What to Check During Property Turnover in the Philippines
Turnover is the moment a developer hands you the keys and asks you to sign an acceptance document. Signing that document without a thorough inspection is the single most expensive mistake a Philippine buyer can make at the end of an otherwise careful purchase.
The reason is leverage. Before you sign, the developer has an incentive to fix defects because the unit is not yet accepted. After you sign, every conversation becomes a request rather than an obligation. This guide sets out how to prepare, what to inspect system by system, what to do when you find problems, and what to insist on before you put your name on anything.
Before You Go: Preparation
Bring the documents that define what you are owed. The contract to sell or deed of sale, the technical specifications, the approved floor plan, and every brochure and marketing material you were given. Represented facilities are an obligation under Presidential Decree 957, and that material is your evidence of what was represented.
Bring the right tools. A phone with a full battery for photographs and video, a small electrical tester or a phone charger to test outlets, a tape measure, a spirit level or a level app, a flashlight, a marble or small ball for checking floor slope, and masking tape to mark defects as you find them.
Bring a second person. Two people find more than one, and a witness matters if a dispute develops later.
Schedule enough time. A proper inspection of a mid sized unit takes two to three hours. A developer offering you a twenty minute window before a signing appointment is compressing the part of the process that protects you. Ask for a separate inspection appointment, and do it during daylight.
Ask for the unit to be fully powered and the water fully connected before you arrive. You cannot test what is not switched on.
Structure, Walls, and Ceilings
- Check every wall for cracks, particularly at corners, around windows, and where walls meet ceilings. Photograph anything wider than a hairline and note its location.
- Look for water stains or discoloration on ceilings and on walls below windows and bathrooms. Stains indicate a leak that has already happened, which means it will happen again.
- Press on ceiling boards and check for sagging, especially under bathrooms on the floor above.
- Check that walls are plumb and corners are square using a level. Minor deviation is normal; visible lean is not.
- Inspect the paint finish under strong light at an angle, which reveals roller marks, missed patches, and surface defects that a straight on view hides.
Floors
- Walk the entire floor slowly and listen. Hollow sounds under tile indicate poor adhesion, which leads to cracking and lifting later.
- Check for level using a marble or a ball. Place it in several locations and watch which way it rolls. Some slope toward floor drains is intentional; slope in a living area is not.
- Inspect grout lines and tile alignment, and check for chipped or cracked tiles, particularly near doorways and corners.
- Confirm the flooring material matches the technical specification, not the show unit. This is one of the most common gaps between what was displayed and what is delivered.
Doors, Windows, and Locks
- Open and close every door and window completely. They should move smoothly, latch properly, and not swing on their own, which indicates the frame is out of plumb.
- Test every lock and every key provided. Confirm you receive all keys, including for the mailbox, the parking, and any storage.
- Check window seals and weatherstripping, and look for gaps that will admit rain and noise.
- Inspect glass for cracks, chips, and scratches.
- Confirm screens are fitted where the specification says they should be.
Electrical
- Test every outlet with a charger or tester. Every single one, including those behind where furniture will go.
- Operate every switch and confirm it controls what it should, and that nothing is wired backward.
- Check the distribution panel. Confirm the breakers are labeled, and photograph the panel for your records.
- Confirm the number and location of outlets matches the plan. Adding outlets after fit-out is disruptive and expensive.
- Test all light fixtures, including in closets and utility areas.
- Confirm provision for air conditioning where the specification includes it, including the outlet, the mounting point, and the condensate drainage.
Plumbing and Water
- Run every tap, hot and cold, and check the pressure and the flow. Weak pressure at turnover rarely improves.
- Flush every toilet several times and confirm it refills properly and does not run continuously.
- Fill each sink and tub, then drain it, and watch how quickly the water clears. Slow drainage indicates a problem in the line.
- Look under every sink with a flashlight while the tap runs, checking for leaks at connections.
- Check the shower for pooling. Water should run to the drain, not sit in a corner.
- Run water in one fixture while checking others to test whether pressure drops unacceptably.
- Check the water meter reading and photograph it.
Kitchen and Fixtures
- Open and close every cabinet door and drawer. Confirm alignment, that they close fully, and that hardware is properly fitted.
- Check countertop edges and seams, and look underneath for unfinished areas.
- Confirm which appliances are included, and test each one. Get the warranty documents.
- Check the exhaust or range hood operates and vents where it should.
- Confirm the specification of finishes, since kitchen materials are a frequent point of substitution between the show unit and delivery.
Balcony, Exterior, and Common Access
- Check balcony drainage by pouring water and watching where it goes. Standing water on a balcony indicates a slope problem that becomes a leak problem.
- Inspect railings for stability and height compliance.
- Check the exterior door and any exterior walls for sealing and finish.
- Walk the corridor, the fire exit, and the route to the lift, and confirm the fire exit is unobstructed and the emergency lighting works.
Documents You Should Receive at Turnover
The physical inspection is only half of it. Confirm you receive the following before or at acceptance.
- The as built plans for the unit, including electrical and plumbing layouts.
- Warranty documents for the unit and for any appliances or equipment supplied, with the warranty period clearly stated.
- The house rules, master deed, and by-laws for a condominium, or the deed restrictions for a subdivision.
- Utility account details and the process for transferring accounts into your name.
- Meter readings for electricity and water, photographed and recorded.
- Contact details for the property management office and the defect reporting process.
- Confirmation of your title status, and the expected timeline for delivery of your Condominium Certificate of Title or Transfer Certificate of Title. Under PD 957, the developer must deliver title upon full payment.
When You Find Defects
You will find defects. Every unit has them. What matters is how they are recorded and what you sign.
Document everything as you go. Photograph each defect with something in frame for scale and location context. Video is better for anything involving movement, sound, or water flow.
Create a written punch list with each item numbered, described, and located. Give a copy to the developer's representative and keep one signed or acknowledged by them.
Do not accept a verbal assurance that it will be fixed. Get the commitment in writing, with a date.
Understand what you are signing. A certificate of acceptance may be read as confirming the unit was delivered in acceptable condition. If you must sign to proceed, write clearly on the document that acceptance is subject to the attached punch list, and keep a photograph of the annotated document.
Ask for a re-inspection appointment after rectification rather than accepting a report that the work was done.
Where defects are substantial, seek advice before accepting. A unit that materially differs from the technical specification or from what was represented in marketing material is a different matter from a list of finishing defects.
Costs and Obligations That Start at Turnover
Several financial obligations begin at acceptance rather than at occupancy, and buyers are frequently unprepared for them.
Association or condominium dues begin at turnover, typically running around ₱100 to ₱200 per square meter per month, whether or not you move in.
Real property tax becomes your obligation, and it is now rising on a defined cycle since local government units conduct general revisions of assessments every three years under the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act.
Utility accounts must be transferred and deposits paid.
Move-in, fit-out, and furnishing costs commonly run from ₱100,000 to ₱500,000 or more, and many buildings charge a move-in fee and require scheduling through property management.
A Practical Sequence
- Request a separate inspection appointment, in daylight, with utilities connected, before any signing appointment.
- Inspect thoroughly with a second person, working system by system rather than room by room.
- Photograph and video everything, including what is correct.
- Produce a written punch list and have it acknowledged.
- Sign nothing unconditional while material defects remain outstanding.
- Schedule re-inspection and confirm rectification yourself.
- Collect every document and store copies somewhere other than your phone.
The protection available to a buyer at turnover depends almost entirely on what was documented before the acceptance form was signed. You can explore verified property listings across the Philippines, with developer registration and seller authority confirmed at source, at The Grid Property Ventures, the Philippines' smartest real estate platform.
