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Getting the keys is not the end of your project
Foundation Series · Episode 11 of 12
Tina Patel & Bart Kolosowski · 12 March 2026
You may be ready to move. That does not mean the home is ready to hand over.
Tina and Bart explain the decisions around completion, moving in, snagging and aftercare—and why learning how your finished home works deserves time of its own.
A moving date does not settle whether the home is ready
At the end of a long project, everyone wants to finish. The homeowner has a moving date; the contractor wants to close out; the professional team has other work waiting. That pressure can make an unfinished home look nearly finished enough.
The hosts discuss the difference between minor outstanding items and matters affecting safe use, such as an incomplete balustrade or systems that have not been tested. They also explain why certification, insurance and responsibility need attention alongside the physical work.
Ask the team what must be in place for your particular handover and who will confirm it. If early occupation is being considered, discuss the arrangements with the contractor, relevant advisers and insurer before committing to a move.
01
Check readiness
Review safety, systems and records.
02
Plan the handover
Agree documents and demonstrations.
03
Close out the list
Set a programme for remaining items.
04
Know the aftercare
Keep contacts and response routes.
Would you know where the stopcock is?
A finished home comes with systems you need to operate. Being handed keys and a folder does not necessarily teach you how to use the heating controls, isolate a supply or respond when something behaves unexpectedly.
Bart describes a practical walk-through with the relevant trades. The time and detail should suit the home: a straightforward extension needs a different handover from a property with extensive building services and controls.
Allow time for demonstrations when you can concentrate, rather than fit them between removal boxes. Ask for useful operating instructions, maintenance information, warranties and the project documentation agreed with your team.
A Christmas move can leave builders working around you
Tina is wary of Christmas deadlines. Bart distinguishes a project comfortably on track for completion from one being pushed into a last-minute finish. Their common concern is moving before the work is genuinely ready.
They recall how working around occupants and furniture can make the remaining tasks slower and more frustrating. The hoped-for fresh start becomes a longer period of builders coming back into the home.
Review the actual progress and remaining tasks before giving notice on temporary accommodation or arranging the move. Ask what the fallback would be if the finish slips, and leave space for handover rather than plan only for the removal van.
A defect, a snag—or ordinary maintenance?
A scuff caused while moving furniture is different from unfinished decoration. A newly discovered problem after occupation may need a different response again. The hosts explain why treating every issue as the same thing creates frustration.
For the remaining items, agree a clear list and a realistic programme with the team and contractor. For issues that appear later, know whom to contact, how to record them and which response arrangements apply to your project.
The home still needs maintenance even when it is new. Use the operating and maintenance information, keep records of concerns and ask the team how urgent issues should be handled rather than wait for a routine review.
Three decisions to take into your project
01 Agree the handover requirements early.
Ask what needs to be completed, demonstrated and documented for your particular home.
02 Base the move on readiness.
Review the remaining work and keep an alternative if the planned finish slips.
03 Understand the aftercare process.
Know how to report problems and distinguish outstanding work from everyday maintenance.
The full conversation
The Foundation Series is our 12-episode guide to the home project journey. Architect Tina Patel and quantity surveyor Bart Kolosowski work through the decisions, people and processes involved, step by step.
In Episode 11, Tina and Bart explore practical completion, handover, snagging and the period after moving in. They discuss the documents, demonstrations and decisions that help a project finish properly.
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