A Checklist for Your Site Handover Day

Handover day is the last milestone of home construction in Mysuru, and it deserves the same attention you gave the foundation. After months of watching walls rise, it is tempting to collect the keys, thank the team and move straight to the housewarming. Resist that urge for a few hours. What you check and record on this day becomes the baseline for your warranty, your maintenance and even a future resale.

Think of handover as a structured inspection plus a paperwork exchange, not a ceremony. You are confirming that the house matches the written specification you signed, that every system works, and that every document, key and warranty card has moved from the builder’s file to yours. Here is a practical checklist you can print and carry to site.

If you are still earlier in your journey, our home construction guides for Mysuru cover the stages that come before this one. Read on for the day itself.

Before the day: fix the ground rules

A good handover starts a week or two early. Agree these points with your builder in advance.

• Fix a date and a generous time window. A proper walkthrough takes two to four hours.
• Ask for daylight. Morning light shows up paint patchiness, tile lipping and uneven plaster that tube lights hide.
• Request that power and water be live. You cannot test taps, geysers, pumps or switches in a dead house.
• Ask that the site engineer who ran your project attends, so questions get answered on the spot.
• Carry your copy of the written specification and approved drawings. At Uniq Builders every package is built to a written specification shared during consultation, and handover is where you check the finished house against it line by line.
• Bring a socket tester or small plug-in appliance, a marble for floor slopes, painter’s tape for marking snags, and a notebook.

The walkthrough: what to check, room by room

Work through the house in one direction so nothing is skipped, running the same loop in each room: floor, walls, ceiling, openings, electrical, fittings.

• Floors: look along the tile or granite surface at a low angle for lipping, hollow-sounding tiles, cracked corners and stained grout. Roll your marble in bathrooms and utility areas; it should drift towards the drain, not away from it.
• Walls and ceilings: check for cracks, patchy paint, damp marks and uneven plaster, especially around windows and near bathroom walls.
• Doors and windows: open and close every single one. Locks, latches, stoppers and handles should work, shutters should not scrape the frame, and window drains should be clear.
• Electrical: test every switch, socket and regulator with your plug-in tester. Confirm the distribution board is labelled, the earthing point exists, and fans run without wobble.
• Plumbing: open every tap fully and watch pressure. Flush every toilet twice, fill and drain sinks, check under counters for slow leaks, and confirm hot water reaches the farthest bathroom.
• Bathrooms and kitchen: fixtures should match the brands and models in your specification, silicone sealing should be neat, and exhaust points should work.
• Terrace and exterior: inspect the waterproofing surface, roof drain outlets, overhead tank supports, external paint and plinth protection.
• Staircase: railings rigid, treads even, light points working.

Mark every defect with tape and photograph it. Do not accept “we will sort it later” verbally; every item goes on a written snag list.

The snag list: put it in writing

The snag list is the single most important output of handover day. List each defect with its location, a short description and a photo reference. Both you and the builder’s representative sign it, and you agree a date by which the items will be closed.

Two habits make this list work harder. First, separate defects from change requests: a scratched switch plate is a defect, while a new extra socket is new work, and mixing the two slows both down. Second, ask for closed items to be demonstrated in a short follow-up visit rather than over the phone.

This is also where the builder’s after-sales terms matter. Every Uniq Builders package carries a workmanship warranty and one year of free service after handover, so the snag list flows naturally into that service window instead of becoming an argument. When you compare builders, ask how they handle this stage; our note on residential construction explains how the in-house engineers, architects and craftsmen stay accountable for the finished work.

Documents, keys and closures to collect

The house is only half the handover. The file is the other half. Collect, and tick off, the following.

• Approved sanctioned plan and the as-built drawings for all floors
• Completion-related papers and khata documents as applicable to your property
• Electricity, water and sewage connection papers in your name
• Soil test report and structural design documents for your records
• Warranty cards and invoices for the geyser, pump, motor, chimney and other appliances
• Paint shade codes, tile and sanitaryware model numbers for future repairs
• Final account statement showing payments made and any balance
• Every key, labelled: main door, all internal doors, wardrobes, terrace, gate, letter box and meter box, plus duplicates

Under every Uniq Builders package, plan sanction, khata and licences, and the power, water and sewage connections are handled by the company, with statutory fees paid directly by you, and free assistance for government licensing work is included. Handover day is the natural point to confirm this file is complete and in your hands. The inclusions are set out on our packages page, with starting rates from ₹1,999 per sq ft; terms and conditions apply.

Once the snag list is signed and the file is complete, take the keys, note your meter readings, and enjoy the moment.

If you want a builder who treats handover as seriously as the foundation, book a free site visit and consultation or call +91 98449 93200. Uniq Builders has been working since 2009 from Vani Vilas Mohalla, Mysuru, with 200+ projects across six cities.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a handover inspection take?

Set aside two to four hours for a typical independent house, in daylight with power and water live. Rushing the walkthrough is the most common handover mistake, because defects missed on the day are harder to raise later. If needed, split it into a walkthrough visit and a shorter document visit.

What if defects are found on handover day?

That is normal and expected; the purpose of the day is to find them. Record each one on a written snag list with photos, have both sides sign it, and agree a closure date. With Uniq Builders, the workmanship warranty and one year of free service after handover cover this follow-up work.

Which documents matter most at handover?

Prioritise the sanctioned plan, khata and licence papers, utility connection documents, the structural design with soil test report, and the final account statement. Add appliance warranties, paint codes and fitting model numbers for day-to-day usefulness. Store the full set together, because buyers and banks will ask for it years later.