlines and notice methods differ. A developer may require its own portal or form, and urgent safety issues may need immediate specialist or public-authority attention. Obtain an independent survey and legal advice before signing a settlement, waiving a claim or carrying out work that could affect evidence.
Date and parties
21 October 2026
To: Riverside Homes (North) Limited, Customer Care Department, 60 Quayside Park, York YO10 4FD
Copy to: Hearthstone New Homes Warranty Services, reference HN-60419
From: Amelia Ruth Seddon and Lewis Peter Seddon, 8 Alder Mews, Millbrook, York YO23 1QH
Property: 8 Alder Mews, Millbrook, York YO23 1QH Completion date: 29 July 2026 Developer plot: M-17
1. Purpose of this notice
We give formal written notice of defects and incomplete items identified at the property after completion. This list is based on our observations and the inspection by Nadia Farouk MRICS of Farouk Residential Surveying, whose preliminary report is dated 16 October 2026. We ask Riverside Homes to acknowledge the notice, investigate each item, provide a written programme and complete appropriate remedial work without avoidable delay. This notice supplements, and does not replace, any notice required by the sale contract, warranty policy or applicable law.
We moved into the property on 30 July 2026. We have used it carefully as an ordinary family home. We have not altered the structure, plumbing, wiring, windows, roof or heating installation. We have taken photographs dated between 31 July and 20 October and can provide them through a secure upload link.
2. External and structural observations
Water enters the rear bedroom around the lower right corner of the first-floor window during wind-driven rain. The internal plaster was damp on 7 October and the paint has blistered over an area approximately 420 millimetres wide. The external sill appears to slope toward the frame rather than away from it. Please inspect the seal, sill, cavity tray and surrounding masonry and test the repair during suitable weather.
The paved path from the front gate to the entrance has a loose slab and a depression approximately 18 millimetres deep. The loose slab moved under ordinary foot pressure on 12 October. We request a safe temporary measure immediately and a permanent relaying of the affected area. The rear patio also directs water toward the back door after rain; no claim is made about the precise cause until the levels and drainage have been inspected.
The loft hatch is not securely fastened and the insulation is incomplete beside the water tank. We have not entered the roof void other than from the hatch opening. Please arrange a competent inspection of the insulation, ventilation, fire separation and any accessible roof timbers, and provide the relevant completion or compliance information.
3. Internal, service and finishing defects
The heating system loses pressure from approximately 1.5 bar to 0.6 bar within four days. The boiler display showed error code E118 on 4 and 15 October. We switched the system off when the pressure fell and have not removed any casing. Please arrange a qualified heating engineer and confirm whether the system is safe to operate.
The consumer unit’s circuit marked “Kitchen sockets” tripped twice on 9 October when the kettle and toaster were used separately. The kitchen extractor fan also stops after approximately three minutes. We request inspection and testing by a suitably qualified electrician, together with any electrical installation documents that should have been supplied.
The bathroom shower screen leaks at its lower hinge. The leak has stained the silicone bead and dampened the skirting board. The upstairs toilet cistern continues to run after flushing. In the kitchen, the integrated dishwasher door catches on the plinth, and two cabinet doors are misaligned by approximately 6 millimetres. The living-room window handle is loose, and the left-hand sash does not fully close without force.
Paint is flaking around the stair stringer, three internal doors rub against their frames, and the hallway flooring has a raised joint approximately 1.2 metres long. We request that repairs match the surrounding finish and that any replacement materials are suitable and properly installed, rather than simply painted over.
4. Health, safety and access
The boiler fault, electrical tripping, water penetration, loose path slab and incomplete loft insulation may involve safety or consequential-damage risks. Please confirm within five working days whether an urgent visit is required. We will permit reasonable access on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. with at least 48 hours’ notice, except for a genuine emergency. Please identify contractors before arrival and protect floors, furniture and personal belongings.
We ask Riverside Homes to provide a written response by 28 October 2026, a proposed inspection date by 4 November 2026, and a programme for completed work by 11 November 2026. We will keep a record of appointments and permit a reasonable opportunity to inspect before appointing others, except where urgent safety or damage prevention requires immediate action.
5. Reservation of rights
Nothing in this notice accepts that the defects are minor, waives a contractual or statutory right, limits a warranty claim, or agrees that Riverside Homes may select an unsuitable remedy. We reserve all rights concerning consequential damage, reasonable alternative accommodation, professional inspection costs, delay and any other remedy available under the governing documents and applicable law. We will notify you if a new defect appears.
Please acknowledge receipt and send correspondence to both owners at the address above and to amelia.seddon@example.test. We hope the matters can be resolved promptly and cooperatively.
Yours faithfully,
Amelia Ruth Seddon
Signature: ____________________ Date: 21 October 2026
Lewis Peter Seddon
Signature: ____________________ Date: 21 October 2026