Free template

Interior handover checklist format

An interior handover checklist, room by room, with a snag list the client signs on the day — so the final payment is tied to a list, not to a feeling.

Download the handover checklist (Excel)

Free, no signup. Put your studio's name at the top and change anything that doesn't fit how you work.

What to check, room by room

Kitchen

  • Every shutter aligned, gaps even, no rubbing
  • Soft-close hinges and channels close fully
  • Baskets and pull-outs run without catching
  • Sink and tap: run for 5 minutes, no leak below
  • Countertop joints sealed; no chips at the edges
  • Chimney and hob points tested

Wardrobes and storage

  • Shutters level and closing flush
  • Locks work, with keys handed over
  • Drawers and internal accessories as per BOQ
  • Loft shutters open without hitting the ceiling
  • Edge banding complete, no lifting

Electrical

  • Every switch and socket tested
  • Every light fixture working
  • MCBs labelled room by room
  • AC and geyser points tested under load

Ceiling, walls and floor

  • No cracks at ceiling joints or along the cove
  • Paint even under daylight and under the ceiling lights
  • No patches, roller marks or paint on switches and skirting
  • Flooring: no hollow tiles, grout complete

Bathrooms

  • No leak at any joint after running water
  • Floor drains towards the outlet
  • Accessories fixed firmly, as per BOQ

Handed over

  • Keys for every lock, counted
  • Warranty cards and invoices for hardware and appliances
  • Care instructions for laminates, veneer and stone
  • Electrical layout as built
  • Site cleaned, debris removed

A handover with no list

Without a snag list signed on the day, the last payment is held against a list that keeps growing — a scratch found in week three, a hinge in month two. Walk the flat with the client, write every snag down, give each one a date, and agree that anything not on the list is a service call, not a reason to hold the final payment.

In Houscade the handover date starts the warranty clock on the project, so a service request months later shows at once whether it is still covered. See Houscade.