Kitchen Defects at VP
Cabinets, Sink, Worktop & Seals in a New Home (2026)

What kitchen defects look like at VP

Developer-supplied kitchens are usually a run of base and wall cabinets, a worktop with a sink and often a hob cut-out, a backsplash and a tap. At VP the common faults are cabinet doors that sit at different heights or leave uneven gaps, doors that rub each other or will not stay shut, drawers that stick or drop, edge banding that is lifting, a carcass panel that is chipped or already swollen, a worktop with a chipped edge at the sink, a crack running from a cut-out or an open joint between two lengths of top, a gap between the top and the wall, silicone that stops short, a tap that drips, and a damp patch on the floor of the sink cabinet.

All of this can be found in a few minutes with the doors open and a torch. If you want someone to do the check with you, our defect inspection service in KL & Selangor covers the kitchen along with every other room.

Why new kitchens go wrong

Factory-made cabinets arrive square, but the kitchen they go into rarely is. Floors fall towards the floor trap, walls bow and corners are not true, so the installer has to level the base run and scribe to the walls. When that is rushed, the stone top sits on a low point and cracks, doors drift out of line, drawers run open by themselves and a gap opens between the top and the wall. Kitchens are also installed late, while plumbers, painters and cleaners are still working, so tops get chipped and doors get knocked.

The cabinet installation guide sets out what should happen on site, from levelling the base run to sealing the kitchen against daily water. Comparing what you see with that standard is the quickest way to judge a defect.

How to check the kitchen at VP

Work along the run from one end to the other and note each cabinet's position (for example "second base cabinet from the left"). The checklist tool lets you tick your defects room by room and keeps the list in order.

Cabinet doors, hinges and drawers

Look along the closed doors from the side. Fronts should line up, with even gaps between them. A door that sits proud, drops at one corner or touches its neighbour usually needs its hinge adjusted; a door that will not adjust may have a loose hinge plate or a damaged edge. Open each door fully: it should not hit the wall, the hood or another door. Soft-close hinges should close gently rather than slam.

Pull every drawer right out and push it back. It should run smoothly, stay level and close fully. A drawer that runs open by itself suggests the base run is not level. Check the handles are firm, and that wall cabinets are fixed tight to the wall with no movement when you pull gently on the bottom edge.

The sink cabinet: leaks and swelling

The cabinet under the sink is where kitchens fail first, because a slow drip from a trap or hose can soak the bottom panel for months unnoticed. At VP run the tap for a while, fill the sink and let it drain, then wipe the trap, the waste pipe, the flexible hoses and the angle valve with a dry tissue. A damp tissue means a joint is weeping. The under-sink leak guide explains how to tell a waste leak from a supply leak.

Look closely at the cabinet floor and the bottom edges. Swelling, a soft panel, lifting edge banding or water marks at handover mean water has already reached the board, during the build or from a leaking joint, and the panel will not recover. That is a defect to list even if the leak has stopped.

Worktop, backsplash and silicone

Run your eye along the worktop against the light. Chips on the sink edge and the front edge are common site damage. A crack running out from the hob or sink cut-out is more serious, because it can point to a top that is not fully supported underneath. Joints between two lengths of top should be tight and flush. The countertop chip and crack guide explains how the repair differs by material.

Silicone is the merged sealant check for the kitchen: the bead round the sink, along the back of the top where it meets the wall or backsplash, and round any tap or fitting set into the top. It should be continuous, sit in the joint and not be smeared across the surface. A gap behind the sink lets water run down the back of the cabinets. Check the backsplash tiles and grout above the sink and hob as well.

Wet kitchen floor, hob, hood and points

If your unit has a wet kitchen or yard with a floor trap, pour a little water on the floor and check it runs to the trap rather than towards the cabinets or the door. Where the developer supplied a hob or hood, switch each on and confirm it works and the hood extracts. Note any power point that is damaged, loose or blocked by a cabinet; testing what each point does belongs with the electrical checks.

Defect or normal? What to list

Keep it qualitative. Anything that affects how a door, drawer, tap or sink works, lets water get where it should not, or is visible damage from normal standing distance is worth listing. Dust, protective film and marks you or your movers caused are not developer defects, and cabinets you installed yourself are not covered.

How to word it on the defect list

Say where the item is, what is wrong and what you expect:

• Kitchen, base cabinet second from left: door sits lower than its neighbour and rubs when closing; please adjust or re-fix hinges.
• Kitchen, drawer unit beside the hob: top drawer runs open by itself and drops at the front.
• Kitchen, sink cabinet: bottom panel swollen at the front edge and marked by water; trap joint weeps after the sink is drained.
• Kitchen worktop: chip on the front edge of the sink cut-out; crack running from the back corner of the hob cut-out.
• Kitchen: silicone along the back of the worktop has gaps at both ends; open grout in the backsplash behind the tap.

Send the list in writing and keep a copy; the defect liability period guide explains how to report correctly.

What the developer's repair should look like

Doors should be adjusted or re-hung so the fronts line up and close properly, with any damaged hinge replaced. Sticking drawers should be re-set on their runners, and if the cause is an unlevel base run, the run should be levelled. A swollen or water-damaged sink-base panel should be replaced, not painted over, and the leaking joint fixed first. A cracked top should be assessed for support underneath before it is repaired or replaced; chips should be filled to match. Silicone should be cut out and re-run, not overlaid. Re-check everything the same way before you sign the repair off.

If the defect comes back

A sink cabinet that gets wet again, or doors that drift out of line again, point to a cause that was not fixed. Report it again in writing as a repeat defect while you are within the 24 months. If water keeps appearing and the source is unclear, leak detection by ClickBina is RM300 – RM800 per visit. That is a separate service from any repair. After the DLP ends, repairs are yours to arrange; published ClickBina figures (indicative 2026, Klang Valley) for common kitchen work:

How ClickBina helps with kitchen defects

We inspect new homes and subsale units across KL & Selangor, open every cabinet, run the sink and check the worktop and seals, and write up what we find so it can go straight onto your defect list. ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor for whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination, so cabinet, worktop and sink repairs can be carried out by the same team when the developer will not, or after the DLP. WhatsApp us your unit type, size and VP date for an inspection quote. We reply within the hour, we are registered with SSM, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges. For repair work, a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina defect liability period guide — the 24-month DLP from vacant possession and written reporting.
• ClickBina cabinet installation guide — levelling the base run and sealing the kitchen.
• ClickBina cabinet door replacement guide — hinge and carcass prices.
• ClickBina silicone resealing and under-sink leak guides — sink joint and trap repairs and prices.
• ClickBina handover water check guide — the leak detection fee.

Methodology: checks are simple owner checks. Defect-or-normal guidance is qualitative; no level or gap tolerance is given because none is published on the pages above. Prices are ClickBina indicative 2026 Klang Valley ranges from the guide named beside each. This is not legal advice.