A practical handover checklist for new buildings

Before the first resident arrives

• Every unit numbered consistently, matching the sales records and the physical signage
• Unit types defined, with areas confirmed against the drawings
• Parking bays mapped, including every basement level
• Common areas identified and excluded from billing
• Meters installed, numbered and photographed at their opening readings

The records that must move across

• Buyers, with what each has paid and what remains
• Signed agreements and any transfers that happened during construction
• Warranties and equipment documentation, attached where somebody will find them
• Snagging items, with an owner and a date

Before the first billing run

• Charge rates agreed and written down, including the apportionment basis
• Opening meter readings recorded
• A decision on how part months are handled at move-in
• Bank details and payment methods communicated to residents

The one most often missed

Deciding, in writing, who is responsible for what between the developer and the managing entity during the defects period. Almost every acrimonious handover traces back to this being left as an understanding rather than a document.