Scotland Yard Home Inspections

We were very concerned about finding a truly independent, objective, arm's length inspector for the house we wanted to purchase. Not an inspector that has to maintain their cozy relationship and referrals with real estate agents (who understandably get paid only when the deal is done, not ruined by a thorough inspection!). Think about it. We came to Angie's list, read the extensive and positive reviews about Gerald at Scotland Yard and went from there. We were not sure if he could travel 2 hours each way to meet with us, but we offered to cover the additional cost of doing so. We paid a bit of a premium but it was *extremely worth it*! Since I gained so much for reviews on here, I'll try to reciprocate with one myself: 1. We could reach him right away and he was able to come out on our schedule (so fast we were able to get his inspection before we sank money into escrow!). 2. He was on time, came fully equipped and was extremely pleasant to work with. 3. He was very flexible about types of payment he could take. 4. He not only did not mind, but encouraged us to follow along with him. We learned a ton of information about the house, and even more depth than any report can capture. He also happily and informatively provided answers to any and all questions we had, from our renovation ideas (e.g. would it be possible with this kind of truss to raise the ceiling?), to why certain things are designed the way they are, and how one might fix a sagging roof. This is possibly because he has the forensic ability to see problems, but also 25 years experience as a contractor! If you are looking at a house that needs work, he might be especially valuable. 5. He communicates wonderfully! One of us is an engineer by training and the other of us is so not...but we both found Gerald to be extremely good at educating us. This came through in talking to him as well as the subsequent report he produced. 6. The extensiveness of his inspection is amazing. He spent over four hours on a 1700 square foot house and within 24 hours he produced an 82- yes, 82 page!- written report that he emailed to us. This report was extremely detailed, with TONS of photographs, along with arrows and instructions on all the components of the house, every little thing that was questionable or needs attention. Details about every appliance, the water heater, the brands and years etc. A perfect manual of your future house for any and all kinds of little repairs you will want to do eventually (every house has them!). 7. Best of all, because of his insights, we walked very fast away from this "dream house". Holy cow. We LOVED what we saw and the price was so great. But we had no clue about the issues he uncovered in this pristine looking home. * We learned that the particular cracks on the garage floor, along with other evidence he found pointed to a potential issue with the foundation (so much so he felt we needed a structural engineer for a second opinion). * He discovered some very funky aspects of the attic in this 25 year old, single owner home- such as soot he found, missing and different types of insulation, half the rafters were painted white, and plywood reinforcement applied to a set of gussets- that raised red flags. * He also pointed out that the furnace, water heater, etc. had all been replaced at the same time which also raises question marks about this home's history. * And the list goes on and on. This was THE best $500 we ever spent on a house. Sure it was $500 and we have no new house to buy.... but thank goodness it was this outcome and not being saddled with someone else's nightmare! Just like buying house insurance. A less thorough or competent inspector, or one worried about souring a deal and burning bridges with their realtor friend, might not have rescued us. We will definitely be hiring Gerald again in a heartbeat, as soon as we find yet another dream home we are thinking of buying. I'll be writing a follow up review when the time comes.

Scotland Yard inspector Gerald McMahon was accommodating in setting the time for the home inspection, arrived on time and was very amiable yet professional. He welcomed my accompanying him while he worked, explaining items of interest and answering questions as he reviewed the house from top to bottom, inside and out. His on the spot observations and suggestions proved valuable even before the actual written report was delivered. The final report was timely, well laid out, very complete and contained photos illustrating the issues he identified and the recommendations he made. The report was also praised by the building contractors used in remodeling the existing structure and adding rooms. It was particularly useful in identifying areas needing work that would not have been a part of the build out itself. Overall, Mr. McMahon performed flawlessly in my judgment and provided excellent service and advice. I would enthusiastically recommend him to anyone needing such work.

He was very thorough. He was so thorough that the other realtor wasn't happy. He did a really good job.

Gerald went through a detailed explanation of several areas he inspected while he was at our home and referred out to specialist when unable to make solid recommendations on things. The inspection was for the most part very detailed.

The service was good. He was on time, he arrived about a half an hour early. He was friendly and seemed knowledgeable. He gave a report the next day and it seemed thorough. His price was average compared to other estimates I received.

It was a smooth experience for start to finish. He quickly responded to our call, arrived promptly and made himself available to answer all our questions.

Gerald performed a home inspection for me on a property that was an REO. On the day of the inspection he arrived early, he was very personable and he was also a very good listener. During the inspection he was very focused but answered all my questions as I tagged along. He was very courteous to the seller's agent who arrived a half hour late. His follow up report came on schedule and had a clear, straight forward explanation of his findings. After Gerald's inspection I felt confident that the house has "good bones" and I am now in escrow with the property.

Gerald did an awesome job at my home inspection in Valley Glen. Standout items that I remember are : He showed up early, he took tons of photos, he crawled under the home and in the attic, he created a written report within 24 hours and sent it, he answered any questions I had, and he took extra time to speak with me after the appraisal was done. Great job!!

Gerald was a real Pro! He was at the house for nearly four hours. He inspected both the house and the garage (inside and out), spent time in the attic, and in the crawl space. Gerald even inspected the concrete, sprinklers, etc. in the front and back yards. He sent a thorough report (62 pages!) via email in less than 48 hours. It included both narrative and photo descriptions. That report made it much easier to plan what to do and when; I really appreciated being able to give a copy of an page to a handyman. I think the handyman appreciated that, too. I would recommend Gerald to anyone and everyone!

Gerald responded promptly to my request for a home inspection and quoted a competitive price. On the day of the inspection he arrived right on time. This is my second home inspection and I'm impressed by his thoroughness. The report came back itemized according to CREIA standards and was easy to read. The follow up with Gerald was great. He quickly and completely answered my questions by phone. I'd definitely do business with him again!

I am going to buy a condo. Gerald did a very professional and thorough inspection of the whole condo. He has checked every detail and place I can imagine. In the end of the inspection, he insisted in checking the roof. So we asked the HOA manager to unlock the ladder to the roof, and Gerald went up to the roof to carefully check the roof. I am not articulate in spoken English. Sometimes I spoke very slowly. Gerald was very patient to listen to me, and explained details of every spot he discovered and answered my questions very well. His report was sent to me in the same day of inspection. All spots were pointed out in the report by red arrows in the pictures he has taken. So the report is very convincible. I like Gerald's work and will definitely use his service next time. Thanks, Gerald!

Gerald arrived on time and got down to business going over our Condo. He was very thorough and even went up to inspect the roof of the entire complex. He gave me a list of what he would and would not be checking and made it clear what issues should be addressed and provided photos in his report. He was very prompt in getting the report to me. I would definitely use him again.

photosWe were very satisfied with the entire home inspection process. We are still repairing the home, but with his advice we were able to prioritize the repairs that were most important, and are working our way down the list.

We called Gerald after reading all his positive reviews on Angieslist. We were in a scramble to find a home inspector quickly after entering escrow and have a short contingency period. Gerald answered his own phone and fit us in immediately. We were unable to be present during the home inspection but our realtors told us that he was punctual, very thorough and picked up details that other inspecters wouldn't have based on their experience. He gave our agents more information about the major issues in the house and then sent us a detailed report online within 48 hours. We were able to speak with him afterward to discuss the issues identified on the report. If we buy another house, we will definitely use his service again.

Gerald is very professional and was early/ on time. He is a nice guy and I think he is very good at what he does. My only issue is that the report was not specific enough. There would be simple statements of fact like "there is a flex pipe gas line in the fireplace. recommendation: repair." I have no idea how important that is. Is this something critical or not a big deal? What is wrong with a flex pipe in the fireplace? I had to spend time researching online whether or not I thought each of these items was important enough to go back to the sellers and ask them to fix. In the end, we felt that most of the recommendations were not critical. I'm happy that these items were pointed out. However, I wish there was more detail explaining what the risk is of leaving things as they are. There should have been a prioritizaiton of the issues.

I called Gerald the day before because I was scrambling to find an inspector.He had no problem doing the inspection on such short notice. He arrived early the next the for the inspection and started right away. Throughout the inspection, he took pictures of the issues that he saw and he explained what he was looking for. He answered all my questions and gave me his viewpoints on the problems that he found. Since he has experience as a contractor, he can recognize where shoddy work is done or shortcuts were taken. He was very through and detailed and kept an open communication throughout. He went into the attic and even onto the rooftop to inspect the air conditioner. In total, he spent about 3 hours checking every inch of the property. Afterwards, he went home and promptly worked on the report. I received it that evening! Thank you for the great job!

We were in need of an inspector fairly quickly and Gerald was able to fit us in the very next day. He arrived early and began his inspections outside before we even got there. We stayed on the premises while he went through the home and he took us through a lot of his findings (nothing major, phew!). Our home was missing alot of items (water heater, faucets, AC units etc) that would normally need inspecting so he lowered his normal fee for us (since the overall inspection would not take as long). He was very happy to answer a huge list of question I had prepared for end of his inspection. We would definately reccomend Gerald to anyone looking for a knowledgable and professional inspector!

Needed a home inspector fast for a short sale that the bank gave me a small window of time to have inspected. Not only was He knowledgable he pointed out things that could be done by myself or that would require a profesional to have done. During the tour of the home he showed me what he was looking for and why it was important making me a better home buyer. With the through inspection conducted I was able to avoid a potential money pit of a house with roof damadge as well as multiple other issues we choose not to purchase it. Yet without his expert knowledge and guidance we would have not seen the subtle water damage in the attack as well as other costly problems. As a side note he was gracious enough to allow me to pay him via a check in the mail when it turns out I wrote the previous check accidently in red.....lol.... a good sport he released the report within the twenty four hour time frame and we avoided a disaster of a house. I have since used his teaching during my last inspection to be a better home buyer when looking at houses. Yet when I am about to close escrow will be calling him again. I would rather hear bad news now then later. When it comes to repairs on something as personal and long lasting as your home.

Called Gerald and he was able to see the home right away, within only a few days as I recall (1-2 days from call) on a quick turnaround. He showed up, did the exterior, and then couldn't find the key I told him would be there. My fault. He left, after leaving me several messages while on site. I called later to confirm what happened. I then went and opened the door for him to get inside (again it was my fault the door was locked), in other words he returned to complete the inspection, never complained, and didn't charge a thing to do so. He did a thorough job checking all circuits, attic, rooms, crawlspace (he has a "crawl suit"), A/C, walls, and other equipment. We discussed things during the interior walk through and he offered advice about all sorts of helpful items. Subsequent to the inspection (within 1-2 days I believe), the report was submitted. Many photos, carefully completed report, pointed out several things we didn't see, and helped clarify what would need repairing. Overall, impressive, efficient service for a fair price, especially on a quick turnaround. Highly recommended.

Gerald was recommended to us by another home inspector, who was referred to us by friends, but was unable to perform the inspection because he was on vacation. I'm very happy he recommended Gerald as he did an excellent job inspecting our house. He arrived early and was already inspecting the roof when I showed up, my realtor was also at the house. He inspected the outside, inside, attic and crawl space, taking many pictures. He explained things when he was finished and had a very detailed report prepared by the next morning. My realtor even commented on how thorough of a report it was. Many of things Gerald pointed out was then taken care of by the sellers, saving us a couple thousand dollars of future repairs. Gerald was prompt in returning all of our calls and answering all of our questions, even after he did the inspection. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a home inspector.

It went very well. He got back to us quckly and we were able to make the appropriate decision. We felt confident in using his services due to his high ratings on Angie's List.

Gerald was a very friendly guy who showed up on-time to a very early appointment. We ran into a problem where our realtor couldn't get the key from the lock-box because it was so early in the morning. Apparently, there were set times on the lock-box. Gerald was understanding and said he would come back once we got the key. After an hour of waiting, we were able to get the door open. It was a very small condo unit and the inspection itself went very smoothly and there were lots of pictures in the report.

It was fine. We weren?t at the scene when he did the inspection. We were there to see how thorough he did it. They were able to get the job done for us. There were no problems. We got the results back, and we kind of knew the goal was very broad. It was okay. I would say it was average. I don?t know if he went under the house or went on the roof or any of that stuff at all. All the responses on the inspection were pretty vague. We just had recommendation repair.

My husband and I are beyond disappointed with Gerald's service! We scheduled an online appointment for a home inspection, through his website. We received a confirmation number for our appointment and expected him to meet us at our potential new home at 3pm the next day. Our appointment rolled around and, surprise! No Gerald. My husband called him only to find that he was in Arrowhead - a full 80 miles away! Apparently he forgot about us and decided to head out there for the weekend, instead. He DID offer us a $50 discount to make up for his mistake. But discounts don't mean much of anything when you can't even count on the person to show up! Moreover, we're in a 30 day escrow and time is of the essence. Thank goodness our realtor had another inspector on speed dial who was more than happy to drop everything and head over right away, otherwise our time would have been completely wasted. I expect leaps and bounds more professionalism from someone so highly rated... The only positive we got out of this experience was the laugh we shared with the other inspector - you know, the one who actually took the time to show up!

On my request, Gerald was willing to come out on a weekend, which was a real blessing. He was friendly, arrived on time, was very tolerant of my persistent puppy, and was extremely helpful. He educated me as to what was going wrong, and took photos of the issues, and explained what needs to be done to correct each of the problems. The photos were from multiple angles and were in excellent detail, and uploaded the digital photos to my computer at the time of the inspection. He spoke in terms that a layperson could understand. His rates were extremely affordable. I was very happy with my experience, and I would recommend him to anyone.