How to check the bathrooms in your new BTO flat (toilet, basin, pipes and tiles)

Most of the defects that cause real trouble later start in the bathroom: water that doesn't drain, a slow leak under the basin, a gap in the sealant that lets water behind the tiles. The good news is that a bathroom is small. Fifteen careful minutes per bathroom at key collection is enough to catch most of it while it's still HDB's to fix.

Before you start

• Bring a pail or a large bottle of water, a torch, a coin or the back of a screwdriver for tapping tiles, masking tape and a marker, and some tissue paper.
• Check that the water supply to the flat is on. If the taps run dry, ask at the Building Service Centre (BSC) before you leave.
• Do one bathroom at a time and finish it before moving on. It's easy to lose track when two bathrooms look the same.

1. Floor tiles and the drainage test

• Tap every floor tile, including the ones near the floor trap and the door. A hollow, drum-like sound means the tile may not be fully bonded.
• Look for cracked or chipped tiles and gaps or missing grout between tiles.
• Pour water across the floor, starting from the far corner and the doorway. It should flow to the floor trap without collecting in puddles. Water that sits in one spot (ponding) usually means the floor isn't sloped properly.
• Check the doorway. Water should not run out of the bathroom onto the bedroom or living room floor.

Our guide to the drainage test goes through this step by step.

2. Wall tiles

• Tap the wall tiles too, especially around the shower area and the corners.
• Look along each row for tiles that stick out, uneven edges and cracks.
• Check the sealant where the wall tiles meet the floor and around any pipes coming out of the wall. Gaps here let water get behind the tiles over time.

3. Toilet bowl, basin and taps (if installed)

Depending on your flat, some fittings may already be installed. If they are, test each one:

• Toilet bowl: flush it two or three times. The cistern should refill and stop on its own, without a constant trickle into the bowl. Check that the bowl doesn't rock, and look at the base for water after flushing.
• Wash basin: fill it a little and let it drain. Then look underneath with a torch and wipe the pipe joints with tissue. Wet tissue means a leak.
• Taps and shower: run hot and cold (if connected) for a minute each. Check that they turn fully off with no dripping, and that the shower set and holder are firmly fixed.
• Chips and scratches: look over the ceramic and chrome surfaces. These are hard to prove as original defects once you've moved in.

4. Pipes, ceiling and walls outside the bathroom

• Look up at the bathroom ceiling for stains, damp patches or peeling paint, which can mean water from the flat above.
• Check the walls on the other side of the bathroom (the bedroom or corridor wall) for damp marks at the bottom.
• Look at any exposed pipes for rust, drips or loose brackets.
• If there's a water heater point or an exhaust fan point, check it's there and its cover is intact. Don't test electrical points with water around.

5. Door, window and fittings

• Open and close the bathroom door. Check that it doesn't scrape the floor, that the lock works, and that the bottom of the door isn't swollen or damaged.
• Check the bathroom window: it should open, close and lock properly, and the seal should be intact.
• Check any towel rails, soap holders or other fittings for looseness.

Mark and photograph each problem

• Put a numbered piece of tape next to each problem, for example #21 on the floor tile that sounds hollow.
• Take a close-up showing the tape and the defect, and a wider photo that shows which bathroom it is.
• Write down where it is in words: "Common bathroom, floor, tile next to floor trap, hollow".

Master and common bathrooms often look almost the same in photos. Label each photo with the bathroom name, or pin your numbers on a floor plan, so the BSC and the contractor fix the right one.

Report before you renovate

Report bathroom defects to the BSC together with the rest of your list, within the first few weeks after key collection and before your contractor starts work. Once new tiles, vanity cabinets or a shower screen go in, it's much harder to show that a leak or a hollow tile was there from the start.

If you're overlaying or retiling the bathroom, it's still worth reporting ponding and leaks. They can cause problems under the new tiles too.

Check again before the DLP ends

Some bathroom problems only show up after a few months of daily use: a slow leak under the basin, grout that cracks, or a damp patch on the ceiling below. Do a second check in month 11 of your defects liability period, while there's still time to report it.