Choosing a qualified home inspector

When buying used or foreclosed homes, you can usually find lists of foreclosed or previously-owned homes at your county hall, at the courthouses, or online through many different real estate listing websites. While buying used, or either foreclosed homes has many benefits, there are definitely some risks involved.

Old homes can be just as problematic, or worse, as back-breaking, as new ones. In fact, because they have been tested by years of use and abuse, they can be filled with problems, especially if the builder used any shoddy, unethical house-building methods. It would be best to hire a qualified house inspector before you buy as a good hedge against very expensive surprises.

But then again, hiring a house inspector can be very costly -- from several hundred to a thousand dollars or more. However, if you ultimately end up buying the house, this is money well spent. On the other hand, if the house has serious drawbacks, you're better cut off saving the cost of the inspector and moving on to a better prospect.

In order to determine a house's overall quality before you decide to get the services of a house inspector, here are a few suggestions to keep in mind:

Make a thorough check of the structure. From a considerably distant vantage point, take a good look at the house. Do the walls appear to be plumb and flat? Then go inside, and see, are any walls bowed or not square at corners? When you go to the middle of the living room floor, does it flex or feel solid?

Inspect water control facility. Does the ground slope away from the base of the house? Will gutters, downspouts and drainage pipes carry excess water away from the house, or directly into the basement? Scout for any evidence of water damage.

Take note of the finer details. Check on the quality of workmanship in the finish details such as moldings, tile work, hardware, wall panels and paint.

What about the roof? Is the roof new and in good shape? Go up and see if looks neat and properly applied.

Verify the quality of the electrical system. Are the number and locations of receptacles adequate to the needs of the house? Is the main circuit breaker marked at least "100 amps"?

Inspect kitchen and bathroom fixtures. See if the sinks, toilets and tubs have quality fixtures. Find out if they do work properly. When you turn on the faucets and flush the toilet, check if the water pressure is adequate.

Water heater and plumbing systems. Verify if the water heater is either gas or electric. Water supply pipes from the water heater to fixtures should be copper.

Inspection is actually a process of evaluating a home with the intent of finding any defects or problems in the home. It helps both home sellers and buyers to get the best. A home seller thus gets a good value of its property and a home buyer can have a dream home of its own of actual worth.

Home inspection is usually done by hiring good and skilled professionals from a reputed agency. But it's not mandatory to have your home inspected by a hired professional. Do it yourself and it is also quite effective. A person having interest and knowledge in this stream is capable of carrying home inspection on its own.