Inspect before you accept.

Handover is the moment a developer delivers a finished unit to you, the buyer, and you take possession of the keys. For an off-plan home in a master-planned town like El Gouna, it is the bridge between a unit you bought from plans and a home you can actually live in or let. It is also the point where it is easiest to flag and resolve problems, because the developer is still actively involved and your final acceptance has not yet been given.

Treating handover as a formality is a common and costly mistake. Once you sign off and accept the unit, getting defects addressed can become slower and more contested. A structured inspection before acceptance, often called snagging, protects you by recording every issue while the developer still has clear responsibility to put it right.

This guide explains what handover means, how to run a methodical snagging inspection across the whole unit, the defects buyers most often find, the documents and keys you should receive, and what to do afterwards. It is written for new-build and off-plan buyers; resale buyers should lean more on the due-diligence guide.

Disclaimer: Handover obligations, defect-liability terms, and any deadlines or remedies are set by your specific purchase contract and by Egyptian law, and they vary by developer and project. Treat this guide as a practical framework, not contract interpretation, and confirm your rights and timelines with a qualified Egyptian property lawyer.

Handover is a defined milestone in an off-plan purchase, not just a key collection. Understanding where it sits in the journey helps you prepare.

• The end of the build phase. You bought off-plan or as a new build, the developer constructed and finished the unit, and handover is where that completed property is presented to you for acceptance. The off-plan-versus-resale guide explains how this differs from buying an existing home.
• A payment and contract checkpoint. Handover commonly aligns with a stage of your payment plan and with contractual obligations on both sides. The payment-plans guide covers how instalments are typically structured around milestones, and your contract sets out what each side owes at this point.
• Your moment to inspect. Before you formally accept, you have the opportunity to inspect the unit and raise defects. This is the snagging stage, and it is the reason not to rush.
• The start of any defect-liability period. Many new-build contracts include a period during which the developer remains responsible for certain defects after handover. The existence, length, and scope of any such period depend entirely on your contract.

Because the specifics vary so much, read your own contract before handover and have a lawyer confirm what acceptance means, what you can withhold or condition, and what any defect-liability terms cover.

Disclaimer: Whether handover is conditional on snagging, what acceptance commits you to, and any defect-liability period are all contract-specific and governed by Egyptian law. Do not assume a standard. Confirm the exact terms with your lawyer before you sign anything at handover.

Snagging is a methodical defect inspection of the whole unit before you accept it. Work room by room and system by system rather than glancing around, and record everything in writing with photos.

Cover these areas deliberately:

• Finishes. Check walls, ceilings, paint, plaster, tiling, flooring, and any joinery for cracks, chips, uneven surfaces, colour mismatches, stains, and poor edges. Look in corners and along skirting where defects hide.
• Fittings and fixtures. Test kitchen units, wardrobes, worktops, sanitaryware, taps, and any included appliances. Open and close every drawer and cupboard, and confirm what is included against your contract specification.
• Water and plumbing. Run every tap, fill and drain sinks and the bath or shower, and check water pressure, temperature, and drainage. Look under sinks and around connections for leaks, and check for damp or staining that suggests hidden water issues.
• Electrics. Test light switches, sockets, and any installed fixtures, and confirm the consumer unit and meters are present and labelled. Note anything that does not power on or feels loose.
• Doors and windows. Open, close, and lock every door and window, check seals and glazing, and confirm handles, hinges, and locks work smoothly. In a coastal climate, sealing matters for dust and heat.
• Climate and ventilation. Test air-conditioning units and any ventilation, since the Red Sea climate makes cooling essential rather than optional.
• Outdoor and shared elements. Inspect any terrace, balcony, or private outdoor space, and note the condition of communal areas your contract references.

Photograph each defect with context, number the items, and present the list to the developer in writing so there is a shared, dated record. Bring measurements against your floor plan if size or layout matters to you.

Disclaimer: What you can require the developer to fix, and on what timeline, is set by your contract and Egyptian law, not by this checklist. Recording defects is always wise, but treat any expectation of remedy or deadline as something to confirm with your lawyer.

Most snagging issues fall into recognisable categories. Knowing them helps you inspect with intent rather than hoping to spot problems by chance.

• Cosmetic finish flaws. Paint runs, patchy coverage, plaster cracks, scuffed or chipped tiles, uneven grout, and marks on flooring are among the most common and the easiest to miss without close looking.
• Alignment and fit issues. Doors and windows that stick, do not close flush, or do not lock cleanly; cupboard doors that hang unevenly; and gaps where joinery meets walls.
• Plumbing and water. Dripping taps, weak or inconsistent water pressure, slow drainage, poorly sealed wet areas, and signs of damp or staining that point to leaks behind surfaces.
• Electrical niggles. Sockets or switches that do not work, loose fittings, missing or unlabelled components, and lights that flicker or fail.
• Sealing and weatherproofing. Gaps around windows, doors, and external joints matter more in a hot, dusty, coastal setting, where poor sealing lets in heat and fine sand.
• Specification mismatches. Fittings, finishes, or appliances that differ from what your contract specified, or missing items you were promised.
• Snags in outdoor and shared areas. Cracked terrace tiles, drainage issues on balconies, and unfinished communal elements referenced in your contract.

None of these is necessarily a sign of a bad build; new properties routinely have a defect list at handover. The point is to capture them while the developer is still responsible, not to be alarmed by their existence.

Disclaimer: Whether a given item is a defect the developer must remedy, a specification dispute, or normal wear depends on your contract and the facts. Do not assume any single finding obliges a fix. Have contentious items assessed by a surveyor and your lawyer.

Handover is also a paperwork moment. Alongside inspecting the physical unit, confirm you receive and record the items that prove possession and support what comes next.

• Keys and access. Collect all keys, fobs, remotes, and access cards for the unit and any shared entrances, parking, or amenities, and note how many of each you receive.
• A signed snagging or handover record. Where your process allows, document the agreed defect list and the condition of the unit in writing, dated and acknowledged by both sides, so there is no later dispute about what was found.
• Meter readings. Record starting readings for electricity, water, and any other metered service at the moment of handover, ideally photographed, so you are not billed for prior consumption.
• Specification and manuals. Ask for the unit specification, any warranties on appliances or installed systems, and operating manuals for equipment such as air-conditioning.
• Contract and payment evidence. Keep your purchase contract, proof of payments made to date, and any handover-related receipts together. The paying-for-property guide explains why a clean payment trail matters.
• Registration pathway. Confirm with your lawyer what handover means for registering the property in your name, since taking possession and completing legal registration can be separate steps.

Keep all of this in one organised place, digital and physical. You will reference it for utilities, property management, any future sale, and any defect claim.

Disclaimer: Exactly which documents you are entitled to at handover, and what registering the property in your name requires, are governed by your contract and Egyptian law. Confirm the document list and the registration pathway with your lawyer rather than assuming a standard set.

Once you have inspected, documented, and taken possession, a few practical steps turn the keys into a working home.

• Set up utilities and services. Get electricity, water, and any community or service charges into the right arrangement for your unit. In El Gouna these are commonly handled through the developer or your community's property management rather than separate national utilities. The property-management guide explains how service charges and billing typically work here.
• Arrange management or letting. If you will not live in the unit full time, decide how it is maintained, cleaned, and secured while you are away, and whether you will let it. The property-management guide covers options for absentee owners.
• Track outstanding snags. Keep your dated defect list live and follow up in writing on items the developer agreed to address, holding onto evidence until each is resolved.
• Connect the home. Sort home internet and connectivity, especially if you plan to let the unit or work from it, recognising that speeds vary by building.
• Protect the property. Consider insurance appropriate to your use, and confirm what any building-level cover does and does not include.
• Confirm registration progress. Check with your lawyer that the steps to register ownership in your name are progressing, since possession alone does not necessarily complete the legal title position.

Treat the weeks after handover as a settling-in period for the property itself, not just for you.

Disclaimer: Utility arrangements, service charges, insurance needs, and registration steps vary by unit, community, and contract. Confirm what applies to your property with your property manager, insurer, and lawyer before relying on any described arrangement.

You can run a basic snagging inspection yourself with a careful eye and a checklist, but a professional adds depth, especially on a high-value purchase or where you cannot attend in person.

• A snagging inspector or surveyor. An independent professional inspects systematically, knows where defects hide, and produces a structured report you can present to the developer. This is useful when the unit is large, the finish is premium, or you want an objective record.
• Remote or absentee buyers. If you bought from abroad and cannot be there at handover, a trusted local representative or inspector can attend on your behalf, document the unit, and protect your position.
• Your lawyer. For anything touching acceptance, contract terms, defect-liability, withholding, or registration, your property lawyer, not the inspector, advises on your rights and what signing commits you to. The due-diligence guide explains why independent legal advice matters throughout a purchase.
• Coordinating the two. A common pattern is an inspector to find and document defects and a lawyer to advise on how acceptance and any remedy obligations work under your contract.

Spending on independent eyes at handover is small relative to the purchase, and it is the stage where an objective record has the most leverage. Choose qualified, independent professionals rather than relying solely on parties connected to the sale.

Disclaimer: This guide does not recommend or endorse any specific inspector, surveyor, or lawyer, and it is not legal advice. Engage your own independent, qualified professionals and rely on their assessment of your unit and your contract rather than on general guidance.