Collecting your keys is the fun part. The three months that follow are when a new home quietly tells you whether anything is wrong, and conveniently it's also the window when fixing those things is free. Here's what to actually do, in roughly the order you should do it.
Week 1-2: Document everything before you move a thing
Your Defects Liability Period (DLP) with HDB runs for 12 months, but the easiest problems to prove are the ones you catch on day one, in an empty flat.
- Walk every room with your phone camera. Photograph hairline cracks, uneven paint, chipped tiles, and any door or window that doesn't close cleanly.
- Fill a bucket and pour water across the floor of each bathroom and the kitchen yard. It should run to the floor trap, not pool in a corner.
- Open and shut every window and check the rubber seals. Note anything stiff.
Log each item through the HDB defects feedback channel with your photos. You are not being fussy. This is exactly what the DLP is for.
Week 2-4: The services that are cheaper to do now
A few jobs are much easier in an empty or lightly furnished home:
- A baseline aircon service. Even brand-new units benefit from a first general servicing once you've run them for a couple of weeks. It also gives you a working relationship with someone before something breaks in July.
- A water heater check. Confirm the isolator switch, test the temperature, and look for any drip at the connections.
- Basic electrical sanity checks. Every socket powered, every switch mapped to the right light, and the DB box labelled.
If a tradesperson quotes you wildly different prices for the same standardised job, that's a signal, not about your flat but about the quote.
Month 2: Settle a cleaning and pest baseline
Once furniture is in, book one deep clean rather than assuming the developer handover clean was enough. Grout, window tracks, and the inside of cabinets are usually where the dust hides.
If you're on a lower floor or near greenery, a single general pest treatment early sets a baseline so you notice if anything changes later.
Month 3: Re-inspect before the easy window narrows
Live in the flat for a few weeks, then walk it again. Problems that only appear with use, like a tap that drips after heavy use, a door that swells in humidity, or a tile that sounds hollow underfoot, are worth re-reporting while the DLP still covers them.
The short version
- Photograph defects before you move in, and report them early.
- Get a baseline aircon service and water heater check in the first month.
- Deep clean once, treat for pests once, then re-inspect at month three.
Every service in this checklist is in the Servo app with its price attached, so you can see what each one costs before you book anything.