How to check the construction quality of your new home?

There are a million things that might define success and give satisfaction. One of the major milestones is owning a house. There is nothing that comes close to the feeling of buying a new home.  Buying a house is a huge step that involves a significant investment of time and resources.

About 80% of the people miss out on confirming the quality check. Also, according to a poll, about 18% of Indian home buyers know how to conduct due diligence. However, it becomes extremely important to keep a check on the quality of the construction.

Construction quality checklist

We have listed a few steps that you could use to run a construction quality check

1. Quality of building materials

To begin with, always reconfirm the quality of the building materials. This should include everything that you or your contractor must have ordered. Do not blindly trust any brands, rather, always approach standard vendors while buying the materials. Always make sure that the quality is not compromised!

2. Grade of land being used

Another important thing to remember is to thoroughly check the land on which construction is going to be built. In case you plan on purchasing a plot and constructing your own house, make sure that the soil is of the appropriate type. Avoid building on clay-rich soil. Clay-rich soils change in accordance with humidity. This causes the land to slip and construction to weaken. While checking the land, you must also check the water-retaining capacity.

3. Get your structure right

Needless to say, the structure of the building also needs to be firm technically. It is not expected from everyone to understand the know-how and hence, consulting an expert will be the best option. The height, width, and length ratio play a very important role.

Before you start building your own house, make sure to get the construction plan approved by all the relevant authorities. While your plan is being designed, make sure that construction rules and regulations are followed thoroughly to avoid future mishaps.

4. Determining the quality of cement and thickness of walls

The load-bearing capacity of the tower depends majorly on the strength of the concrete mix used. Ready-mix concrete is available in the market. It consists of sand and concrete in an optimum and predetermined ratio. Developers should ensure that they use the best quality concrete mix. The quality of concrete used can be determined by driving a nail into the wall. In case your nail gets stuck easily without any effort or peels off the cement, it means that the concrete quality is not up to the mark. 

Once the plan is approved and raw materials are assembled and ready to use, the base starts building. Now, as the structure starts developing, the next step that you should take should be to check the thickness of the walls. You can actually use your knuckles to lightly knock on the walls and check their hollowness and understand if the material used is of apt quality.

5. Checking the quality of paint

Now, once the walls are built, the most vibrant part of construction – painting begins. This is when your new dream home comes alive with colors. Make sure that the paint used is produced by an authentic organization. Check the plastering of the walls as well. Make sure that the painters use waterproof materials. This increases the longevity of the paint and plaster. Check the paint alignment too. During the night, the light should reflect equally through walls.

6. Checking on materials used in the bathroom and kitchen

Watch out for leakages and patches in the room too. It also becomes extremely necessary to explore the tiles used in the kitchen and bathroom. They need to be easy to clean. These tiles should not become slippery when they get wet. Check the alignment of the floor and the slopes. In the kitchen and washrooms, the slopes should be at a relevant angle so that the water can easily drain.

7. Power and fire safety

Eventually, it will be time to light up your house! This is when you should be extra careful. Check all the electrical fittings religiously. Also, look for faults if any to avoid short-circuits. If your new home is an apartment or has an elevator present, you should test the elevator. This shall act as a precaution so that there are no breakdowns in the future.

Ensure that fire extinguishers are installed all around the building or at the relevant places in your bungalow. These extinguishers need to be extremely handy. During the fire breakout, they should be easily visible. Safety should always be given the first priority.

These are the most essential things that you can keep a checklist of while your new home is in the building stage. As we know, precautions are better than cures! It is also essential to remember that Section 14 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, states the developer’s responsibility to rectify any structural defects, within a period of five years.