Opportunities for defect reporting in new residential buildings: A case for New Zealand

When new homes are purchased, homeowners expect their new homes to be problem free until such a time that normal wear and tear begins to occur. Unfortunately this is not generally the case, since the majority of new build homes have been found to contain significant numbers of defects. The quality of finished construction products is therefore a main issue for concern to developers, approving authorities, end-users and the construction industry at large. Survey data obtained from recent home purchasers/owners is presented as part of a preliminary investigation into developers quality performance in New Zealand. The intent is to show that opportunities exist for snagging/defect reporting that will act as a mechanism to measure performance and thus improve the quality of finished construction products in New Zealand. This research is exploratory in nature and uses simple descriptive and interpretive analyses. The study concludes that there are benefits to defect reporting in new build homes in New Zealand which could be embraced as part of a wider best practice initiative. Defect reporting in residential properties before or after handover will enable developers to rectify potential defects before they become burdens for homeowners. Ultimately this research aims to increase the confidence that new homeowners can have in their developers and the quality of their new homes.