Domicile Consulting LLC

I've used them a couple of times. The woman that I've used with them is very thorough, she very good at educating the clients as well, one of the things is that you can also schedule online with them which is really nice. If for one reason if one of them can't make it they can usually find somebody to fill in just in case. They are a little bit pricier than other companies but they are very thorough and they put everything online for the client to download once they are done with their report. They are a little more contemporary in terms of how they run things and in terms of being able to utilize online resources.

I felt it was necessary to find the best inspector possible for my new home purchase. I decided to search Angie's List and came up with Domicile Consulting. This decision paid off. I'll say up front that they are more expensive than many other inspectors, but you get what you pay for. When purchasing a home, a little extra money up front for the inspection is well worth it. The price that I entered into "approximate cost" reflects 2 home & radon inspections. These guys are very thorough. When hiring them, you need to understand that their report will probably reflect a lot of potential concerns with the home, and it's up to you to decide what matters. That being said, they are readily available for consultation and to answer questions during and after the inspection. The report is not simply a negotiating tool for the buyer. It also lets the buyer know what he or she will need to address in the weeks, months, years after the purchase. I decided not to purchase the first home they inspected. This was largely based on the results of their report, which helped me to avoid making a decision that I would have regretted. For the second home, the radon results were very high, so I negotiated with the seller to address this. My only complaints are regarding some of the pricing and the timeliness of the reports: For the 2nd inspection, I received a $50 returning customer discount, which was appreciated, but they did not give me the additional Angie's List discount on top of that. For my 2nd inspection in a matter of weeks, I had hoped for a better discount. Also, both homes were tri-levels with an additonal sub basement, but, for some reason, I was charged an additional $95 for an additional radon detector in the 2nd home. I'm not sure if the 1st inspector missed this, or if the 2nd inspector overcharged me. The good news, is there was a radon problem and it was found, so the cost was well worth it. After the inspection, the inspector says that I will receive a report within 48 hours. This is a long turnaround time, but it is understandable given the details in these reports. That being said, there were 4 reports (2 inspection, 2 radon) and at least 2 of them took longer than I was originally told - by ~12 - 24 hours. In these cases, I would have appreciated a heads-up that there would be a delay with the report. I want to end this review on a deservedly positive note, however. These inspectors are professional, friendly, and very thorough. They are readily available to answer your questions after the inspection. I will hire this company again if the need arises in the future. When making a purchase as big as a new home, you want to know as much as possible about it before the sale is final!

The price is certainly higher than other home inspectors but you get what you pay for. We used Domicile for a home inspection at the beginning of August and based on what they found cancelled our contract. We used them again on the new contract and they were very detailed in their review of the house. The first inspection took 3 hours and the second took 3.5 hours. Don and Christine were both great and explained some of the pitfalls they saw as well as answered our questions. When we bought our townhouse in 2005 our home inspection was much cheaper but they also missed some major things, even safety related items like a masonry fireplace door hung over a prefab fireplace, gfcis in bathroom, etc on things that came back to haunt us when we went to sell the place 10 years later.

Morgan Hughes did a fantastic job. He was thorough, knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions in a timely manner. Absolutely no complaints.

Domicile Consulting isn't a joke, they are serious, extremely knowledgeable and honest. They will come to your house and start working immediately. They will go through all aspects of your house, suggest solutions to your questions, and go far beyond that. Besides the "common knowledge" one would expect from experts like that, their knowledge enters roams of up to date materials, codes, and even trends not happening in the US but also in Europe like for instance what are the newest tile materials, water boilers, toilet models and so on and why to install them. Nothing makes them more upset than if a contractor tries taking advantage of a homeowner. I would suggest you, as we did before starting major reconstructions suggested by 2 contractors, to talk to Domicile Consulting first. It ended up instead of costing us 8-12k for a contractor, costing us a replacement toilet including much cheaper treatment for a mould issue. We are very lucky finding this group of people.

Was shopping around and called for quote on building inspection. Spoke to Megan and she was just rude especially for an employee who wants to gain a new customer. Asked various questions about the costs and she had attitude. I was trying to understand the various prices and she said things like "well then" and "hellooo"with attitude which totally shocked me. Decided to go with another company, if the front desk-sales rep has this attitude would hate to see how the other folks are!

Didn't end up using Domicile because the only availability they had to do the inspection was the day prior to the inspection deadline. They were easy to deal with on the phone and I didn't have any issues. I would call them again if I needed this service.

Kristi (?spelling) was very efficient, thorough, and professional. She inspected the high-rise downtown condo for our home purchase and everything went smoothly. She also was patient in explaining every aspect of her inspection process when we had questions. The inspection report was sent immediately the next day and contained all the information that we had discussed during the inspection, as well as many pictures to remind us of the items that needed repairs. She even provided cleaning tips for the whirlpool tub. Since for home inspections during the home buying process punctuality and promptness is key, we loved how Domicile was very good about that. Thank you!

It went great! Both me and my wife are extremely busy, because of our jobs and baby. When we purchased our house, we didn't have the time or energy to do a thorough inspection. The individual from Domicile Consulting did a thorough job. The documentation was great. Even our builder was impressed (and a bit irritated) by the inspection. It was the best $500 we spent. When our one year maintenance is due, we will go back to Domicile to get another thorough review.

Domicile and its inspectors are great. We had Domicile inspect three houses for us. Although Domicile's inspections resulted in us choosing not to go forward with two of the purchases, we were very happy that we were able to make such an informed decision. Our attorney was very impressed with Domicile's thorough reports and said they were the best he had ever seen.

It went really well. I felt the inspector really knew and understood the potential challenges and felt he kept my best interests as me the buyer at mind while inspecting. He found items missed by the bank inspection as well. Overall I could not have asked for anything better. I do wish the price was a little more comparable to others who provide this service, but in this instance, maybe it is a situation of "you get what you pay for," as I felt that the services were excellent.

The inspection went very well. He was very professional and thorough. The inspection lasted about two hours, he inspected the house from top to bottom. He gave me a copy of the report within a couple of hours. It was a very detailed inspection and report that allowed me to go to the home owner and request a credit.

He was great; very professional. He was always there when he said he would be, the price never changed and it was just a great experience.

My original experience with Dan Cullen and my new home inspection was outstanding. Thorough, fair, balanced and informative. After living in the home for a few years, I was ready to make some upgrades and enhancements -- specifically around temperature and air control. My three-floor home, originally built in 1890, presents challenges in maintaining an even temperature on the various floors. Ross came out and we focused on the energy performance of the home. He was great to work with. He pointed out every possible option that I had, and weighed the pros/cons around which tactics would provide the best results for the lowest investment. I have been using both of my reports from Domicile as guideposts for the maintenance and improvement of my home and I couldn't be happier. Their recommendations are super helpful, and responsiveness is exceptional. I wouldn't use anyone else -- and can't recommend them more highly!

The inspector showed up prior to the inspection time to begin with an exterior inspection. Upon arrival, he was extremely friendly, explaining the entire process, and what we would be getting at the end of the day. During the course of the inspection, he pointed out key defects, and offered advice on which items were more critical than others. After completion of the inspection a full report with pictures and explanations was provided two days later. The cost may have been a little high, but the quality of the inspection made it well worth it. If there was any downside at all to Domicile, it was the cautious nature of the wording in the actual report. Since these reports are used for negotiation, clarity is critical. Fortunately the included images more than made up for any lack there.

Inspection went very well. Inspector arrived on time, clearly had extensive experience as a contractor, and was able to point out the biggest and tiniest of flaws within our condo. The pictures, videos, and write ups were extremely useful in helping negotiate with the sellers. The service 'paid for itself' many times over. Additionally, it gave us recommendations on how to fix the issues so we know exactly what services to purchase to improve our new condo. I would highly recommend Domicile to anyone purchasing in the Chicagoland area.

Overall, we were very happy with the professionalism, punctuality and thoroughness. We've had home inspections performed in the past home purchases and this was by far the most thorough inspection we've ever had. After we purchased our new home, we were armed with a punch list with which to work. The inspector gave us a good indication of the condition of the roof, HVAC units, and more. What turned out to be most critical was that he told us the drains were slow and that he wasn't sure what to make of that, but to get a plumber out to check it out. After we purchased, we quickly found out that we had to have the sanitary sewer line cleared due to tree roots and we had to have the connection to the village's sewer line cleared as well. We are thankful that the inspector alerted us to a potential problem and we were proactive enough to check it out. It saved us from having a real mess! No home is perfect, but having an inspection by Domicile at least gives you a pretty good indication of what needs to be done and helps the new homeowner organize, prioritize and eliminate some of the surprises that come with buying an existing home. The inspector was fairly knowledgeable about most of the systems of the house and if he didn't quite understand everything (our home is very complex), he made it clear that he was not familiar, but could help us find answers. Domicile gave a very organized report with photos and good descriptions and locations of the various items that needed attention. Armed with the report, we copied and distributed sections of the report to give to our contractors - electrician, HVAC, plumber, pest control, roofer, painter & handyman. They appreciated the detail Domicile provided. Prior to our move in date, we took care of what had to be done in order for us to feel comfortable in our new home and were very happy to resolve some of these issues well before we moved in. Granted, Domicile caught most of the issues, but maybe not everything. We happen to be the kind of people that would rather take care of a potential issue rather than wait for the disaster to appear. I have and will continue to recommend Domicile for home inspections. Thank you Domicile.

We can't say enough good about this company and the inspector Morgan Hughes! They are a little pricey compared to other inspection companies, but when you're making a huge investment like a house, it's worth spending a little extra money to ensure you are making a wise investment. You definitely get your money's worth! We're first-time home-buyers and had an inspection on a house we got a contract on. A radon inspection was also suggested, which we did, and found out the home had a reading higher than the accepted EPA values. After the inspection and extensive report we received from Morgan, we decided to walk away from the house due to the amount of issues unseen to us. Morgan went above and beyond with answering additional questions via e-mail after the inspection. It was a very hard decision to make, but without this quality inspection, we would have bought a house we would not have been happy with in the long-run. A couple months later we found another house we loved and schedule another inspection with Morgan at Domicile Consulting. Even our realtor was impressed with detail-oriented work! This inspection came back and we were able to proceed with the house. We could not be happier!! Do not get overwhelmed with the inspection reports. Both of ours were about 50 pages long (with pictures), but the big AND little issues are documented. As first-time home-buyers, it was a great document to review and learn about maintenance items you might not otherwise think of prior to buying your home.

We would recommend the use of Domicile Consulting for a home inspection. They offer prompt service, are very thorough and are available to answer any question regarding the inspection report. The cost is a little high, but the reports are very detailed and allow you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the purchase. We ended up canceling the contract on one home due to several large issues that were discovered upon inspection...knowing upfront saved us the shock of finding all the problems later. We appreciated the responsiveness of the 2 inspectors that we worked with--reports were delivered very timely and they were very professional during the inspection and upon explaining the findings to us.

Inspection: We ended up working with Christi, for which we are so grateful! We are buying our condo from afar, and so a relative and our realtor attended the inspection and used facetime. Christi was very cooperative with talking to me through the iphone and explaining what she saw and thought, which was hugely appreciated. Most importantly, she was extremely thorough. Our realtor has worked in Chicago for over 16 years and even she was very impressed with Christi's professionalism and thoroughness. She even threw water on the exterior walls to see if the moisture absorbed. On our inspection day there were two things that could not be accessed, and Christi volunteered to come back two days later and inspect these areas for no extra charge. Along the way she gave helpful advice as to what we could do to improve the energy efficiency and safety of the home. Regarding repairs, she explained what would need to be fixed, and the type of person best suited to do the work. Inspection Report: Less than a day after the initial inspection, we received a very long and detailed report, full of photos, building code references etc. It was a little overwhelming at first glance, but by my 4th or 5th read of it, I felt like I had a good grasp on the important safety issues, the things we definitely would want to fix, and the optional fixes that we would get to over time. The report gave us a good idea about routine maintenance required for the HVAC and water heater as well. Christi updated the report quickly following her second look at our unit. Thanks to Christi and Domicile we were able to negotiate a credit for several of the safety issues associated with the unit, which we were very happy about. We also have developed a plan to improve our energy efficiency. Most of all, we feel safe knowing that Christi has investigated our new home from top to bottom.

Domicile Consulting is accessible, and our inspector took the time to explain everything thoroughly. Her utterly detailed report was incredibly helpful. She provided us with an expert, objective perspective from which to begin post-inspection negotiations. Additionally, she took the time to give us advice for how to best care for and protect our future home. I valued her intelligent, thoughtful, and honest feedback; her creative and open-minded approach to problem solving which enabled us to figure out root causes for symptoms in the home that her inspection uncovered. When I had questions, she responded to me immediately on site, took the time to ask me what to look out for during the inspection - if I had any concerns, etc - and then followed up immediately per my questions that I had after reading her outstanding report. I will absolutely recommend Domicile Consulting to everyone I know.

Domicile Consulting is spectacular. We used them to inspect our condo before we moved in years ago (Inspector Ross Neag) and we used them again for the house we're moving to soon (Inspector Morgan Hughes). I cannot recommend them more highly. Their work is fast, accurate, and professional. We have used their reports to negotiate credits or repairs and used their reports to keep a list of things to fix along the way. Ross and Morgan were also very helpful giving advice above and beyond the inspection report. I recommend them and continue to use them myself.

Morgan was very thorough and professional. Very happy with his report and insight. Would use Domicile again.

Extremely thorough. I wanted a company that would really dig in and tell me everything bad about the place. I wanted to use whatever I could to get some seller credits and then fix what I really thought was needed once I moved in. As long as you take the items found for what they are worth and dont freak yourself out these guys are perfect. Local realtors call these guys "deal killers" because they are so thorough. I see that as a great thing.

Our first experience with Domicile Consulting was through our own buyers who purchased our condo and used Domicile Consulting to inspect the condo. The buyers forward Domicile Consulting Inspection Report to us and we read it. We were very impress with their thoroughness. (And we were the Seller!) So when we found ourselves in the market after the sale of our condo, we were going to go with a trusted home inspector but he was overseas and would not be back in time. Then we remembered Domicile Consulting from the buyers our of condo. So we decided to contact them for our own home inspection. We arrived about 30 minutes early to find parking but we noticed that the Domicile Consulting Inspector, Andrew was already there inspecting the garage. Wow! Andrew explained the process that he likes to concentrate and get to know the home, and that at the end of the inspection we would have a conference afterwards but of course we were free to ask questions along the way. We were fine with his approach. Now fast forward during the period when the Seller and Buyer are negotiating the inspection items. We had additional questions about some of the inspection items, and Andrew provided us with a thorough explanation. Understanding the inspection items allowed us to find a fair estimate of the repair costs. Overall we are very happy with our decision to use Domicile Consulting to inspect our future family home. Great customer service before, during, and after the home inspection.