J May Home Inspection

Very thorough

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Mike Atwell was on time, exceptional thorough, and professional. He found a significant issue which he itemized and explained. His explanation and details were so thorough that the seller asked for his info for their own inspection.

Mike actually did two home inspections for us. The first was in January 2010 and he was so thorough that we didn't think twice about hiring again when the first property fell through. Both times he arrived prior to our appointment and began inspecting the exterior of the building. Mike used every minute to advantage; he is organized and wrote up very detailed notes following the inspections. He is careful and methodical - and I have to add, Mike is a kind, decent man. He was a pleasure to work with in every way. Both properties were condo units - one was in a house with no HOA and the second was in a mult-unit dwelling. The different situations required some different skill sets and he was very clear about what needed to be inspected in each. He found problems that we never could have, and even though we have contractor friends and know some things about inspection, I would never go without hiring a pro. Mike Atwell is a stellar choice!

We are preparing to sell our home, and wanted an inspection so that we wouldn't have any unpleasant surprises once we find a buyer. Mike responded promptly to our initial inquiry, came on time, and did a very thorough inspection. He discovered several problems which could have caused a buyer to walk away, so, although we wish they weren't there, we now can have them fixed before putting out the "For Sale" sign. He explained everything in laymen's terms, and when his schedule caused him to be three days later with the written report than he had promised, he notified us to be sure it wouldn't be a problem. All in all, very well done and very professional.

Mike arrived early both times and got started on the outside of the houses. As he completed each step, he came back to us and carefully explained what he had found. His explanations are very clear, which is not surprising since he teaches classes in home maintenance. He uncovered many issues we had never noticed, but also put each defect into context, so that serious repairs are clearly pointed out while routine repairs aren't made to seem unnecessarily frightening. He sent highlights of his reports quickly, with all the major issues covered, so that we could get started on our negotiations promptly. Mike also has a sense of humor, which may not be the most important quality in a home inspector, but really helps when you have to spend 5 hours with one.

Wonderful experience. He spent over 5 hours inspecting our new house, going over everything with a fine-toothed comb. He found many immediate problems as well as issues that will need attention in the next several years. He also raised some questions about some structural problems, which prompted us to hire another structural engineer. We went with his recommended engineer, who was also wonderful. Mike provided a VERY thorough report the next day, and an extended report several days later. Would definitely recommend Mike. He is slightly more expensive than other home inspections but his attention to detail and years in the business saved us a huge bill and headache. Worth every penny!

Mike was extremely thorough, and spent 5 hours inspecting the house. When we arrived at the appointed 8am time, he had already been there for 30 mins and was in process on the inspection. Mike spent time reviewing everything with us each step of the way, and he made everything very easy to understand, even when discussing technical items. We took notes during the inspection, but Mike followed up promptly the next day with his report. We contacted Mike after the inspection was complete with additional questions, and he was happy to answer. He's extremely knowledgeable, efficient and professional. I'd use him again or recommend to anyone.

Mike is excellent in doing our home inspection. We made an appointment at 1 clock, but he arrived there around 12:30. When I arrived, he almost finished the exterior part inspection. He spent a total of about four hour to do a complete, thorough examination. At the same time, he was willing to educate me about the basic concepts of the house and house maintenance. His report is very detailed and convincing. For example, based on several chocolate-colored stains on the exterior wall, he suspected there may be some leaking. This point was later verified, although our seller (also a contractor) denied this point and gave a seemingly-reasonable explanation. Another example, based on his observation of the electric outlet above a heater in a sunroom, he suspected the outlet was not done by a professional electrician and suggested me to look for the town for the permit. His point was later verified. Even after his inspection, I was able to call Mike for suggestions on what was most expensive to fix the problems expressed in the home inspection report, so that I would have a better position in negotiating with the seller. Mike is really great! I strongly recommend his service, and indeed I am referring him to my friends who are looking for house to buy.

The two major issues he identified -- basement moisture and poor air handler installations -- led to negotiations between us and the seller resulting in a significant credit against the purchase price. He nailed the basement moisture diagnosis -- later confirmed by me after I ripped up the carpet after the purchase -- by simply peaking under a single corner of the carpet, noting rust on a tacking nail. He even noted that the shingles were affixed with nails which were overdriven, allowing exposure of raw wood to moisture. He was so thorough that both real estate agents looked amazed and impatient -- a very good thing.

Mike did a superb inspection and report, finding serious termite damage that caused us to backout from teh purchase.

We couldn't be present for the inspection, but Mike went over every square inch of the property and gave us a detailed report. I really appreciated the fact that he was so very thorough in his assessment, and let us know when a potential problem was outside of his area of expertise(he put us in touch with a structural engineer to assess a possible issue with the construction of the unit). Because of Mike, we've had no surprises in this house-we knew exactly what we could expect when we moved in.

Mike was wonderful. He was willing to schedule a Sunday inspection on the preceeding Wednesday, to accommodate conflicts from my work travel. He showed up early to the inspection to start looking at the outside of the house, and was thorough and meticulous throughout the entire inspection. We followed him around during the inspection, and he was happy to not only answer our (many) questions, but also gave us tips on what to look for and how to maintain the home properly once we had it. (The inspection also came with a book about how to maintain your home; thus far it looks good, but we haven't had a chance to try any of its tips yet). He was always very clear about what he could and couldn't find in an inspection, and was actively interested in hearing feedback about his assessment. He spotted some poorly done construction on the basement support beams, and recommended we call in a structural engineer. The engineer (found on Angie's List, not through Mike) confirmed everything Mike had spotted, and only gave us additional information about how we could fix the problems. The only mistake he made was thinking that the 3 inches of wall insulation might have been less than code, but when we checked with the town hall and confirmed that it was OK, he was very welcoming and interested in the feedback. The electronic report from the Sunday inspection was in our in boxes Monday afternoon, and the full set of forms arrived in the mail Wednesday. Mike also came back with no additional fee to inspect the electrical panel, which had been blocked during the first inspection, and had a half-hour turnaround time when we requested additional electronic copies of the report. (We were probably lucky about when we requested it).

This is the home inspection company to go with. Mike should have his own show on HGTV!

Mike was a pleasure to deal with from start to finish. He was professional, polite and informative scheduling on the phone and checked back with us to reconfirm the appointment the week and day before the appointment. He arrived early. He reviewed every inch of the property THOROUGHLY. He was incredibly knowledgeable and he shared his knowledge with us in a very articulate and clear way. His attention to detail was impeccable. He was also great showing the builder the items he expressed concern with and helped us talk with the builder about practical adjustments. He gave us a thorough report right away by e-mail (as we requested) and he gave us a wonderfully informative "How to Operate Your Home" book, which was a nice customer service touch. I would definitely recommend him and I plan to have him come back periodically, to check the house to give us upkeep suggestions. His price was very reasonable given the size of the house and the work he did. Page of Happiness!

Mike arrived early and was already making notes on the outside of the building. He was very pleasant and thorough, making numerous comments and suggestions for ways to improve the conditions, including names of products that might work well in the condo. He was on his hands and knees in the snow, and made a great effort to view conditions that other inspections might check off as "obstructions made that impossible to inspect". Mike was there for over 4 hours and I felt like I truly got my money's worth.

Best, most insightful home inspection I've ever had completed. Great help in understanding how systems operate as well as immediate needed repairs as well as future improvements to consider.

Mike Atwell arrived early and was already at work examining the exterior of the house. His format was to examine a section while we waited and then asked us to join him while he pointed out several features. He was very detailed and informative not only with regard to the structure of the house, but the lot orientation and safety features on the property. He was very forthright in assessing things, stating the pros and cons in favor of something being seriously wrong or nothing wrong at all. I prefer this balanced view because in general, nothing is absolute, but you at least know what could happen and how likely it might be.

Mike Atwell was super! I can't say enough good things about my experience. He was early and already looking around the outside of the house when I showed up. His explained everything very clearly and answered every question I had about the property. He was also very thorough. The appointment took about three hours. We also took the option of having a radon test conducted for an extra fee (I think it was $50). His 7+ page report was very detailed. This home inspection cost more than the last one we had three years ago, but it was well worth it!

Mike Atwell is not only highly competent, but he is also the consummate professional. For the first time home-buyer, the entire home buying process can be quite daunting. Having Mike on my side made the process much less stressful. Mike is diligent, thorough, very detailed, and also by nature an educator who explains how a house operates in scientific terms that can be easily understood by the layperson. He really cares that you understand how a house works. He even gave me a book at the end of the inspection. In the final report, he included a list of things that need to be attended to on a timeline basis, i.e.: right away, in 1 year, 5 years, and so forth. Not knowing much about houses, I found this quite helpful and it will save me money. Mike is clearly DEDICATED to the home inspection profession. I HIGHLY recommend him!

MIKE WAS A REALLY NICE GUY. HE WAS FRIENDLY, FUNNY AND WELL-INFORMED. I FEEL LIKE HE WENT ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY, CRAWLING INTO DARK, DANK PLACES TO HELP US DETERMINE IF OUR FIXER-UPPER WAS SOUND. HIS REPORT CAME TO US WITHIN 24 HOURS, AND HE EVEN CALLED US A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN HE THOUGHT OF A POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR OUR BASEMENT MOISTURE ISSUES. MIKE AND JEFFREY, THE TWO INSPECTORS WITH THIS COMPANY, REALLY SEEM TO ENJOY WHAT THEY DO. THEY BOTH TEACH ADULT ED CLASSES ON THE SUBJECT (WHICH IS HOW WE FOUND THEM) AND KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN ISSUES TO A LAY PERSON. ALSO, OUR HOUSE REALLY IS A MESS AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, YET AT NO TIME DID I FEEL JUDGED OR FOOLISH ABOUT THIS WITH MIKE AT THE HELM. I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. THE PRICE FOR A J. MAY INSPECTION MAY BE MORE THAN OTHER INSPECTORS CHARGE, BUT THIS TEAM IS WELL WORTH IT!

HE HAS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. WE ASKED A ZILLION QUESTIONS, BUT HE NEVER MADE US FEEL RUSHED OR STUPID. HE IS A PROFESSIONAL WITH A KIND DISPOSITION AND OBVIOUSLY TAKES PRIDE IN HIS WORK.

HE WAS FANTASTIC! HE OFFERS A CLASS AT CAMBRIDGE. TEACHES AND IS VERY INTERESTED IN LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT HOME INSPECTION. HE CHECKED EVERYTHING. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND! VERY SERIOUS BUT GREAT! GOT THERE BEFORE THEY DID. REALTORS REALLY HATE HIM!

MICHAEL ATWELL SPENT OVER THREE HOURS THOROUGHLY INSPECTING THE HOUSE WE ENDED UP BUYING. HE EXPLAINED HIS FINDINGS AND TAUGHT US HOW TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN THE HOUSE. WITHIN A DAY, HE GAVE US A DETAILED REPORT THAT INCLUDED 6 PAGES OF WELL WRITTEN TEXT. MICHAEL WAS CHEERFUL, SMART, AND STRAIGHT FORWARD, HE MADE THE HOME INSPECTION QUITE FUN. HIS INSPECTION REPORT, WHICH WE PERMITTED THE SELLERS TO READ, WAS NO DOUBT CRUCIAL IN THEIR DECISION TO AGREE TO THE LOWER PRICE WE ASKED FOR IN ORDER TO COVER SEVERAL NECESSARY REPAIRS. J. MAY IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHERS, BUT WELL WORTH IT.