FINALLY!!! Our new image, uniforms and logos

For those of you that have known Snagging Overseas for the last few years, you will know that we have not been the biggest fans of our own uniform and logos. Well, finally, finally! the marketing department have seen the light and we have binned the old logo and the awful uniform colours and gone for a trendy, modern logo with a new, blue polo. Very smart indeed.


As you can see, the "House under the microscope" is now a simple magnifying glass. And we've gone for blue... "Royal Blue" Serafina, our marketing manager calls it.

Well, it's up to you to decide if it's better. Or even if it's any good at all. Perhaps you can snag our shirts!

Marks out of ten?

It's February, so it must be time for Cape Verde!!!

At the end of last month we sent members of our team out to the Cape Verde Islands to snag for many clients.

For those that do not know where the Cape Verde Islands are, they are a collection of ten islands off the West coast of Africa. On a level with Dakar the Cape Verde Islands are only 14º north of the Equator. This gives them a great all round climate and mild weather conditions.

So where are we snagging, you ask? Our first clients are for a development called Vila Verde Resort Santa Maria. This a 1200 unit development divided into 13 communities. The developer is called Tecnicil and is a Cape Verdean company. This development is on the sandy island of Sal, a pretty flat island sporting sandy white beaches and plenty of watersports.

After the first round of snag reports we can report that generally quality is very

good. Perhaps better than our team had expected when we first set out to snag there. Being an island, supplies is an issue so many of the snags we discovered on our first inspections were more based on missing items - such as shutter clasps, silicon treating aorund door seals - than on imperfections in the finish or areas that needed TLC.

Perhaps cheap labour means that the quality of finish is as high as it is, given you could probably get someone to go over and over on painting and plasterwork until it is perfect.

Whatever the reasons, the first groups, or communities as Tecnicil has designated them, are looking good.

I should comment that the infrastructure is not fully in. Some people have asked us to snag this too, but we have been unable to do much with this yet. We will keep you posted and let you know when we can get some reports done.

Snagging in the Algarve

This year has seen, some might say inevitably, a drop in the quality of finish and in the levels of "perfection" as many workers would say, all across the sites in the Algarve. This is not counting the sites that have, sadly, just stopped.

At Snagging Overseas, we have had an increase of 43% of the size of our snag reports and paperwork. Presumably the drop in commercial activity is having a knock on affect as our developers struggle to combat the lack of credit and the overall lack of liquidity in the market.

We believe this is a temporary glitch, but would always recommend that when buying property in these difficult times, choose a builder with a solid reputation. From our extensive experience we would be happy to recommend one for you.

Snagging should be a simple checklist, not a protracted battle, and we are confident that this industry, although suffering a lack of confidence, will return to its vibrant and dynamic state.

To snag or not to snag - that is the question

Many people ask whether snagging, that is the inspection of a new property before title deed, is necessary or not. Others feel that they can do this themselves. Our belief is that when you are buying a new property you should get as much expert input and advice as possible. Builders are professionals, and generally want to perform to the highest standards as laid out in the contract. However, it is extremely likely that some apsects of the new property need retouching before title deeds.

A client, full of joy and nerves when confronted for the first time with their finished property, can quite often miss obvious flaws and defects in the finish. You can be in a trance gazing out at the fantastic sea view, or just wondering where you are going to place that three piece suite...

A snagging company will not suffer from any of these distractions. They will basically produce an inventory of items and areas of your new property that may require attention before you authorise the final payment. The snagging report is the final bow on the box of your new venture. Without it things could be fine, with it, things will be fine.