Snagging - the very name is enough to put you off. No one likes having to deal with problems or hitches. But for anyone who buys a newly built or converted property, the S-word can be crucial. Do it right and you could save yourself thousands of pounds. Do it wrong and you could end up with a problem property.
Ask Derek Charlton. He and his wife Susie had exchanged contracts on a new four-bedroom house in Peebles, near Edinburgh, and were waiting to move in. 'The house was part of a small luxury estate and, as we needed a bigger place with a garden for us and our growing family, it was just what we were looking for,' says Charlton. Just before they completed on the £240,000 home, the couple's solicitor advised them to 'snag' the property.
