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 telescopic inspection mirror 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 telescopic inspection mirror?

An inspection mirror is a small solidly framed magnifying mirror that is normally mounted on a gimbal stabilizer and attached to a telescopic handle for checking the hard-to-reach corners and inaccessible areas of your newly constructed or renovated home. The handle is usually grooved or lined with anti-skid sponge for ease of handling.

Why do you need a telescopic inspection mirror?

A telescopic inspection mirror will render visible the otherwise not-too-obvious faults in your BTO flat, including hairline cracks on the walls, patches of peeling paint, or small holes in recessed joints. With a telescopic inspection mirror, you can do a thorough visual check of your home and leave no defect unturned.

Where do you get a telescopic inspection mirror?

Hardware stores might carry a telescopic inspection mirror that you can use for your home inspection. Or, you can source one from an online shopping platform. We also recommend getting your very own inspection mirror 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 telescopic inspection mirror–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.