Graceful Mansion, Siena II — Flat C: Snagging, Testing and Handover
The second flat in a two-unit campaign, and the one we use to explain what a proper handover actually contains — including a statutory certificate most Hong Kong owners never receive. See the snagging method, the certificates, or request a quotation.
Apartment - Flat C, Floor 6, Graceful Mansion, Siena II, Discovery Bay
D-8 Limited is an integrated design firm on interior design. It emphasizes on details in its design philosophy, which could be reflected on both the user experience and form of its works. As an evolving design studio, it offers animation visualization as an advanced presentation tool for their client to easily understand the design and outcome in a more comprehensive way.
This flat was renovated in the same campaign as Flat B on the same floor. That page explains how two units share access, protection and procurement. This one covers the other half of the story: how a job is closed out — the snag list, the tests, the certificates and the document pack. Emphasis on detail is easiest to verify at handover, because that is when every door either closes properly or does not.
About the Block, in Brief
Graceful Mansion, also designated Block H2, forms part of Discovery Bay Phase 12 Siena Two at 27 Discovery Bay Road, on Lantau Island in the Islands District. It was developed by HKR International with an occupation permit dated 29 July 2002.
- Single block of 24 storeys, six units per floor, 133 units
- Saleable areas within the block from about 447 to 1,629 square feet, efficiency around 82 per cent
- Phase 12 Siena Two comprises 30 blocks and houses — 22 apartment blocks and 8 houses — with 757 units
- Phase facilities include clubhouse, gymnasium, banquet hall, indoor pool, beauty centre, spa, reading room, dance studio, bowling and children's play areas
- Primary One Admission school net 99
The full estate notes, island access rules and coastal specification are set out on our Flat B case study, together with the Discovery Bay logistics method and the coastal material specification. This page concentrates on completion.
One Campaign, Two Sets of Records
Sharing a site with the flat next door saves real money. It also creates one specific risk: paperwork bleeding between the two units. Four disciplines prevent it.
Two finishes schedules from the first meeting
Each flat has its own schedule naming every board, laminate, tile, paint and hardware reference. Common materials may be ordered together, but the schedules stay separate — otherwise a substitution in one flat quietly propagates to the other.
Two decision logs
Every approval, sample sign-off and layout confirmation is recorded against the flat it belongs to, with the date. When two households are choosing simultaneously, memory is not a record.
Two variation records
Changes are priced and approved in writing per flat. Shared items are apportioned openly rather than absorbed into one unit's variation. This is the same change-control discipline described on our Design & Build page.
Two handovers
Separate snag lists, separate test records, separate certificates, separate warranties. Each owner leaves with a complete file for their own property, which is what they will need in five years — not a shared folder.
How to Inspect a Finished Renovation
Most owners inspect by looking. Defects reveal themselves in operation. Seven steps, in order.
- Inspect in daylight, then again at night. Daylight exposes finish defects; artificial light exposes alignment, shadow gaps and paint patching that daylight forgives.
- Operate everything twice. Every door and drawer, every tap, every WC, every switch, every socket with a plug-in tester, every window. Twice, because the second operation reveals what the first one loosened.
- Sight along every cabinet run. Stand at one end and look down the line. Door gaps should be consistent, soft-close should engage without slamming, drawers should reach full extension, and shadow gaps should be even top to bottom.
- Test the wet areas deliberately. Run showers and basins together, watch for pooling rather than draining, check silicone joints for movement, and confirm the flood test record was issued before tiling proceeded.
- Separate defects from preferences. A door that will not close is a defect. A colour you have changed your mind about is a variation. Recording that difference honestly is what keeps the list credible and the rectification fast.
- Collect the certificates before energising and before final payment. Detailed in the next section — this is the step most owners skip.
- Re-inspect item by item after rectification. Verify each entry individually rather than accepting a blanket confirmation, then sign off. Rectification for a residential flat typically takes three to seven days.
The Snag List Checklist We Use
Entrance and corridor
- Door leaf alignment, closing without binding, lock and latch operation, door stop fitted
- Shoe cabinet doors and shelf pins; ventilation openings clear
- Skirting joints, paint edges at architraves, floor finish transitions
- Lighting switch operation and which circuit each switch controls
Living and dining
- Feature wall panel joints and cable access; equipment compartments ventilated
- Socket, data and television point positions against the furniture layout
- Ceiling and cove lines straight; access panels operable
- Curtain track or pocket alignment; curtains hanging clear of the floor by a consistent gap
- Window operation, locks, sealant and drainage holes clear
Bedrooms
- Wardrobe door gaps consistent along the whole run; hinges soft-closing evenly
- Hanging rails level and secure; shelves not bowing under load
- Top box doors reachable and closing fully
- Anti-tip fixings present on all tall units
- Bedhead panel lighting and charging outlets working
- Air conditioning operation, drainage, and no condensation staining
Kitchen
- Drawer full extension and load without sagging; runners aligned
- Worktop joints, sealant to splashback, no standing water at the sink surround
- Appliance housings sized correctly, ventilation clearances maintained, doors clearing handles
- Tap operation, water pressure hot and cold, waste running freely
- Extraction operating and ducted as designed
- Socket positions clear of cabinet internals
Bathrooms
- Floor falls to the drain with no pooling after five minutes of running water
- Silicone joints continuous and without gaps at corners
- Vanity doors and drawers operating; moisture-rated substrate visible where accessible
- Mirror cabinet alignment, lighting, and shaver or socket operation
- WC seating stable, flush volume adequate, no leak at the pan connection
- Extraction operating; door undercut sufficient for air replacement
Whole flat
- Every socket tested with a plug-in tester, and the distribution board labelled circuit by circuit
- Residual current device tested and tripping
- Paint patching invisible under artificial light
- Floor finish free of hollow sounds and level at thresholds
- All keys, spare parts and touch-up materials handed over
- Site cleaned including inside cabinets, on top of wardrobes and behind appliances
We walk this list with the client rather than sending it afterwards, because a defect explained on site is resolved in minutes and a defect emailed is resolved in weeks.
The Certificate Most Owners Never Ask For
Form WR1 — the electrical Work Completion Certificate
Under the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations, after completion of a fixed electrical installation — including any repair, alteration or addition — and before it is energised for use, the installation must be inspected, tested and certified by a registered electrical worker on the specified Work Completion Certificate, Form WR1, or Form WR1(A) where only part of the installation is involved.
Who signs it, and who keeps it
- The certificate must be signed by the registered electrical worker responsible for the work
- It must be endorsed by the registered electrical contractor employing that worker
- It should be passed to the owner of the installation before the installation is energised for use
- The registered electrical contractor must keep the certificate for at least five years
- The interval between the inspection date and the signing date recorded on the form should normally not exceed one month
The point owners should know
Issuing the Work Completion Certificate is a statutory requirement whether or not it appears as an item in the works contract. In other words, "it wasn't in the quotation" is not an answer. If your flat has been rewired, had circuits added, or had the distribution board altered, ask for the WR1 — and check that the signatures are those of the registered worker and contractor.
Form WR2
Separate from completion certification, Form WR2 is the Periodic Test Certificate used for periodic inspection and testing of certain fixed electrical installations. It is a different obligation from the completion certificate and worth understanding if you own a larger installation.
Other records that belong in the same file
- Waterproofing flood test record — bathrooms and kitchens filled and held for roughly 24 to 48 hours with the result recorded before tiling, ideally with photographs or video
- Minor works submissions where applicable — for Class II works, Form MW03 as the notice of commencement and Form MW04 as the certificate of completion. D-8 Limited is a Registered Minor Works Contractor Class II; background on our Spalling Repairing Works page and credentials section
- Appliance commissioning records and manufacturer installation certification where required
- Building management sign-off and return of the works deposit, once common areas are inspected
The Handover Document Pack
What each owner receives at completion. It fits in one folder, and it is worth more in five years than on the day.
- As-built drawings reflecting what was actually built, not what was originally drawn
- Finishes schedule naming every board, laminate, tile, paint, stone and hardware reference
- Form WR1 electrical Work Completion Certificate, signed and endorsed
- Flood test records for waterproofed areas
- Minor works submissions — Forms MW03 and MW04 — where applicable
- Appliance manuals and warranties, with model and serial numbers recorded
- Our defects warranty terms, stating duration and coverage
- Care notes for joinery, stone, mechanisms and, in a coastal flat, humidity management
- Spare materials — touch-up paint, spare tiles, spare hardware and edge banding
- Photographic record of concealed services before they were covered, so a future drill goes into plaster rather than a pipe
Why the concealed-services photographs matter most
Every owner eventually drills a wall. A photographic record of pipe and cable routes taken before closing up is the cheapest insurance in the entire project, and it costs nothing to produce during the works. It also makes any future alteration far simpler to price.
Why the finishes schedule matters second
Because in a coastal flat, hardware will eventually need replacing and a panel will eventually be damaged. With brand and model recorded, that becomes a purchase. Without it, it becomes an investigation and usually a compromise.
Using the Warranty Properly
What it covers
Defects in our workmanship, for the duration stated in the quotation and contract. Report issues in writing with photographs as soon as they appear rather than saving them until the period is nearly over — early reports are easier to diagnose and cheaper to fix.
What it does not cover
- Damage, misuse or accidental impact
- Normal wear, including hinge adjustment after heavy use
- Items supplied by others, which carry their own manufacturer warranties
- Consequences of building defects outside the flat, such as a leak from a common stack — although we will help evidence the source
What is not a defect at all
Natural variation in timber grain and stone veining, minor shrinkage cracking at plaster junctions during the first months as the flat dries and settles, and a change of mind about colour or layout. Saying this clearly at handover is what allows real defects to be handled quickly and without argument.
The first three months in a coastal flat
New joinery and fresh plaster release moisture. Ventilate, run air conditioning in dehumidify mode during humid spells, avoid hanging damp garments in closed wardrobes, and expect to re-tension one or two soft-close hinges once everything has settled. The full coastal care notes are on our Poggibonsi case study.
The Handover Phase, Day by Day
- Pre-inspection by us. We walk the flat and fix the obvious before the client sees it — a snag list should not be a to-do list we could have written ourselves.
- Joint inspection. Daylight walkthrough with the client, operating everything, list agreed and photographed on the spot.
- Rectification. Typically three to seven days for a residential flat, longer only if a replacement part must come to the island.
- Testing and certification. Electrical inspection, testing and Form WR1 issued before the installation is energised for use; flood test records compiled; appliance commissioning completed.
- Deep clean. Including inside cabinets, above wardrobes, behind appliances and window frames — the places that decide whether a flat feels finished.
- Verification visit and sign-off. Each snag item checked individually, document pack handed over, keys and spares transferred.
- Deposit return. Common areas inspected by building management and the works deposit released.
The full eight-stage project programme is on our Design & Build page.
Handover Items That Belong in the Quotation
A quotation that goes quiet after "painting" will treat everything below as an extra. These should be visible lines or stated inclusions.
- Testing and commissioning of electrical, water and appliance installations
- Electrical inspection, testing and issue of the Work Completion Certificate
- Waterproofing flood test and its recording
- Minor works submissions where applicable
- Snag list rectification and hardware adjustment
- Handover deep cleaning, including inside joinery
- As-built drawings and the finishes schedule
- Photographic record of concealed services
- Spare materials for future touch-up
- Defects warranty period, with duration and coverage stated
Use our 18-point quotation checklist to check for these, and read the warning signs — a missing handover scope is one of them.
Handover & Snagging FAQ
Ask Any Contractor for Their Handover List
What they hand over at completion tells you more than any showroom. Free site visit, free measurement, written itemized quotation including the handover scope. Call 9135 3998 or email enquiry@designd8.com.
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