SERVICE / LANDED HOMES
Landed house defect inspection
in Penang.
Collecting the keys to a new terrace, cluster, semi-D or bungalow? A landed home has more to check than a condo unit: the staircase, more bathrooms, the car porch, drains and external walls. We inspect the accessible areas inside and out, and hand you a photographic defect report you can submit to the developer within your defect liability period.
Book a landed house inspectionSHORT ANSWER
What a landed inspection covers.
A landed house defect inspection by The Inspect Guys is a visual inspection of the accessible areas of a terrace, cluster, semi-detached or detached house in Penang Island or Seberang Perai. Inside, every accessible floor and wall tile is tapped for hollowness and every door, window, tap, drain, socket and switch is tested. Outside, the car porch, apron, perimeter drains, external walls and gates are checked, with the roof and gutters seen from safe points. Each defect is photographed and located in a report for your developer. Pricing is by written quotation.
- For: new-home buyers at vacant possession, subsale buyers before they commit, owners after renovation.
- When: soon after VP, before renovation, extensions, awnings or grilles.
- Report: every finding numbered, photographed and tied to a location.
- Price: by quotation, with group pricing for neighbours in the same phase.
01 / WHAT WE CHECK
Inside, outside
and up the stairs.
A double-storey terrace often has twice the floor area of a typical condo unit, and parts a condo does not have. In a typical Penang landed home we check:
- Floor and wall tiles in every room: tapped for hollowness, checked for cracks, chips, lippage, gaps and missing grout.
- Plaster, paint and ceilings: cracks, uneven patches, stains and water marks, especially on ceilings under upstairs bathrooms.
- Staircase: tread and riser finishes, nosings, railing and balustrade firmness and gaps, and the stair soffit.
- Doors, windows and grilles supplied by the developer: operation, locks, alignment, seals, glass and frames.
- Bathrooms (often three or more): falls to the floor trap, ponding, drains, WC, basins, taps and water pressure upstairs.
- Kitchen and yard: sinks, wet-kitchen drains, yard floor falls and wash-area finishes.
- Electrical: the distribution board and its labels, and every accessible socket, switch, light and fan point.
- Car porch and apron: cracks, settlement gaps between the porch slab and the house, and falls that carry rainwater away from the walls.
- Perimeter drains, gutters and downpipes: cracks, standing water, blocked outlets, and downpipes connected and fixed.
- External and boundary walls, gates: cracks, render and paint, gaps at frames, gate alignment.
- Roof and gutters where they can be seen safely from the ground, windows or balconies. We do not walk on roofs.
02 / LANDED-ONLY DEFECTS
Things a condo
doesn't have.
- Junction cracks. The porch slab, apron and perimeter drain settle separately from the house, so cracks often open where they meet. We record their width and location.
- Rainwater against the house. Blocked gutters, downpipes discharging onto walls and aprons that fall towards the house show up as damp at the base of walls.
- Leaks from your own upstairs bathroom. In a landed home the 'unit above' is yours, so a water mark on a ground-floor ceiling is a developer defect to report during the defect liability period. A ponding test on the upper bathrooms confirms it.
- Roof leaks: stains on top-floor ceilings after rain.
- Subsale houses: we also note visible signs of past leaks and earlier alterations, so they can be priced into your offer.
03 / VP HANDOVER
Two years,
more surface.
For a new landed home bought from a developer, the standard Schedule G sale and purchase agreement gives a defect liability period that is commonly 24 months from vacant possession. Book the inspection soon after VP, before renovation, extensions, awnings or grilles go in: outside works can crack drains and aprons, and once they are done it is hard to show what was there at handover.
Neighbours in the same phase often collect keys in the same weeks. Several houses in one development can be inspected on coordinated dates; ask about group pricing.
04 / ACCESS & PREPARATION
What a landed
inspection needs.
- Keys for every door, the gate and any roof access hatch.
- Water and electricity connected, so taps, drains, sockets and lights can be tested. New houses sometimes need the meters registered first.
- An empty house in daylight. Furniture and boxes hide floors and walls.
- Ponding tests on upstairs bathrooms and balconies hold water for a period and are quoted separately. See the ponding test guide.
- Can't attend? The photographic report shows each finding with its location, so you can follow it remotely.
05 / WHERE WE WORK
Landed schemes
across Penang.
Most new landed homes in Penang are on the mainland, in Batu Kawan, Simpang Ampat, Bukit Mertajam, Nibong Tebal, Tasek Gelugor and Permatang Pauh, with island schemes in places like Andaman Island and Teluk Kumbar. We cover all of Seberang Perai and Penang Island, and have inspected units at 58 developments, landed and high-rise, including Fera Courtyard Terraces on Andaman Island.
REAL EXAMPLES
Outside the
rooms, too.
In one new double-storey house we inspected in October 2026, 32 of 108 items were outside the main rooms: external walls, car porch, perimeter, roof and the water tank area. These photos are from that report.
WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY
Rated 5.0
on Google.
5.0 from 4 reviews on our Google Business Profile, as of October 2026. Quoted as written.
★★★★★“Excellent inspection team, professional, thorough, and helpful. They explained everything clearly and completed the inspection efficiently. Highly recommended!”
★★★★★“Fast respond, reasonable prices, detail inspection and most importantly good attitude!”
★★★★★“Great service! Professional and thorough. Highly recommended!”
QUESTIONS
Quick
answers.
Something else on your mind?
We're a message away.
What does a landed house defect inspection in Penang include?
A visual inspection of the accessible areas of the house: every accessible floor and wall tile tapped for hollowness; plaster, paint and ceilings; doors, windows and grilles; the staircase; bathrooms, kitchen and yard; the distribution board, sockets and switches; and outside, the car porch, apron, drains, gutters, external walls and gates. Every defect is photographed and located in a report you can submit to your developer.
How long does a landed house inspection take?
Longer than a condo unit, because there is more floor area, more bathrooms, a staircase and the outside of the house. The time depends on the size of the house and how many defects are found; we confirm it with your quotation.
Do you inspect the roof?
We check the roof and gutters where they can be seen safely from the ground, windows or balconies, and look for water stains on top-floor ceilings. We do not walk on roofs.
Do you inspect subsale terrace houses before purchase?
Yes. A subsale house has no developer defect period, so a pre-purchase inspection shows you its visible condition, including past leaks and alterations, before you commit.
How much does a landed house defect inspection cost in Penang?
Pricing is by written quotation, based on the property type, floor area and agreed scope, so send us the development name, property type, approximate size and preferred date on WhatsApp (016-470 5915). As a guide, firms that publish prices in Malaysia, mostly in the Klang Valley, charge from about RM300 for a small apartment to about RM950 to RM1,500 for a large landed home, before add-ons such as ponding tests. See inspection cost and our pricing guide.
Collecting keys to a new house?
Send your development, house type and preferred date. The scope and quotation are agreed before booking.
Book a landed house inspection