After you have chosen a house from the available Seattle homes for sale, you need have it examined by a professional home inspector. These inspections might uncover damages that need repairs, so you'll need to hire a contractor. Obviously, you want someone who'll do a great job. However, with all the contractors out there, how would you separate the good ones from the bad? Here are some of the signs of a good tradesman that you should lookout for:

• A good contractor possesses a good reputation in his field. You can ask for recommendations from your neighbors, friends, and co-workers, but it would be wise if you ask someone in the same industry, like a plumber, or a great hardware store in your area. Those tradesmen who are recommended by other professionals must really be skilled, as no one would risk their reputation in line just to vouch for someone they don't really know that well.

• Most good contractors give out business cards that have their local address on it; they are less likely to disappear on you.

• A skilled tradesman has a lot of references. You need to keep in mind that even terrible contractors might have made a few clients satisfied before; they may also ask some friends and family members to act as a reference, so it's essential to see the list of references of a tradesman and randomly call some of them to check. This way, you can make sure if it's rigged or not.

The signs of a good contractor are not the only things you should lookout for; you also need to be aware of the indicators of a terrible contractor. Some of the signs include, but are not limited to, the following:

• If a tradesman wants to do his work without a permit or he asks you to get it, you shouldn't hire him at all. According to the law, every major improvement project needs to have a building permit, meaning an inspector will inspect it. If he's like this, he does not want anyone checking on his work. If he asks you to acquire the permit yourself, he might not have the necessary license, as ordered by the state. This will also mean that you'll become the middleman connecting him and the inspector.

• If a contractor does business door to door, you should not trust him as well. Usually, such tradesmen offer service for a small fee, which may seem great at first, but it's not. First of all, you're clueless about him and you don't know if he'll do it correctly. In addition, if ever his work begins to break after a few weeks, you will not be able to get him back to fix the damage.

• If a contractor seems crooked, you should be careful about your decision if you're going to hire him or not. Even though it isn't right to judge someone based solely on one's appearance, it's important to feel at ease around him as you will be allowing him in your home.

If you have a gut feeling about the contractor that something's not right, follow it; you have nothing to lose. Besides, there are many other contractors out there who can do a great job. The home buying process in Seattle real estate may be a bit hard, especially for first-timers. You just have to be careful on every decision you make and everything will be alright.