Handover — the appointment with the greatest leverage
Before acceptance you hold something; afterwards you make a request. Knowing that difference changes how you prepare for the day.
After months or years the message arrives that the apartment is ready. The temptation to get it over with quickly is considerable. That is exactly the mistake.
Why the timing matters
As long as you have not accepted, the developer has an interest: they want the matter closed. Afterwards that reverses — rectification becomes effort without return, and you are asking for it rather than making it a condition.
This is why an independent defects inspection before acceptance is not an extra but the actual substance of the appointment. An inspection report documents deviations and defects and forms the basis for rectification. Accept without one and you negotiate afterwards from a markedly weaker position.
One thing matters: the inspection should be done by someone who does not earn on the completion. That is the whole point of “independent”.
If you are not in the country
The most common situation for investors — solvable, but not in passing:
- The defects inspection can be commissioned; the report comes with photographs and a schedule of items.
- Acceptance itself can be done under a power of attorney. But it must expressly cover this act; a power of attorney for the purchase does not necessarily suffice.
- Allow for the deadlines. The gap between announcement and handover date is often shorter than a certification chain takes.
What follows from this
Treat handover as its own process with its own preparation — not as a formality at the end of the purchase. And settle before the first announcement who inspects and who signs.
Different warranty periods apply to the structure and to the building services. The precise periods are in the contract and belong to be checked where everything else is checked: beforehand.
This article is general orientation and does not constitute legal advice. Warranty periods and acceptance procedures follow from the contract and applicable law and must be assessed case by case — I am happy to introduce you to an independent inspection service.
Keep checking
If you want to apply this to a specific plan, I am happy to assess it with you, or you can work through the twelve points before a purchase yourself.
