New-build snagging checklist for Cyprus: what to check, room by room

What should you bring to a snagging inspection?

• The floor plan and the specification from your contract. They say what you were promised.
• A phone with a full battery, for photos and notes.
• Blue painter’s tape, to mark each spot so the builder finds it.
• A torch, a spirit level and a tape measure.
• A marble or a small ball, to see which way a floor falls.
• A phone charger, to try every socket.
• A bucket or a large bottle of water, if the supply is not connected yet.

What do you check on the roof, terraces and balconies?

• Does the surface fall towards the drain, and away from the doors? Pour water and watch.
• Is every drain open, with its grating in place?
• Are the joints between tiles filled? Are the edges and upstands sealed where floor meets wall?
• Do tiles sound hollow when you tap them?
• Is the door threshold higher than the terrace floor?
• Are railings and glass panels tight when you push them?
• On the roof: is the waterproofing layer whole, and are pipes, tanks and solar panels fixed on proper bases, with no holes through the membrane left open?

What do you check at outside doors and windows?

• A full line of silicone between frame and wall, inside and outside.
• Drain holes in the bottom track of sliding doors, open and not painted over.
• Every sash opens, closes and locks without force. Count the keys.
• Scratches on glass and frames. Look against the light.
• Shutters and fly screens run all the way and stay up.

What do you check on floors, walls and ceilings?

• Tap floor tiles in a grid. A hollow sound means the tile is not fully bonded.
• Grout complete, with no gaps or pinholes.
• Cracks: note the place, the direction and the width. Hairlines in plaster are common; a crack you can fit a coin into is not.
• Stains on ceilings and at the top of walls, mainly under terraces and bathrooms.
• Paint: patches, roller marks, splashes on sockets and frames.
• Skirting fixed and sealed, no gaps at corners.

What do you check in the kitchen and the wardrobes?

• Every door and drawer opens fully, closes square and does not rub.
• Worktop joints tight and sealed, the sink sealed all round.
• Appliances as listed in the specification, with manuals and warranty cards.
• Under the sink: dry, with the trap and both valves in place.
• Extractor ducted to the outside, if the specification says so.
• Plinths fitted and gaps to the walls closed.

What do you check in the bathrooms?

• Taps, shower heads and toilets fixed firm. Wobble them.
• Run every tap hot and cold. Fill and empty basins. Flush twice.
• Does the shower floor drain, or does water sit in a corner?
• Silicone at the tray, the screen, the basin and the toilet base.
• Look under the basin and behind the toilet for drips after five minutes.
• The fan runs, or the window opens.

If the water is not connected, write "not tested" against each of these. In our sample house the supply was off, so taps, drains and toilets went on the list as not tested and were left for the re-check (Etimo sample report, July 2026).

What do you check on electrics, hot water and air conditioning?

• Every socket with the charger, every switch, every light.
• The distribution board: labelled circuits, cover on, no loose wires in sight.
• No bare cable ends in ceilings, cupboards or outside.
• Solar water heater: panels and tank fixed, pipes insulated, no drips at the joints. Cyprus had the most solar collector area per person in the EU in 2023 (Energy Minister via CNA, Jun 2025), so expect one on the roof.
• Water pump and tank: run a tap and listen. The pump should start, stop and stay quiet.
• Each air-conditioning unit cools and heats. Find the end of each condensate pipe. It should drip into a drain, not down a wall or onto a balcony floor.

You can see and switch. You cannot test the wiring itself. That takes an electrician.

Which papers should you ask for at the handover?

• The energy performance certificate.
• The certificate of final approval, or the developer’s written timeline for it (Mondaq, checked 7 Oct 2026).
• Warranties and manuals for installed equipment.

How do you write a snag so it gets fixed?

One line per item, and each line answers three questions: where, what, and how the builder will know it is done.

• Weak: "Bathroom silicone bad."
• Strong: "Bathroom 2, shower tray, wall side: silicone missing for 40 cm. Reseal the full length."

Take two photos of each item, one wide to show the room and one close with the tape in view. Number the items. Keep the order you walked. The builder’s crew will walk it the same way.

What does a snag list not prove?

A list records what you could see on the day. Hidden defects, such as leaks inside walls, may show later, often after the first rains. So send one list, agree a date for the fixes with your lawyer before the final payment, and look again after the first winter (When to snag a new build in Cyprus).

This page is part of our snagging series. Start with the main guide (Snagging in Cyprus: the complete guide).

Questions buyers ask

More on new-build and off-plan and related guides

• From permit to title deed: how a new-build in Cyprus gets its papers
• Snagging in Cyprus: how to check a new home before you pay the balance
• When to snag a new build in Cyprus: before handover or after the keys
• Snagging vs building survey in Cyprus: which check does what

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