Apartment handover: five things you check with the report in hand.

A handover looks innocent — an hour with a sheet of paper and a pen. But that’s when most of the decisions about what the developer fixes and what lands on you are made.

The technical handover isn’t a formality. It’s the moment when everything that departs from the contract and the design goes into the report. What you note here the developer is obliged to remove — what you miss, you’ll fix yourself later. So it’s worth knowing the five things that decide most often.

1. Floor area and layout

Measure the area and compare it with the contract. The permitted tolerance is written into the developer agreement — a larger difference than agreed means a price correction.

2. Windows and doors

Check that they close, that there are no scratches and that the parameters match the prospectus. Joinery is a frequent entry in defect reports.

3. Installations

The list of electrical, plumbing and ventilation points should match the design. The more carefully you check now, the fewer surprises at the finishing stage.

The buyer has the right to enter into the report every defect they notice. Otherwise, in a dispute, what counts isn’t who’s right, but who has the documentation.

4. Damp and wall finishing

Yes — the evenness of plaster and floors is part of the handover too. Deviations above the norm and signs of damp are grounds for an entry and a fix before finishing.

5. Common areas

The stairwell, lift, parking space and storage room are also subject to handover. The state of common areas is often underrated, yet it shapes daily use.