Highland Home Inspections LLC

Being a first time home buyer, and a little deer in the headlights in terms of going through the home buying process, this was a wonderful, great experience overall. Dan did a great job for us and was extremely polite and informative. I arrived right on time to the property and he was already there looking at the exterior of the house, and had already introduced himself to the current occupants and to the realtor. He then gave me a quick outline of the flow of is inspection process and approximately how long it would take (about 2.5 to 3 hours). He started immediately explaining what he had seen on the outside. He talked through the trim, the water hook-up on the outside, the power hook-up on the outside, and the entry way. The things he covered included, what he saw right now and also some low level maintenance tips in the years to come. We then went inside, and since there was a baby in the house, about to be put down for a nap in about 30 minutes. He modified his plan to cover the baby's room first. So we went up there and did the baby's room as well as the bathroom next to the room. He then modified the plan to go top to bottom, which is opposite his standard plan, but was very accommodating. Throughout the entire process he gave wonderful tips and advice for up-keeping the property and things to look out for. He also gave a play-by-play explanation of all the things he was looking for, why they were important, and what he actually saw. He was very helpful answering any questions that I had about general household things, as well as the tips he was giving me. At the end of the day, he told me we would get a fully typed up report by the next afternoon, we got it by the next morning. He left a well put together brochure on general house maintenance tips (put together by the company) sorted by frequency, and his business cards. He offered to be open and to use his cell phone number if we have any immediate questions on the report that he put together, or if we have any maintenace questions in the coming years. He was very generous and overall seemed to be a very knowledgeable person.

As usually occurs with buying a home, we were in a crunch to get our house inspected in the time limit in our contract. We called Highland Homes and they were super flexible even though it was right at Thanksgiving. Ron conducted our inspection and he was fabulous! Incredibly detailed, and he answered all of our (sometimes stupid) questions which was huge as first time home buyers. We ran into a snag where the water wasn't on in the house so we weren't able to finish the inspection that day. Ron came back out another day, at no charge to us, and finished the inspection. I cannot recommend him and the company enough!

Barry arrived on time, and explained everything in great detail. He looked at everyting, the roof, all rooms, basement, outside, attic, appliances, foundation, EVERYTHING. He spotted things I would never have possibly found, or imagined to be disformities. We were both relieved to find someone that took great care in what he did, and wanted us to be as informed as possible. He answered any questions that we had, and in fact welcomed them. He spent about 4 hours overall, and did not rush us. A full report was given to us in a day, with everything he mentioned, even the small things.

My realtor recommended HHI to me, but I was determined to do my own research and find the absolute best company for the job. They turned out to be it! I was impressed with HHI from the first phone call. Debbie in the office was extremely friendly and helpful and provided me with all the information I needed to compare HHI's services with other companies on Angie's List. She helped me find the sample inspection report on their website, which was incredibly detailed and written out in sentences unlike the checklists I saw from other companies. When I did schedule an inspection, the date had to be moved because of Hurricane Sandy, and they were very flexible about that and found me a new time two days later. My inspector, Dan, arrived well before me, and was very well prepared. When I arrived, he and my realtor had already started the inspection, and he brought me in as he finished checking each room to point out his observations and answer any questions I had. I am a first-time homebuyer, so I had a lot of questions, and Dan was very patient, knowledgeable, and thorough. For example, we had to go on a hunt for the electrical panel, which he finally located behind a painting in the kitchen. He was then immediately able to tell me the history of the company that made the panel, identify the types of wiring used in each part of the condo and the last time each thing had been updated based on the standards followed at the time, and make recommendations on my options for mitigating the risks of aluminum wiring. Dan's recommendations matched up perfectly with the research I did on my own the next day, and with what I heard from the Chief Electrical Inspector for Howard County when I called to ask his office's recommendations. I was very pleased with my experience during the inspection, and also with the detailed report HHI produced and delivered to me the next day. I would highly recommend this company.

I called Highland Home Inspections and asked that Dan Doyle perform the inspection based on his reviews online and from other various sources. He was very thorough in his inspection and explained in detail his concerns. I would highly recommend using this company, more specifically Dan Doyle.

The report was extremely detailed, 21 pages with separate photographs. Barry was awesome and really took the time to show us how everything worked. The turn around time was really quick.

We worked with Barry for a home inspection on a townhouse we were in contract to purchase. Barry was great! He was very thorough, and answered our many questions as first time home buyers. He also gave us mini lessons in caring for different systems in the house. The inspection lasted almost three hours, yet Barry never made us feel rushed. We even kept asking Barry to test different areas of drywall for moisture, and he was very willing to help us out and spend the extra time. Ultimately, we decided not to buy the home after receiving the inspection report (the house itself was hold and a lot of systems needed to be repaired), but we will be using Barry again on our next home inspection in a month. The inspection itself was very thorough and laid a out a good guideline on what needed to be done to the house prior to the purchase, but also what homeowners should be working on in the long run.

Our inspector was Barry Hoskins from Highland. He arrived just a few minutes late, but the day of our inspection it decided to pour down rain and it was also a morning appointment off a street with 3 schools so we give excellent marks for punctuality. Much to my surprise, despite the heavy rain, Barry still walked all roof surfaces and the exterior, testing for rot while we waited inside, he then took us around just to see the highlights of a few issues he discovered. He brought full rain covers and spare shoes so when we proceeded inside, he was not tracking any rain/mud into the house. We feel Barry gave the house a very thorough inspection, removing the electrical panel cover, testing all receptacles and lights, plumbing fixtures, removing panels on HVAC, tesing all ports of the central vacuum and testing all appliances. He walked us through the entire house commenting on things from features of the house to small items to consider to more major things that would need repair. Barry was very personable and did not appear to rush through any part of the inspection, answering all our questions as we went through the home. The final inspection reports that we were provided were very detailed, broken down by major systems of the home and included pictures of the more major issues that were discovered. We were extremely satisfied with the inspection Barry provided!

Bob was on time and throughout the process.He was the consummate professional through in his examination and explanation.Ellen (in the office) was a pleasure to deal with.Great Experience !

Rick was prompt and professional. He was knowledgeable of the structure and systems and willing to admit when he came across something he didn't know well - in this case, a geothermal heating/cooling unit. The installer was on-site and able to explain the system, and Rick had several good questions about how the standard plumbing tied into the geothermal. Good inspections are difficult things to judge, but I think a bad inspection would be easier to see, and I feel comfortable saying this was a good inspection.

I decided not to play around with the home inspection so I wanted someone good. I think they charged more than other companies (not sure) but I was willing to pay for high quality work. Ron did a great job. He went through everything carefully and answered my many detailed questions. He was very thorough and tested things I hadn't expected a home inspector to test. The report was very detailed and included all of the minor things that we found during the inspection. I feel like I learned a lot about the home we are buying, which will serve me well for future maintenance.

Excited to be buying my first home and to having it inspected - by a highly-rated service organization - my excitement soon took a nose dive. I called twice and left messages both times. My calls were NEVER returned. If they have a personal situation going on in their life, then this is understandable. But, if not, there is no excuse not to give somebody the courtesy of returning their phone call. Home inspections must be performed in a certain time frame so buyers are under pressure to get it performed quickly. This is the 2nd time I've been disappointed by a and quot;super serviceand quot; provider on Angie's List. It's starting to cause me concern.

I called Highland Home Inspections when I thought I might benefit from a radon test. I chose them based on their Angie's List reviews -- and am I glad I did! They actually told me that I didn't need a radon test for what I wanted and gave me a much cheaper solution. This made them no money at all -- and they could have had me easily pay for the radon test by simply keeping quiet (which another inspection company tried to do, by the way.)I found them so honest -- and I will DEFINITELY use them in the future if I need any kind of inspection. Thank you, Highland Inspection, for saving me some money!

Everything went very smoothly. Our real estate agent recommended Highland and after reading the great reviews on Angie's List, I was happy to go with them. Rick was punctual and patient. My parents came along and we all took lots of notes and asked lots of questions. Also the seller's real estate agent joined us, but acted very unprofessional at times - arguing with the flaws Rick found. At one point the seller's agent even called the seller on her cell phone and put the seller on speakerphone with Rick, because he had found the attic stairs were broken and the seller and her agent were arguing that they weren't broken a few weeks before. Rick was incredibly professional and straight forward in dealing with the seller and her agent. He explained that he could only report the facts present today. We were all together, so clearly someone had broken the stairs before the home inspection. I was relieved that he handled it so well, because I was just so shocked at the drama, I didn't know what to do. After the inspection, Rick provided a very detailed report that pointed out some items that were in good condition now, but we should budget to fix/replace in the coming years. He took pictures of the broken attic steps and we had the seller fix them before settlement. Rick was fantastic and I can't recommend him or Highland enough. Rick's level of detail and professionalism gave me confidence buying our new house, and living in it. I thanked Rick profusely when I received the report, but it's taken me a couple months to get settled in and dig out the paperwork so I could post a proper review!

Rick was very professional, during the inspection he took the time to explain what is allowed and why. His specific job was to make sure electrical codes, building codes and other necessary items around the house were functional and operating correctly. I would definitely use his services again.

Rick, completed a house inspection for a home purchase. He went through the house thoroughly and pointed out items that needed attention. He also showed us how some of the utilties work and where we could find shut off valves for the gas and water. The house inspection was in the afternoon and the following day before noon, we had a 26 page report detailing all the necessary fixes as well as improvements that would need attention later. He also added information on maintaining the home in the future. My husband and I were both impressed with his professionalism and punctuality in getting the report completed. The office assistant, Rainey, was also very nice to work with. Both her and Rick were available to answer my questions before and after the inspection. I would highly recommend them.

Highland was on our list of Inspection Agencies to contact, and Rick did NOT disappoint us! He did a thorough job. Will certainly recommend to others!

Barry was fantastic. He showed up on time, was patient with us and answered all of our questions. The report was thorough and easy to understand. We would definitely use his services again.

I primarily dealt with them through email. They were very responsive and accommodating. We were not living in the area at the time, so a friend was present at the inspection and they let him film it for us to watch later. They also we able to perform the inspection on a Saturday so that our friend wouldn't have to get off work. They were very thorough and even checked some things that our Realtor had never heard of any one checking, like whether the bottoms of the doors were painted. They also got the report back to us on the same day as the inspection. Overall we were very pleased with Highland Home Inspections and would recommend them to other people.

Barry Hoskins and an assistant performed a full pre-sale inspection of our home prior to purchase. They arrived on time and did a thorough exam of the entire property. During the inspection, Barry was happy to answer questions and point out issues that would be safety concerns (garage door not reversing, loose safety rails) repair items (rotted wood, missing insulation on exterior refrigerant lines, leak at the upturned elbow of the discharge piping for the sump pump) and improvement items (grading should be improved to promote the flow of storm water away from the house, shower pan in the master bathroom should be recaulked where the caulk is cracked). They also performed a radon test to ensure there were not harmful levels in the home. We received a full report the next day which was also provided to our realtors. Barry also promptly returned phone calls to clarify questions regarding the report. Its a minor thing, but I felt Barry was respectful of the sellers property given he carried two sets of shoes with him. He wore one set during the exterior evaluation, then changed into another (clean) set that I assume he uses indoors. When going into the attic, he changed his shoes again. Call him the Mr. Rogers of home inspections if you want, but I thought it was great that he did that because if I was selling the home, I certainly would not want someone wearing their dirty shoes throughout my house.

Barry Hoskins from HHI came that very snowy morning to do our home inspection at the appointed time. He was very prompt, courteous and friendly. He was very neat and helpful throughout the inspection. Very meticulous and had lots of recommendations for us. The biggest one was that since our home was built in the early 70's, we had aluminum wiring instead of more reliable copper ones. They are a hazard as they can heat up and cause fires, not the general wiring but where they connect to plug outlets. Told us to get COPLUM done at the earliest time for best results, he even gave us a rough estimate for the cost. Had a look in the attic and told us that the drier was venting to this area and needed to vent outside, the washing machine was a recalled model (we could use it but ONLY if we were at home), found leaks in the sinks, the faucets and a small patch of mold behind a cupboard. Also told us to change the AC breaker as it was over the required limit. I got lots of tips about the gas furnace and the water heater, hence I would highly rate this company, and Barry to anyone requiring a home inspection from a reliable company. He sent us the final report that day itself within 5 hours of the inspections. They did suggest a termite inspection at some point also. I would surely use them in the future again!

Barry was thorough, courteous, and professional. He examined every nook and cranny of the house, taking the time to walk us through any areas of concern and giving us tips for future maintenance. He gave us a great deal of confidence we know what we are buying and to give us the ability to work with the seller to ensure real problems are fixed before we close. If you want a "check-the-box" inspection just to say you did one, don't call HHI. But if you want someone who will take the time to provide comprehensive and expert service, HHI is an excellent choice.

We were in need of a home inspection for home purchase. Barry was assigned to inspect our home. He arrived on time and brought another person with him that was in training. They did a thorough inspection of the outside of the home, including roof and downspouts. They even caught that the HVAC system was 12 years old (on a 5 year old home). They went through every window, door, cupboard, baseboard, electrical outlet and appliance in the home. He taught us where everything was in the home, such as filters that will need changed, and suggestions to make our home better, such as the security system was hooked to a GFI outlet, so if the GFI was tripped the security system would quickly exhaust battery back up. All these tips were very helpful. We had him inspect the unfinished basement to start and then he returned two months later to inspect our newly finished basement also, for an additional charge. At a later date an appraiser from the mortgage company inspected the house and checked "dampness" in our basement. Barry came back out, knowing he had inspected the basement and found no problems. Barry contacted the appraiser and got the appraiser to admit he made a mistake and accidentally clicked "dampness" on the computer appraisal from. That saved us a lot of money, because initially the bank wanted a foundation expert to look at the property based on that mistake. I would definitely use this company again. I am also glad Barry suggested Radon testing, because our Radon did come back high, and the builder of the house did have to go back and correct this issue. Radon can cause lung cancer, so I am glad that this testing was advised.

Rich showed up on time and was very methodical and thorough. I asked a number of questions and he answered them all. The next day he emailed a report (he emailed pictures a few days later). The report was very thorough and grouped problems from major concern to safety issue to improvement. We were very happy with the service and the report.

Extremely professional and thorough. Very detailed oriented. They checked to ensure water faucet's cold and hot water were on the right side. Every plug checked. Sump pump tested. Slope of ground under mulch investigated. Took a full two and a half hours to go through the inspection. Thorough inspection report provided next day by email, Prompt placement and pickup of Radon Detector.