The step too many people skip, and regret
A flat handover inspection (驗樓) is the cheapest insurance in a renovation, and the one most people rush past on the way to picking tiles. The logic is simple: inspect before you renovate, because any defect you miss gets sealed under the new work and becomes far more expensive to fix once the walls are closed. Whether the keys are to a brand-new flat or a second-hand one, an hour with a torch and a notebook changes what you build and what you budget.
Why it matters more than it looks
- New flat: defects logged within the developer’s defects-liability period are the developer’s to fix. Photograph and log water marks, hairline cracks, sticky doors and window seals before you build over them, and don’t cover a suspect waterproofing junction until the repair window closes or the fix is signed off.
- Second-hand flat: there’s no developer to call back. Older plumbing and wiring may need renewing, finishes may be near the end of their life, and a previous owner’s problems surface. Everything you find feeds straight into the renovation scope.
The DIY inspection kit
A torch, a spirit level, a plug tester, a tape and a notebook cover most of it. A professional building inspector finds what a layperson misses, hollow tiles, hidden damp, subtle structural concerns, so many owners do both: a DIY walk-through, then a professional check on anything doubtful.
What to check, room by room
| Area | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Walls & ceilings | Cracks, damp patches, water stains, uneven plaster, past-leak signs, focus on corners, around windows, and below any wet area above |
| Floors | Level (use the spirit level); tap the tiles, a hollow sound means poor adhesion and future lifting; note chips, lippage and slope |
| Windows | Open and close each one; check seals, cracked glass, damaged frames, water marks below |
| Water | Run every tap; flush every WC; confirm drainage flows without pooling; check under sinks and around wet areas for damp |
| Electrics | Test sockets with a plug tester; check the consumer unit; confirm switches work (Hong Kong runs on 220V) |
Timing
Inspect as soon as you have access and before any renovation begins, so the findings can shape the design and budget. For a new flat, fit it inside the defects-liability window and document promptly. Then bring the list to your first design consultation, it’s exactly the information a tailored quote needs.
How Primeworks handles this
We’d rather you walk into design already knowing your flat’s true condition, because it makes the scope honest and the budget realistic from day one. A hollow-tile finding decides whether we can overlay a new floor or need to hack it; a damp corner changes the waterproofing scope. Bring your inspection notes to the consultation and we’ll build the quote around what the flat actually needs, not around assumptions.