HGTV contractor pro Mike Holmes advises prospective homebuyers to hire a good inspector first before hunting for a home.

Holmes appeared on Breakfast Television on Tuesday and said they should watch for telltale signs, such as examining a roof using binoculars instead of using a ladder to go up for a closer look.

Holmes offered some sample questions homebuyers can ask a house inspector to evaluate their reliability:

•   What did you do before this?
•   What kind of tools do you use?
•   What type of guarantee do I have?
•   Can I see a report you have done?

One tool Holmes suggests that every contractor and home inspector should have is an infrared camera.
 
“This tool not only will show heat loss on a house but it will show moisture in the walls,” he said.

“[It’s] not so much that you’re losing heat from the house,” Holmes said.

“The problem is now we have hot meeting cold in the attic. So if heat is being drawn up into the attic space and we have cold air in there, especially in the winter, you’re going to have an issue,” he said, referring to the development of mould on wood.