General Inspections

Neil showed up an hour or more early, apparently made arrangements with my realtor, unbeknownst to me. I think this was so he could do some roof-top inspections and look around without me tagging along. I would have liked to have been consulted since I hired him. He seemed to know what he was doing and is licensed. He has a good way of emailing you his report immediately at the completion of the inspection. He did conduct a radon test for an additional $80. At one point I made a light-hearted joke about a repair the seller would have to make and he stopped in his tracks to lecture me on his role not including who makes repairs. He also forced me to remove and replace a filter as a little training exercise, giving me no option to say no thank you unless I wanted to create an awkward situation in front of the realtor. I assume this attitude was because I am female. I found it just a little too preachy for someone I was paying. Unfortunately, his confidence was probably a bit misplaced, as before we even moved into the home, the master bathroom sink leaked to the basement. I guess no one can find everything - but that was a big miss - and he's probably OK as an inspector, I just didn't like the attitude.

Got Neil as a home inspector on recommendation. Very nice guy, punctual, professional, and went over his findings us (potential buyers) in a clear and straight forward manner; and answered all questions. As far as I can tell, $450 is a pretty typical price for a home inspection, and the whole thing took about 3.5 hours. We also had him set up the test for Radon (an additional $80). I give him a B for quality because the inspection was fairly topical. He makes full disclosure that this is how he operates, only inspecting things that are easily visible/reachable. So anything behind walls or in crawl spaces, he doesn't inspect. In the case of this home that ment things like insulation, the foundation (home had a waterproofing system on basement walls), internal roof structure (the attic has beadboard walls and ceiling,) possible presence of a buried oil tank, etc. He also does not check for health and environmental hazards beyond a basic home inspection. But this is not to say there's a lack of effort - he was there an hour before the appointment to check all the roofing and gutters. He also creates a full report as he works, and you have it on CD and a printed copy on the spot. One other great thing was at the beginning of the inspection, he was pointing out various concerns to everyone, and the seller's agent would pipe in with comments like 'that's not a big issue' or 'thats a cheap fix' and Neil totally shut him down. All in all it was a very good experience (my first inspection), just know that there may be more thorough inspectors out there (though may be more expensive, or require specialist inspections.) and if you have specific concerns you should ask about it before hiring an inspector. The company is appropriately titled because that is just what you will get; a General Inspection.

uired

It was the first time I had used them. It went very well. They did a great job. They were very professional and thorough. I would definitely use them again.