“Fully finished”, “semi-finished” and “core and shell” describe different expected delivery conditions, but they do not have identical specifications across every project. The reliable answer is the written specification for your exact property: what is supplied, installed, connected and working, and what you must still arrange or pay for.
Do not assume that “fully finished” includes a kitchen, air conditioning, appliances, furniture or activated utilities. A useful specification turns each of those assumptions into a clear inclusion, exclusion or question. This guide explains how to build that list and use it at handover.
Common finishing descriptions in plain English
The descriptions below are starting points for questions, not universal standards or promises about a particular listing. Two developers can use the same label for different packages.
| Description | Usual idea | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Core and shell | A structural or enclosing shell intended for substantial internal work. | Partitions, windows, doors, service entry points and exactly where the developer’s work stops. |
| Unfinished | A broad description indicating work remains. | A complete list of completed and outstanding works; do not infer a particular stage. |
| Semi-finished | Some preparatory or service work is included, with final finishes still needed. | Plaster, screed, wiring, plumbing and whether installations are complete or merely prepared. |
| Fully finished | A package of final internal finishes. | Every supplied item, especially kitchens, air conditioning, appliances and connections. |
| Turnkey | Presented as ready for its intended use after handover. | What “ready” means, testing, utility activation and anything excluded. |
| Furnished | Furniture is offered with the property. | A signed inventory, item condition and exclusions; it does not identify every appliance. |
| Fully equipped | Equipment is offered as part of the package. | The actual equipment list, quantities, installation, operation and warranties. |
Make a room-by-room specification
Floors, walls and ceilings
Ask about flooring materials, skirting, wall preparation, paint finish and ceiling treatment in each room. Identify the finish on balconies and terraces separately. A photograph of one room does not establish what is included everywhere else.
For a resale, inspect the condition of existing finishes rather than assuming that a historic finishing description still describes them accurately. Look for visible cracks, staining, loose tiles and signs that need a technical inspection. A visual check alone cannot diagnose the cause of a defect.
Doors, windows and glazing
List the entrance door, internal doors, frames, handles and locks. Confirm window and glazing specifications, seals, opening mechanisms and balcony doors. At inspection, check operation and visible alignment; ask a technical professional to assess concerns about installation or performance.
Electrical work and lighting
Distinguish wiring and electrical points from switches, sockets and fitted light fixtures. Identify the number and location of points and any dedicated provision for major appliances. Ask what testing and documentation will be supplied. Electrical safety should be checked by a qualified professional, not by a buyer experimenting with unfinished wiring.
Plumbing and sanitaryware
Separate pipework from fitted toilets, basins, taps, showers, screens and accessories. Confirm water-heater inclusion and installation. Ask how water pressure, drainage and visible leaks will be checked at handover, and who resolves any defects recorded.
Kitchens, storage and wardrobes
A kitchen provision may mean service connections without cabinets or worktops. Ask separately about cabinets, hinges, worktops, sink, taps, splashbacks and installation. List wardrobes and built-in storage explicitly. Check appliance spaces and service requirements before ordering furniture or equipment yourself.
Air conditioning, heaters and appliances
“Air-conditioning provision” should not be read as a promise of supplied units. Ask about equipment, capacity, pipework, drainage, outdoor-unit locations, installation and commissioning. For water heaters and appliances, record brand or specification, model where agreed, quantity and warranty information.
Utilities and outdoor areas
Identify electricity and water meters, connection arrangements and who applies and pays for activation. Ask whether services will be operating when you inspect. For balconies, roofs, terraces and gardens, list flooring, drainage, lighting, sockets, taps, boundary treatment and landscaping where included. Confirm permitted use separately through the legal review.
A render, a show unit and a specification are different evidence
A marketing render illustrates a proposed appearance. A show apartment demonstrates a physical presentation that may contain upgrades, decoration or furniture not included in the price. The written specification for the exact unit is the starting point for establishing the agreed package.
Keep copies of the marketing material too, and ask your lawyer to resolve discrepancies rather than deciding yourself that one document cancels another. The Consumer Protection Agency’s published Law No. 181 of 2018 addresses misleading descriptions; the application of the law and any available remedy requires individual legal review. This guide does not say that a brochure discrepancy is legally irrelevant.
As a practical example, a show kitchen might contain integrated appliances and decorative lighting, while the proposed schedule lists only cabinets and worktops. Ask for the difference to be itemised and priced before choosing the package. Do not wait until delivery to discover which presentation you purchased.
Brands, quality grades and substitutions
Where a brand or quality grade matters, ask for an identifiable specification rather than a broad phrase such as “premium quality”. Record the relevant product range or measurable characteristics where available. Samples can help establish colour and finish, but ask how the approved sample is identified in the paperwork.
Read any provision permitting substitute materials. Ask how equivalence is assessed, who decides and how you are notified. Have your lawyer review the provision rather than assuming you can reject any substitution or that the developer has an unlimited right to change the package.
Budget for the work between handover and moving in
Ask whether supply, transport, installation, testing and connection costs are included. These are separate questions: an appliance can be supplied without being connected, and a finished room can still need curtains, lights and furniture.
Create three lists: included and confirmed; excluded and priced; unresolved. Obtain quotations for the excluded work and retain a contingency for unresolved items. Add practical time for approvals, contractor access, measurements, ordering and delivery. Do not book an inflexible move-in date solely around the contractual handover month.
Use Planning a Furnishing and Move-In Budget alongside Furnished or Unfurnished Property in Hurghada. For off-plan choices, How to Evaluate an Off-Plan Project adds the wider project assessment.
Inspect against the agreed list at handover
Bring the final specification, inventory and plan. Work through the property room by room and photograph discrepancies with a date and location. Test only items that are safe and ready to test; arrange qualified help for electrical, plumbing or other technical concerns.
Record missing items separately from damaged or poorly installed items. Ask for the defect list to be acknowledged, a responsible contact and proposed correction dates. Arrange a follow-up inspection to verify completion rather than relying only on a message that the work is finished.
Before signing an acceptance or handover document, ask your lawyer what it acknowledges and how unresolved defects should be recorded. This guide does not advise withholding payments or refusing handover without transaction-specific advice. See Off-Plan Property Handover: A Practical Inspection Guide.
Final finishing and inspection checklist
- Obtain the exact unit’s signed finishing specification and inventory.
- Identify every inclusion and exclusion, room by room.
- Check floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows and glazing.
- Separate service provisions from supplied and installed equipment.
- Confirm sanitaryware, kitchen items, wardrobes, air conditioning, heaters and appliances.
- Clarify utility meters, activation and separate connection charges.
- List outdoor finishes and verify the related rights.
- Review brands, quality grades and substitution terms.
- Budget for transport, installation, unfinished work and the move-in timetable.
- Record defects, missing items and correction arrangements before signing acceptance, with independent professional advice where needed.
Contact Harmony Properties for property specifications and available inventory information, and for assistance organising documents for independent legal review. Harmony Properties does not act as your lawyer or provide legal advice.
Important legal notice
This article is for general information only. It is not a legal reference, a statement of the law or individual legal, financial or tax advice, and it should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Consult your own independent, qualified lawyer about the current law and the documents and circumstances of your purchase before signing or paying. Harmony Properties is not your lawyer and does not provide legal advice.
Continue Your Research
Compare the current properties for sale, review the available Red Sea projects, or explore the Hurghada area guides.
This article provides general property guidance and is not a substitute for independent legal, financial or tax advice about your circumstances.
