Illustration by Gynelle AlvisIf a second-hand house is what you want, then so be it. Most home-sellers don't actually invest much into sprucing up their dwellings before selling them. A handful of others believe that doing up a home might just fetch them a higher price.

This usually hides a lot of defects, and you need a keen eye to detect them. Going solely by the age of the home is often a misleading indicator of the overall condition and state of repair.

Says R N Raikar, a civil engineer and CMD, Structwel Designers and Consultants, "You need not be an expert; trained visual observation is enough to make out defects."

Here's a list of things that you should look for:

Inclination

Look at all the walls of a room from the entrance. Does a room feel like it is pulling you towards one specific corner? This tilt is probably due to sinking or settling, and even though the home might have done all the settling it is going to do, the tilt will remain.

Jacking up a leaning structure does not come cheap and sometimes it can do more harm than good. Also remember that the home might not have finished settling. You could be walking into a financial nightmare.

Feels good?

Touch the paint on the walls to see if the hands slides smoothly. Or are there ups and downs? These might be barely noticeable but can be felt. These again indicate that the walls are uneven and considerable work has been done to make them look straight. This might not bother you much, but will drastically affect the price if you are considering resale.

Duck

It might look funny, but bend down and check all the areas that are not visible standing up. For instance, look at the bottom of the kitchen platform, see if it is cracked. If it is, it means danger for your family and also your purse. Similarly inspect all storage areas for uneven surfaces, colour bubbles, patches of peeling paint, all of which could indicate seepage.

Columns & beams

Says Raikar: See if there are vertical or horizontal lines along columns and beams; this means there is a definite drift. And such a drift cannot be hidden with paint or patchwork, it starts showing within a few days.

Two-prong outlets

Homes over 40 years old were probably equipped with only two-prong electrical outlets. Some outlets may have just had a facelift, converting them to three-prong outlets, leaving a few two-prong still. Look for them. This would mean the outlets are not grounded, causing danger to you and possibly even a fire hazard.

Lights

Put on the switches for all the appliances at the same time. If the meter is faulty or the phase is not able withstand the load, the fuse blow in five to ten minutes, says Purohit.

Easy movement

Do the doors open and close with ease? It could be that the door just needs to be adjusted or the bottom needs to be shaved. But be careful. Especially with flooring that has been raised. It may be that the doorframe is not perfectly squared. This could be caused by unusual movement in the home's structure.

How to detect moisture problems

Fresh paint

Freshly painted houses may hide a serious structural problem. Patches of discoloration on the newly painted surface could indicate a cover-up job on leaky areas.

Says R N Raikar, a civil engineer and CMD, Structwel Designers and Consultants, "Also look at the exterior of the building for discoloration, which can indicate moisture leakage problems."

Find out if anyone in the owner's family had breathing problems. This again is an indicator of wet walls. Says Prakash Purohit of Romi Interiors, "Tap the walls to see if the plaster is solid. A hollow sound indicates defects in beams, columns and even cracks in the walls. The defect may be corrosion.

Walk barefoot

See if the floor temperature feels all right. If it is too cold for the season, there might be moisture problems. Says Raikar, "See if the tiles are level with each other. If the tiles feel loose, this means corrosion has set in."

Look up

If the only fresh paint you see is on the ceiling, don't be afraid to ask the owner some questions. It could be hiding moisture stains from roof or central leaks.

Paper peel

If wallpaper is bubbling up or curling away from the wall at corners and edges. Perhaps it could simply be the location and temperature of the room creating mild condensation. This could be a sign that the room is not properly insulated. Or maybe moisture is sneaking in.

Staining

Water marks or stains around the edges of the tiles on the floor could indicate problems of water logging in the past. Either there was flooding during the rains or there is an internal seepage of water into the building due to poor plumbing.

Plumbing

Open all the taps simultaneously. Do this at a time when you are sure water is available. The water should flow freely in all the outlets at the same time. Says Purohit, "If the flow is less at some outlets, this is may be because the opening of the plumbing line has narrowed due to corrosion."

Exterior siding

If exterior siding is pulling away from the home, it may have not been fastened properly or moisture could be the culprit again, causing wood to rot and decay, leaving a poor surface for the siding to be fastened to.