New homes are constantly being built across the private sale, built to rent, shared ownership and affordable housing sector. Often there is a gap between practical completion and a customer moving in.

This is where we come in. We complete weekly or fortnightly inspections of the property, and if needed, wider communal areas to ensure there are secure, safe and compliant. Our inspection service covers these critical areas:

• Water flush to avoid any problems with legionella from stagnant water

• Full ventilation to minimise the risk of damp and mould

• Checking the heating system to ensure it is set correctly whilst the property is vacant. This will change depending on the season.

• A visual inspection of each room to check for any leaks, major cracks or any other defect issue. If anything is found, this will be reported in straight away

• Check all entry points to ensure they are securely locked

• Checking all communal and external areas for any defect issues.

Often your insurance cover will stipulate the need for a weekly or fortnightly checks of properties while they remain empty. Through our experience, we have seen examples where a major leak has occurred, and insurance claims are invalid because regular inspections were not put in place. A leak gone unnoticed for weeks can have a serious impact on capital costs, delays in customers moving in, and it can sometimes invalidate defect liability cover if a regular inspection regime is not in place.