In my earlier posting on What to do if your new house giving your headache of problems? , we were discussing the headache that one will face in takeover of a new unit if it is not delivered in good workmanship and full of defective issues. Definitely it will be very frustrating to most unit owners as they could be very troublesome in terms of coordination with the developers and contractors in fixing up the issues, and monitoring the problems, and worst case if the issues are recurring.

Most defects could be easily addressed if we are talking of hairline cracks on plaster walls, or stained marks on the counter top to be cleaned off. However imagine you are posed with the problems of water leaking issues, or poor workmanship of marble laying which you think the entire living room should be re-laid. These are the works that require extensive time on site which might render your unit unusable for a period of time.

How to minimize the change of getting a defective new unit? Always purchase from a reputable developer. In addition the main contractor whom is appointed to do the job is also important. And my strong recommendation is: Get a development with the BCA Quality Mark (QM). Under the BCA Quality Mark for Good Workmanship (QM) Scheme, BCA will assess all the internal finishes and waterproofing works in each unit. The unit will be issued the QM certificate if it meets the specified standard.  If the unit does not meet the standard at first assessment, the developer may rectify the unit and apply for re-assessment.  There is no limit to the number of re-assessments. The QM certificate will be issued only after the minimum QM score is achieved.

You might have heard of CONQUAS: The Construction Quality Assessment System introduced in Singapore since 1989. It serves as a standard assessment system on the quality of building projects. QM will be assessed in the same manner as the CONQUAS tool assessment. In comparison, CONQUAS is being taken as samples taken of the Structural, Architectural and Mechanical & Electrical (M & E) works throughout the duration of the project.

The QM scheme measures the quality of workmanship in each newly completed residential unit. The assessment covers all internal finishes like floor, wall and ceiling finishes, architectural components and fittings like doors, windows, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, vanity tops, bathtubs, water closets, shower screens and basins, and M & E fittings and switches. In addition the assessment will include water ponding test for bathrooms.  Water –tightness tests on windows are optional.

Those units that meet the minimum workmanship quality standard will each be issued a Quality Mark (QM) certificate. Any unit that fails to do so will not be issued the certificate.  The QM certificate certifies the condition of the unit at the time of inspection.

The homeowner can generally expect better quality homes if the project is QM certified compared to non-certified homes. A QM home provides the assurance that the unit has been thoroughly assessed and meets the minimum standards of good workmanship as specified under the scheme.

Though a unit need to score only at least 80 points (out of 100) to qualify for a QM certificate, this means there may still be some defects in the unit. However they are not significant enough to warrant withholding issue of the QM certificate. Therefore you could assured that your new unit is somehow warranted with one round of quality and defect inspection before your takeover. And I would think that it is especially useful for most how buyers whom are more layman in terms of identifying the building defects and items not in line with specifications.