What should you check before moving into a new house?
Before you move in, check five things: electrical wiring and the DB panel, plumbing and drainage, AC and appliance points, CCTV and security points, and general finishing such as doors, tiles and seepage. Do this at handover, before you accept the keys and before griha pravesam.
A new house looks perfect on the day it is handed over. Problems like a loose wire, a slow drain, a leaking joint behind a wall or a missing AC power point usually show up in the first few weeks, when fixing them means breaking finished walls and paying extra.
This guide is a practical new house handover checklist for homeowners in Coimbatore. You can print it and tick items off as you walk through each room.
When should you do the new house inspection?
Do the main inspection before you take possession, and a second quick check just before griha pravesam. The first one lets the builder fix faults while he is still responsible. The second confirms that the repairs were done properly.
A small kit helps: a phone charger, a plug-in tester, a torch, a bucket or jug, a measuring tape and a marker or sticky notes to tag each problem.
Go in daylight.
Natural light shows cracks, uneven paint and damp patches clearly.
Go with the power and water on.
Many faults only show when switches, taps and pumps are working.
Take time.
A careful inspection of a full house takes several hours, not a quick walk-through.
Bring a helper.
One person checks inside while another watches the meter, tank or outdoor unit.
Photograph every fault.
Note the room and the date so you can send it to the builder in writing.
Electrical checklist for a new house
A new house wiring check should confirm that every point works, every circuit is protected and the system is earthed. Electrical faults are the most dangerous problems to miss, so spend the most time here.
Distribution board (DB) and wiring
- DB panel has MCBs for each circuit (lights, fans, sockets, AC, geyser, kitchen).
- An ELCB or RCCB is fitted to protect against shock.
- Each MCB is labelled, so you know which room or load it controls.
- Switch off and on each MCB and confirm that the right circuit goes off.
- The panel is neat, closed and out of reach of water and children.
- Ask the builder or electrician which wire sizes were used for AC, geyser and kitchen circuits.
Earthing
- Ask where the earth pit is and how many earth connections exist.
- Use a socket tester on every 3-pin socket to confirm correct earth connection.
- Heavy appliances (geyser, washing machine, fridge, AC) must be on earthed sockets.
Switches, sockets and fittings
- Test every switch, socket, fan point and light point in every room.
- Plug in a phone charger to confirm each socket really delivers power.
- Check that fans run smoothly with the regulator and do not wobble.
- Confirm that switches and plates are firmly fixed, with no loose or hot parts.
- Check bathroom and kitchen points are placed away from water splashes and are of a suitable type.
Meter and load
- The meter is installed, the connection is in your name and the sanctioned load matches your needs.
- Run several appliances together and check that no MCB trips unexpectedly.
For safe wiring, planning or testing, see our residential wiring and installations and panel and circuit breaker services pages. If an MCB keeps tripping after handover, read our guide on why MCBs trip.
Plumbing checklist: how to test a new house for leaks
To test a new house for water leaks, run every tap, shower and flush, then look for drips, damp patches and slow drains. Hidden pipe leaks are expensive to repair once walls and floors are finished, so test everything before you move in.
Taps, showers and fittings
- Open every tap, hot and cold, and check flow and pressure.
- Check that hot and cold are not reversed on mixers and showers.
- Look under every basin and sink for drips around joints and connectors.
- Flush every toilet several times and check the cistern refills and stops properly.
- Make sure there is no water running continuously after you close the taps.
Drainage
- Pour a bucket of water into each floor drain and basin and confirm it drains quickly.
- Check the floor slopes toward the drain in bathrooms, wash areas and balconies.
- Look for bad smells, gurgling sounds or water coming back up.
- Ask where the inspection chambers and the septic or sewer connection are.
Tanks, pumps and heaters
- Check that the overhead tank and sump are clean, covered and not leaking.
- Run the pump and check that water reaches the top floor taps with good pressure.
- Check float valves or level controls to prevent overflow.
- Test the water heater (geyser) points, plus the safety valve and its earthing.
The meter test for hidden leaks
- Switch off every tap and appliance in the house.
- Note the water meter reading, if one is installed, or watch the tank level.
- Wait an hour and check again.
- If the reading or level changed, a pipe may be leaking somewhere.
Also look at ceilings and walls below bathrooms for stains, because seepage often shows there first. Our leak detection and pipe repair, bathroom and kitchen plumbing and water tank and pump installation services cover these jobs.
Is your new house ready for AC installation?
A house is ready for AC when each room has a dedicated power point, a drain route for condensate water and a safe place for the outdoor unit. Fixing these after the walls are painted means cutting and patching, so confirm them now, even if you will buy the AC later.
- Every room that will have an AC has a separate, dedicated power point near the indoor unit position.
- That point is on its own MCB, not shared with lights or other sockets.
- A drain pipe route exists, sloping downward, so condensate water does not drip on walls or neighbours.
- The outdoor unit has a safe, ventilated spot with room for service access, such as a balcony ledge, a sunshade or a wall bracket.
- Copper piping can run between indoor and outdoor units without long, bent routes.
- The wall where the indoor unit will hang is strong enough and not too close to the ceiling or a beam.
- Provision for a stabiliser or additional power capacity is considered if you plan several ACs.
If pipe and drain provisions were not planned during construction, tell your installer before work begins. Our AC installation and uninstallation team can check the site and suggest the neatest routing.
CCTV and security checklist for a new home
Plan CCTV before the walls are painted, because hidden cable conduits are far neater than wires stuck on the outside. Even if you install cameras later, ask for conduit and power points at the key locations now.
- Conduit or a cable route exists from each camera position to one central spot.
- A power point is available near each outdoor camera, or near the central power supply.
- The recorder (DVR or NVR) location is dry, ventilated, lockable and close to a power point and your internet router.
- Internet and Wi-Fi coverage reaches the recorder, so you can view cameras on your phone.
- Outdoor lights are fitted at the gate and entrances, which also help night footage.
- The doorbell or intercom point is working.
- Main door locks, window latches and grills close firmly and align properly.
If you are unsure which recorder suits your house, read our comparison of DVR and NVR systems. Our new CCTV installation and remote monitoring setup services help you plan cameras that match the layout of your house.
General finishing checks: doors, windows, tiles and seepage
Walk each room slowly and check finishing quality with your eyes and your hands. Many small defects are cheap to fix at handover and annoying to fix later.
Doors and windows
Open and close smoothly, lock properly and have no gaps or scratches.
Floors and tiles
Tap tiles to find hollow sounds, check for cracks, uneven joints and tiles that sit higher than their neighbours.
Walls and ceilings
Look for cracks, damp patches, peeling paint, uneven plaster and stains, especially under bathrooms and on the top floor.
Kitchen and bathrooms
Platform slope, cabinet fittings, tile joints and silicone sealing around basins and bathtubs.
Balconies and railings
Firm, level and safe.
Compound and gate
Gate swings freely, boundary wall is complete and rainwater drains away from the house.
Cleanliness
Construction waste removed from the sump, tank, drains and terrace.
Mark every defect with a sticky note and a photo, then send the list to the builder in writing and ask for a date by which each item will be fixed.
Which documents should you collect at handover?
Collect the drawings, warranty cards and approvals for the house before you sign the handover papers. You will need them for repairs, resale, bank loans and future renovation. Exact requirements vary by builder and local authority, so confirm the list with your builder or lawyer.
- Electrical layout and wiring plan, showing conduit routes and DB circuits
- Plumbing and drainage layout, showing pipe routes and inspection chambers
- Warranty cards and invoices for fittings, taps, sanitaryware, switches, MCBs, the geyser and the pump
- Waterproofing guarantee, if given
- Completion or occupancy certificate and other approvals from the local authority, if applicable
- Electricity connection and meter details
- Water and drainage connection details
- Spare keys, remotes, and a list of everything handed over
Keep copies of all of these in a single folder, on paper and as phone photos or scans.
Common handover mistakes, and when to call a professional
The most common mistake is accepting the keys first and checking later. Once you take possession or hold griha pravesam, it gets harder to ask a builder to fix defects. Other frequent mistakes are:
- Checking only the visible finish and not testing switches, taps and drains
- Skipping the leak and drainage tests because the house looks clean
- Not asking for electrical and plumbing layouts, which makes future repairs guesswork
- Forgetting AC, CCTV and inverter provisions until the walls are painted
- Giving the builder verbal complaints instead of a dated written list