NovFit-out specification and furniture inventory
Disappointment at handover almost always sounds the same: the apartment is the right one, but it is "not like that". A different kitchen, different sanitaryware, an alcove where the fitted wardrobe was meant to be, no appliances at all. By that point the argument has nothing to work with: the buyer has a memory of the show unit, the developer has the text of the contract. This page is about making that comparison possible in advance.
How the show unit differs from the delivered apartment
A show unit is a display, and that is fine: it shows the layout, the ceiling height, the light, the feel of the space. But it is assembled to sell, and so it usually contains things that are not part of your apartment.
- Styling and decor. Art, rugs, crockery, plants, textiles — almost never included.
- Furniture. May be included in full, in part or not at all; "furnished apartment" without a list of items means nothing.
- Appliances. Air conditioning, kitchen appliances, water heater, extractor — each item has to be named separately.
- Finishing materials. The display unit may use a sample that differs from what goes into the production units.
- Layout liberties. A display sometimes drops a partition or uses furniture made to measure.
That difference is unpacked in show unit versus delivered property. The practical conclusion here is single: anything you saw in the show unit and want to receive must become a line in the specification before you sign. After signing there is almost no leverage.
What the specification is and where it lives
The specification is an annex to the contract listing the finishes, equipment and furniture the seller must deliver. It only works under three conditions: it is part of the contract, it is signed by both parties, and it uses verifiable wording.
The legal weight of an annex and the procedure for changing it are set by your contract — we state no universal rule. But three things are worth checking in your own paperwork: whether the contract itself names the document as an annex, whether it carries signatures and a date, and what the contract says about precedence if the annex and the main text diverge.
Separate built-ins, accessories and loose movables
Cambodia’s Civil Code distinguishes components from accessory objects. In the setting addressed by Article 125, fixtures or furniture that cannot be separated from a building without destroying it or altering its inherent nature may be treated as components; Article 126 states that rights in a principal object extend to accessory objects unless the parties specifically agree otherwise. Classification for a condominium item can still turn on installation, function and the transaction documents, so do not rely on an assumption where the item matters.
Give every specification line a clear status: built-in component, accessory serving the apartment, or separate movable item. State next to it whether it is included in the price and transfers to the buyer. A fitted kitchen, a freestanding refrigerator and a decorative table should not disappear into the same undefined phrase, “fully furnished”.
How to describe items measurably
A specification line is useful when, at handover, it produces an unambiguous yes or no without involving anyone's taste or mood.
| Not verifiable | Verifiable |
|---|---|
| Modern kitchen | Kitchen units, base and wall runs, total run length, door material, worktop with material and thickness |
| Premium sanitaryware | WC, basin, mixer, shower system — one line per room, with type and material |
| Air conditioning | Split units: quantity, type, rooms, capacity |
| Quality flooring | Floor finish with material, class and area per room |
| Furnished apartment | An itemised furniture list with quantities and rooms |
| Built-in wardrobes | Quantity, rooms, dimensions, internal fit-out |
A good test of wording: imagine holding the line in your hand at handover and having to tick it in silence. If ticking it requires a conversation, the line is badly written.
Do not forget quantity and room. "Air conditioners" with no number and no rooms is an argument; "two split units, bedroom and living room" is a fact. Call out separately the items that habitually fall through the cracks: insect screens, curtain tracks and curtains, mirrors, towel rail, extractor, lighting beyond the base points, keys and access fobs.
Specify the connection and the space it must fit
Even the correct model can be unusable if it does not fit the opening, blocks a door, lacks service access or is incompatible with the prepared utilities. For built-in appliances, air-conditioning, water heaters and sanitaryware, record not only the item but also the opening dimensions, required clearances, door swing, and the power, water, drainage and ventilation points it needs.
State who supplies and installs brackets, adapters, hoses, cables and other connection parts. At handover, test the assembled system in its intended position rather than a boxed appliance: it should be installed, connected, maintainable and able to perform the agreed function.
Brands and models
Naming a specific model makes a line as verifiable as it gets, but honesty is needed in both directions. A brand name said out loud by a salesperson in the show room is not an obligation: it becomes one only in the text of the specification.
For that reason we deliberately name no appliance or furniture brands on this page as expected or typical for Cambodian projects. Your fit-out is what is written in your contract, and nothing beyond that. If a brand matters to you, push for it to appear in the annex. If the seller will not commit to a model, the sensible compromise is measurable characteristics: type, capacity, size, material, class.
Keep pre-contract promises in a separate evidence file
A brochure, email, chat or quotation does not replace the signed specification, but it should not be discarded once the contract is signed. Cambodia’s Law on Consumer Protection of 2 November 2019 prohibits misleading statements about the kind, characteristics, fitness, quantity, standard and quality of goods. Whether those provisions apply depends in part on whether the buyer falls within the statutory definition of a consumer.
Keep the original files with their date and context: who made the statement, which project and unit it concerned, what was promised, and which version of the material was current. This record does not guarantee a particular remedy, but it gives a lawyer or regulator an evidential trail rather than a recollection of a conversation.
Equivalents and substitutions
Almost every off-plan contract gives the seller a right to substitute items. That is not bad faith: years pass between signing and handover, models are discontinued, supply changes. The danger is not the substitution but its lack of limits — wording that allows anything to be swapped for anything.
Four things are worth looking at in that clause:
- What bounds the right: equivalent characteristics, no lower in class, comparable functionality.
- Whether the buyer is notified, and how long before handover.
- Whether the buyer's consent is needed and what happens if it is withheld.
- Whether the substitution is documented — in an updated annex, not in a messenger note.
How the clause will actually play out in your case depends on the contract text; we assert no standard rule on this. It is exactly the clause to read with a lawyer before signing, not after you get a substitution notice.
The inventory at handover
The inventory is the specification turned into a checklist. Build it from the specification lines, in the same order and with the same words, rather than from a free impression of the apartment.
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Specification line | The wording from the contract annex, verbatim |
| Room | Where the item is supposed to be |
| Quantity per contract / actual | Two numbers side by side — the gap is visible at once |
| Present | Present / missing / substituted |
| Condition | New, installation marks, damage, not working |
| Function | For appliances — switched on and tested, result |
| Photo | Photo number or file reference |
| Discrepancy and request | What is wrong and what you are asking for |
Test appliances by switching them on, not by their presence: an air conditioner on the wall and an air conditioner that cools are two different facts. Where possible record the serial numbers of installed equipment — without them it is hard to prove later which unit was handed to you.
Handover an appliance as a complete set
For each appliance, list everything needed for full use or servicing: remote controls, shelves and trays, filters, hoses, leads and adapters, fixing hardware, manuals, warranty documents and, where available, an installation or commissioning record. Give each part its own present or missing check in the inventory.
Tie the pack to the actual appliance: model, serial number and room should match across the inventory, rating plate and warranty paperwork. Record who receives a claim and what event starts the warranty period under the contract or manufacturer’s terms; do not assume it automatically runs from the key collection date.
The inventory format and how it sits alongside a condition report are covered in detail in inventory and condition report — the principle is the same, only the moment differs: at purchase the inventory records what the seller delivered, in a tenancy it records condition for the tenant.
Photographs and signatures
Photographs are the cheapest evidence and the most often skipped. Shoot on handover day: a general view of each room, then every contentious item in close-up, then rating plates and serial numbers, then every defect. Make sure the files keep their capture date, and do not re-save them through messengers, which strip the metadata.
Then the set gets signed: the inventory, the photo annex and the handover record — together, by both parties, in two copies. One stays with you. A verbal "we'll finish it next week" is not evidence.
For a resale, freeze the contents list at two points
In a resale, agree and sign the baseline inventory with the sale contract or other document defining what is sold. Before final payment and handover, walk through the same version again and mark every item as still present, substituted, damaged or excluded by a written agreement.
Ask the seller to confirm separately that the listed movables belong to the seller rather than a tenant, the management company or another person. Name everything the seller intends to remove and allocate the consequences of removal: who makes good holes and finishes, and who leaves electrical and water connections safe.
How this ties to snagging and warranty
Fit-out is only one of three handover threads. The second is area, which is checked separately and by its own rules — see measuring the delivered property area. The third is quality and defects, covered in defects and warranty.
It matters to separate two kinds of claim, because they take two different routes. A missing or substituted item is non-performance of the specification, and the remedy sought is delivery or compensation. A broken item is a defect, and it goes through the warranty procedure. The same inventory line can produce both.
We deliberately give no figures for warranty periods on appliances and furniture: those are set by your contract and by the manufacturer's terms, not by industry custom. At signing, establish what exactly is covered, who receives the claim, and whether the equipment warranty documents are handed to you.
What to do, step by step
- Before signing, obtain the specification as an annex and read it line by line.
- Rewrite unverifiable wording into measurable wording and agree the edits in writing.
- List furniture and appliances separately, with quantities and rooms.
- Read the substitution clause and understand its limits — with a lawyer.
- Keep the signed annex with the contract, along with every later amendment.
- Before handover, turn the specification into an inventory table.
- At handover check line by line, switch appliances on, photograph, record serial numbers.
- Sign the inventory, the photo annex and the handover record; take your copy and the warranty documents.
Preparing for handover? We will help you work through the specification in your contract, build an inventory for your unit, and put discrepancies into a written claim.
Ask about your unitTelegramFrequently asked questions
Will my apartment be handed over exactly like the show unit?
Only to the extent that it is written into your contract. A show unit is a display: it usually contains styling, appliances and furniture that are not part of the package, and the materials in it may differ from those used in the production units. The only way to know what you will get is to read the specification as an annex to the contract and compare it with what you were shown.
What has to be in the specification for it to work?
Each line must be verifiable without argument: what exactly, how many units, in which room, with measurable characteristics — size, material, type, and where appropriate the model. Wording such as "modern kitchen", "premium sanitaryware" or "quality finishes" cannot be verified and therefore guarantees nothing. The specification should be an annex to the contract, signed by both parties.
The developer reserves the right to substitute equivalent items. Is that normal?
A substitution clause is ordinary in itself — over the years of construction an item can go out of production. The danger is not the substitution but the absence of limits on it. Look at what the right is bounded by: equivalent characteristics, no lower in class, notice to the buyer, and the change recorded in an updated annex. The exact wording and its consequences depend on your contract, so read this clause with a lawyer before signing.
How do I tie the handover inventory to the specification?
Build the inventory line by line from the specification rather than from a free impression: the same order, the same wording, and against each line the presence, condition and any discrepancy. Everything is backed by dated photographs and signed by both parties together with the handover record. Then the discussion is about a specific line rather than a general feeling that more was promised.
Should the contract list items that are not included in the sale?
Yes, especially in a resale or partly furnished transaction. Give each disputed item one status: included, excluded, not present, or offered separately at an agreed price; the Law Society’s 2013 TA10 form uses this logic, although it is not a mandatory Cambodian template. Where a fitted or connected item will be removed, also agree the safe condition in which the opening, wiring or plumbing must be left.
Sources
Buyer support and handover practice in Phnom Penh · NovAsia research on property handover · checked July 2026. This review deliberately does not confirm or state: any Cambodian statutory requirements for the content of a fit-out specification, warranty periods for appliances, furniture or finishes, regulatory limits on a seller's right to substitute equivalent items, or a mandatory form for the inventory and handover record. All of the above is set by your contract and its annexes and should be checked with a lawyer. Appliance and furniture brand names are deliberately not given on this page: your fit-out is what is written in your contract, not what stood in the display unit. This content is for general information only and is not legal advice.