HOME INSPECTION

This is our FOURTH home inspection with John. He is meticulous, thorough and detailed. He notices things we didnt notice and was incredibly comprehensive. He does radon inspection and termite as well. He crawls into small spaces (crawl and attic) and goes through everything with a fine tooth comb. Was recommended by our real estate atty and our broker and we would definitely use him again.

Inspector completed the inspection within the 3 hour window - walked through the outside and inside of the property. Addressed questions, although showed some impatience (cut me off) when asked multiple questions. Property had some visible cracks, but inspector dismissed them as non concern. Later that day provided a summary report via email, but failed to mention anything about the cracks that were visible in the 1st place. When I responded to him with this issue and few other issues (that were not mentioned in the summary of the report) he responded via email, but I had to ask him to add these to the report. He indicated that if I was still concerned, I should seek second opinion. I did schedule a second opinion inspection and it revealed structural concerns on this property that need to be addressed immediately (missing part of the wall supporting the 2 levels of the house). It also revealed another immediate concern with the retaining wall being eroded by the water and it needed immediate reinforcement to stop the deterioration of the wall (cracks and soil/dirt being washed away). None of these immediate concerns were raised or included in his original report - I would not recommend his services to anyone, unless you want to live with the consequences of spending $$$ on immediate repairs. Also his complete report was a joke - it was not professional and it had his original notes written in a pencil... I was expecting a binder type report (received that type with my previous inspection). When you spend $775 on home inspection, you expect all your concerns to be addressed in the report and have a fair shot to make a decision based on his findings - he not only did not address them, but neglected to notice them in the 1st place. Very disappointed in John Nicolai Home Inspection based in Pleasantville.

John Nicolai performed the home inspection for purchase of our 1920's home. He provided us with a detailed written report on the spot. Pleasant to work with, would recommend. We have since moved into the home and contrary to the 2 prior reviewers, have not encountered any major problems with the home that weren't found during the inspection.

missed a leaking dormer, a bad dry well, a water connection to dishwasher, a water connection to refrigerator gave him an opportunity to correct we are going to litigation

We thought it went well until we moved in and have to make repairs in electrical and structural areas. A flood in our garage could have been prevented if he inspected the garage. Property in the garage is destroyed and we spent thousands of dollars fixing the problem. I am unhappy with the fact he spent one hour inspecting our home and overlooking and not noticing significant problems with the home.