For new build buyers · England & Wales
Your new build, held to account
Completion dates that slip, snag lists that get ignored, a two-year warranty on a timer. HouseChapter expects all of it: honest delay-aware predictions, a photo-evidenced snagging log, and chase letters that cite your actual rights.
Chapter 5 of 6 · Settle In
Plot 47 · snagging log
Live example- ✓Paint run, bedroom 2: logged
- ✓Sticking door, kitchen: logged
- ✓Dripping tap, en-suite: logged
- ✓Photos fingerprinted as evidence
- ✓Chase letter generated
Two-year warranty
612 days left to report
Ombudsman escalation included when they drag
Honest completion predictions
Our tracker adds 56 to 182 days for new builds, because that's reality. Plan your mortgage offer, notice periods and removals around a truthful range, not the sales office's optimism.
The snagging log
Walk each room, photograph every defect, rate its severity. Your list stays organised, timestamped and stored in a private vault, ready for the developer, an inspector or the Ombudsman.
Developer-grade PDF report
Export a branded, photo-evidenced snagging report as a PDF: timestamped, SHA-256 fingerprinted from your vault, with summary stats and warranty status. The kind of document your builder's customer care team takes seriously.
The two-year warranty countdown
Your builder must fix defects reported in writing within two years of completion. The clock is on your dashboard, and it turns red when the window is closing.
Chase letters with teeth
One tidy letter listing every outstanding snag by room, citing the warranty, requesting a response within 14 days, and escalating to your warranty provider and the New Homes Ombudsman if ignored.
The typical value of defects a professional inspection finds is waiting on its source entry in the claims register.
Whatever an inspection finds is fixable at the developer's cost when you report it in time. The paper trail is everything.
Use it however you prefer
Some people want an app that tracks everything live. Others want a document they can print, email, or hand to someone. HouseChapter works both ways.
Online
Use the app
Log snags with your phone camera, track the warranty countdown live, generate chase letters, and share your snagging log with your inspector or conveyancer. Free to start.
Start free in the appOffline
Get the PDF packs
Download printable checklists, guides, and templates. The snagging report exports a branded PDF with photos, timestamps, and evidential fingerprinting. Print it, email it, or post it.
Browse PDF packsNew build buyers ask us
How long can a new build completion be delayed?
Realistically, months. Our prediction engine adds 56 to 182 days for new builds because that's what the data shows, and we'd rather tell you an honest range than a hopeful date. Track your mortgage offer expiry against it: offers usually last 3 to 6 months and re-applying after a slip costs real money.
What is snagging and when should I do it?
Snagging is finding and reporting your new home's defects: paint runs, sticking doors, dripping taps and worse. Your builder must fix defects reported in writing within the two-year warranty period, so walk the house systematically in the first weeks and log everything with photos.
Do I still need a professional snagging inspection?
They're worth considering: a professional inspector finds defects you walk past, and everything found within the warranty window is fixable at the developer's cost. HouseChapter complements it rather than replacing it: your log keeps every defect (yours and the inspector's) organised, evidenced and chased until fixed.
What if the developer ignores my snag list?
Report in writing, keep the evidence, and escalate. HouseChapter generates a chase letter that cites the two-year builder warranty, sets a response deadline, and escalates to your warranty provider and the New Homes Ombudsman if things drag.