Practical Completion: How to Create a Smoother Handover Process

As a Property Developer or Builder, you would know that when it comes to practical completion, it’s important to have all your documentation in place so you can get the property signed off and handed over to the client quickly and easily. 

A quick and smooth handover ultimately means your clients are happy, projects are finalised and you get paid faster!

But, if you haven’t got all your ducks lined up ... your paperwork is not in order, then practical completion can quickly turn into a big costly headache. 

And, when you have multiple properties lining up to be signed off and handed over to the client, this can become a big issue. 

So, how can we make the practical completion and handover process a lot smoother? It’s a simple case of ensuring your internal processes are working well, your property paperwork is in order and your project timeline is not being blown out by mismanagement and missed information. 

Have Your Property Paperwork in Order

One of the key components to ensuring a quick and easy practical completion is to make sure you have all your property paperwork in order. This means compiling all the paperwork for each property in one spot ready to go when practical completion approaches. This includes all compliance certificates, such as form 15 and 16’s, inspection certificates and the like.

Sounds easy enough to do right? But in reality, it can quickly become a shambles if trades and suppliers forget to send through the forms, they get lost in the never-ending onslaught of emails or multiple people are saving the documents to multiple locations. 

One missing form 16 or inspection report is all it takes to hold up the practical completion process. And as we all know, time equals money!

The best way to handle the practical completion process is to have a clear and simple system to handle certification documents, making sure they are all accounted for and saved in one location. 

inndox is a perfect solution to this problem. It provides the space for you to have all your handover documents located all in one spot. And when it’s time for the property to undertake practical completion, the documents are available for the certifier to access quickly and easily. 

Having all the property compliance documents located in one place within inndox, can save you a lot of time and stress and keeps everyone on the same page when it comes to handling important property forms and documents. 

A Quicker Handover Process

As well as making practical completion a quick and easy process, having all the property documents in one place can create a seamless handover process between yourself and the client. Once an Occupancy Certificate has been issued and the property is ready for handover, it can be a simple case of providing digital access to your client so they can access the inndox platform and all their property paperwork. 

No more scrambling at the last minute trying to source all the necessary documents. No more excessive printing. No more costly folders that are bound to get lost during the moving process. No more lost paperwork that can be a nightmare if retrieval is required years down the track.  

With inndox, the property documents can be made available to the new homeowner digitally within minutes.

Quick, Easy, Fuss-free! 

Not only can you upload compliance certificates into inndox, but you can upload every other relevant piece of information that pertains to the property as well. This includes: 

• Compliance forms

• Builder’s warranty information

• Product warranty information 

• Product user guides

• Colour selections

• Material and finishes details

• Plans

• Contract Documents

• Contact details of suppliers

And just like form 16’s, these documents can be quickly and easily uploaded as you proceed through the building process. 

Incorporating inndox into your handover process will save you time and money. Not to mention it provides a legal record that your client has been provided with the required handover documents.

Greater Client Confidence

Any good builder and developer knows that client satisfaction can go a long way to the overall success of a project. And achieving practical completion quickly without any hold-ups can boost your client’s confidence in you, your company and the project. 

This is where having a seamless handover process can really make a difference. 

Walking your clients through the property upon completion, noting any defects and adjustments and getting those defects and adjustments seen to as a priority shows the client how important both quality control and customer service is to you. Having all defect details compiled in one spot, along with any follow up notes about any rectification work, can go a long way to develop trust with your clients. 

Utilising a program such as inndox can help you maintain good records for the property, including any defect requirements and provides a solution that elevates your professionalism and builds a high level of trust with your clients.

And the best feature about inndox… That trust can be maintained well after the property has been built and handed over. It can even be passed along to subsequent owners of the property. Because the inndox file and documentation stays with the property.  This means your details remain on record alongside all documents for the home.

So, when your original client wants to make minor adjustments 5 years down the track or the new homeowner wants to take out a wall or add on a deck, they are more likely to go back to you… The original builder. The company that knows the property inside out. 

Nothing shows confidence more than a client returning for more work. And, as all the original documents are sitting within inndox, retrieving plans, engineering reports and details about the materials and finishes you used originally, means making the changes the client requested a whole lot easier. 

You will never have to search through old filing cabinets or outdated backup drives again!

Practical Completion & inndox - A Perfect Combination

inndox provides the perfect solution when it comes to improving your practical completion and handover process. It’s a virtual logbook for the property that starts from the day the land is secured. 

Designed to make your life easier, inndox will handle your document processing with ease and provide you with the platform to keep solid records of all your properties. 

inndox allows you to track and record your documents throughout the building process identifying which documents are accounted for and which need to be followed up with.

To make the handover process even easier and streamlined, inndox allows you to share a folder with other stakeholders of the property, such as consultants or trades, who can then upload any relevant documentation for the handover pack. For example, you may have a folder for Fire Safety, which is shared with the Fire Safety Engineer who uploads relevant files such as certificates and “as built” drawings.

Sharing a folder is easy! Simply enter the name and email address of the person you’re sharing the folder with. They will receive an email inviting them to register with inndox and upload documents. This service is free for the contributor.

inndox will ultimately minimise double handling of paperwork and save you time, effort and money when it matters most … at handover time.

Speak to one of our friendly staff today about how inndox can help your business. Or book a demonstration and see the benefits first hand. 

Give us a call on 0411 723 959 or request a demo here. 

How to know if the defect is urgent or minor

Whether it is during Practical Completion or in the after-sales period, Owners or tenants may find defects in the property that need to be fixed. But what constitutes an urgent defect compared to a minor defect? 

Urgent defects are anything that involves a health and safety issue, security issue or leads to loss of essential services, like water and flushing toilets, that are within our control. 

Minor defects are anything that cause a minor inconvenience, like loose fittings and specific items that should be checked for before the end of the defects period, such as cracks, split wood, loose kitchen drawers, decorating blemishes, etc. 

Pro tip: During Practical Completion, make sure you document and take photographs to record any minor defects that you discover during the inspection. Make sure both you and the builder (or your respective representatives) sign that document noting the defects. Ensure you include the agreed dates as to when the items will be fixed.

Practical Completion: 3 Key Items

The 3 Key items that need to be considered for Practical Completion are:

1.   Minor defects and omissions - these should be recorded on a signed defects document, signed by the Builder (or their representative) and the Client (or their representative). This document should formally acknowledge the times, issues and defects that have been agreed on, and also the defects where there is disagreement. 

2.    Contracted work completed properly. The contracted work needs to be completed in accordance with the Building Codes, Standards, relevant laws, and contract documentation.

3.    Certificates. Some contracts require provision of all inspection certificates, collection of all the necessary Form 16s, and the final inspection certificate known as Form 21. 

These key items are often a condition for the final payment from the Owner. 

Once Practical Completion has been reached and the final payment has been made, all the relevant files are provided to the Owner at handover.

inndox can help you manage your handover and provide the next level of service - a digital handover in a convenient app that helps Owners manage and maintain their biggest asset.