Before you sign the final HDB release form on your BTO flat, you should have already done the requisite self-education on the potential faults to check in your new home (in case you have decided not to engage with a professional defect check contractor), performed a thorough inspection where you identified defects or any construction aspects you weren’t happy with, and consolidated a report on them for filing as a rectification request at the BSC. 

Self-education is one half of a successful home defect check, the other half is securing the right set of tools and knowing the function of each tool and how to use it during the inspection. This article on the torch light is the first in a series of five micro reviews on the different tools you will be needing to carry out an effective inspection of your BTO flat. These tools are all included in BTO Defect Check’s $20 deal which also includes an empowering thirty-minute in-person demonstration of their use by our expert team of handymen and home inspection specialists.

What is a torch light?

In the context of home inspection, a torch light is basically a handheld light source that’s either battery operated or rechargeable. The most important quality to look for in a torch light is its brightness. The brighter the light, the more effective it is in illuminating faults in your home.

Why do you need a torch light?

A torch light, creating a bright path of light, will prove most useful for directing your attention to dark, inaccessible corners of your newly renovated home where defects might be present. Through it, you will notice imperceptible cracks in the foundation, hidden leaks, stains from seepage, and patchy paint jobs. Just be thorough with your inspection. All faulty areas that need repairing will ultimately become obvious to you.

Where do you get a torch light?

Hardware stores might carry a good torch light with a powerful beam that you can use during your home inspection. Or, you can source one from an online shopping platform. We also recommend getting your very own torch light as part of BTO Defect Check’s $20 deal of expertly curated set of home inspection tools and handheld devices plus a thirty-minute in-person demonstration of their use by our skilled team of handymen.

The underlying defects that the torch light–as well as the other essential home inspection tools–can help you uncover may have been caused by HDB’s construction or from your requested renovation work–which means it is important that you complete and file your inspection report within one month of your key-collection day, which is also the start date of your Defects Liability Period, and way before you begin any renovation work on your flat.