The Home Detective

I'm a first time home buyer and I was nervous and excited! John had such a great sense of humor, I felt like I already knew him.John and his son were very professional and through! They went over every inch of this house. As he went over issue, he also explained to me in detail about the issue. The report was very detailed! It came with pictures and explanations of the issues. If you're looking for a professional, detailed , and awesome home inspectors, you can't go wrong with these guys! I highly recommend these guys!

Let me start by saying John and Josh are fantastic! I have used them twice over the past 2 months and am so glad I did. They were able to point out and find issues with the first house, which I ultimately passed on, that saved me $20,000 within 2 years of buying the house. Without their high energy, meticulous professionalism, I would have regretted purchasing the first house. They work in tandem, so you basically get 2 inspectors for the price of one. One will look over a part of the house, take pictures, and then the other follows picking up even more details. The best part for me was the way they went about explaining everything they saw. Not only would they point out a feature but they would talk about the details of the feature, explaining its function, why its there, and what it serves. They do this for everything whether its correct or not. They are not stuffy or snooty, but make you feel comfortable and at ease like you are having your father or grandfather teach you about your house. If you are looking for a home inspector that will come in with no personality, dryly point out what is wrong with no explanation, not interact with you making you feel like a fish out if water, these guys are not it! I left both inspections confident that everything that could be found was found and correctly documented. Many times they would go above and beyond and point out things or inform me of things they were not required to tell me, but things they they would not feel right about not pointing out. I am so thankful for The Home Detectives, Josh and John went above and beyond. For one of the inspections my father was present, who has bought and sold over 10 houses in his life, and he stated they were the best home inspectors he has ever seen. They are professional, knowledgeable, thorough, personable, and affordable. Highly recommended!!!

This was the second time using John Farmiloe for a home inspection. John has a good sense of humor and made the process fun. The report was professional and easy to understand and read through.

John and his son were professional and very thorough as they completed the home inspection. They explained their findings clearly and answered all of our questions.

My wife and I have a 50-year-old house we plan to sell in the future. We wanted an inspection so we would not be surprised with costly repairs at the last minute. John was truly professional and knowledgeable. He took the time to explain in detail what he was inspecting (and why). He suggested how to handle the issues and how urgent they were to deal with. He also gave us solutions to those items that we could address ourselves. I would have no hesitation using Home Detective again or recommending him to my friends. John was a pleasure to work with.

Joe and his son were an absolute pleasure to work with! Their inspection report was thorough and very detailed. They took a considerable amount of time to go over the report with my assistant and with my clients. There is no doubt in my mind that you will love working with this family-owned business!

How did go? Absolutely phenomenal! Not only incredibly thorough and knowledgeable, but very generous in explaining problems and issues as I accompanied him through the inspection. He also generously covered some tips and tricks for maintenance of the house. I had such a good experience, one of the reasons I registered here was to give this endorsement.

The Home Detectives were incredibly thorough with the home inspection. We were first time home buyers, and there were many times that John brought up mitigating solutions to current issues in the home, and identified cracks, sloping, and other wear and tear that we couldn't find ourselves. There was just so much about the home that he seemed to know more than I, and it was his first time even seeing the place. You can definitely tell that The Home Detective is an expert when it comes to inspections!

I will be recommending The Home Detective to anyone in the NE Ohio area in need of an inspection. John was personable, efficient and professional. He caught some spliced knob and tube wiring that could have caused a real headache, down the line. His report was organized and his price was reasonable. 5 stars

The Home Detective was very friendly, professional and thorough with all of our inspections (Personal home and rental property). They were easy to work with and I highly recommend them for your home inspection needs!

John Farmiloe was candid and pointed out some important safety issues with the property. He had a sense of humor and made the process fun. His report was professional and easy to understand and read through. I thought his price was very reasonable.

John was very thorough and explained everything to us. He was patient with our questions and had a wonderful personality. We will definitely be hiring him again if we ever need this kind of service again. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs a home inspection.

I think this is my 2nd review of anything ever, if that gives you an idea of how impressed I was. Home Detective was top notch. Very thorough (in a good way). We are buying a 90 year hold complete with lots of historical nuances and artifacts. I was extremely nervous about the purchase. Mike and Gene came out and spent over 4 hours combing through every corner of the house. Mike actually arrived 20 minutes early and took stock of my concerns and areas of focus (from my perspective). They walked me through every funky (but functional) aspect of the home including things to get done immediately, things to watch, and general "upgrade" or maintenance advice. Seemed very comfortable with the older nature of home (which is critical in the Shaker/Cleveland Heights areas). Report was very detailed (~40 pages) with photos, was very readable, and was electronically delivered the next morning (we finished about 3 pm). It was a bigger home with lots of years, so the price seemed very reasonable to me. I would pay even more for such good service and detail. Hopefully won't be needing their services anytime soon, but would highly recommend and use again.

Both Allen and the report he provided exceeded our expectations. He took time to explain his thorough observations during the process. The organized report we received (which included photos) will become a valuable resource as we move forward with our home purchase.

Mike and Gene did an inspection on a potential home purchase for us. They were there early and were very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. They walked us through the process and explained everything about the inspection and answered all of our questions as they arose. They showed us any areas of concern in person and explained how or what was needed to fix it and was even able to provide a rough guesstimate of how much a professional would be to repair /replace the item. After the inspection was completed (roughly 2 hours) they told us the report would be emailed to me the next morning and it was received at the correct stated time. The report was thorough and included text/photos of all the areas we had discussed in person without any surprises. They also provided their contact info for follow up questions if needed. These gentlemen are highy recommended for your home inspection needs.

I met with Allen from the Home Detective, and we went through the property. He explained everything clearly, and answered all of my questions quickly

Al and Mike effectively communicated all found issues during the home inspection and did a great job answering my questions. The inspection report was detailed, thorough, and included lots of pictures. I needed a follow-up inspection and was easily able to schedule it. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a home inspection. It was a pleasure working with Al and Mike.

Allen and Mike were absolutely fantastic throughout the process, from first contact to report submittal. Within 5 minutes of the start of the inspection I knew I had made the right choice. Aside from providing the typical 'boiler plate' inspection, they took the time to inspect specific areas of concern I had and went above what I expected several times. Their explanations of specific home systems (venting, wiring, plumbing, ect) were presented in an educational manner. It was important to them that you were not only aware of their findings but also understood their meanings and impact. They had a final comprehensive report completed with photos to myself and the realtor within 24 hours. Top notch operation, would use again. Highly recommended! Their coupon from Angie's List was just icing on the cake!

Excellent service! Extremely proficient! Answered all my questions and very detailed with explanations. I couldn't have chosen anyone better for the home inspection!

just a very outstanding job performance and quality work

I really enjoyed the presence of Mike from The Home Detective. He walked through and answered all of my questions with enthusiasm. The report given was very thorough and easy to read. I would suggest them to anyone needed a home inspection before purchasing a property.

We contacted the Home Detective on a Friday and were scheduled for the inspections the following Tuesday. We appreciated that the pricing was posted on Angie's List. When I arrived at the house, Mike had already begun taking notes and inspecting the exterior. He was friendly and emphasized his willingness to answer questions as we reviewed the property. Shortly after, Josh arrived to set up the radon test equipment. The radon test procedure was explained to me, as Mike continue the exterior examination. From that point, I followed Mike throughout the exterior and interior of the house and garage. I received a good explanation of both positive and negative findings, as well as answers to the many questions I asked along the way. The full inspection took approximately 2.5 hours. At the end of the inspection, Mike reviewed the items of concern that he felt were the most significant, which was very helpful. I received my written inspection report and pest report within 24 hours via email. For unknown reasons, the seller of the house did not turn the water on prior to the inspection. Mike offered to pick up the radon test equipment a few days later and do an additional inspection of the plumbing system at that time. Frustratingly, the water had still not been turned on at that later date. Considering this an area of concern, we pushed to have the water turned on by the seller and asked the Home Detective for the pricing for an additional trip to inspect the plumbing. Exceeding our expectations, Mike came to the house again a week later (no separate charge) and did a thorough examination of the plumbing system with me. We received an updated version of the inspection report that evening. Having had a number of home inspections over the years, the Home Detective met or exceeded our expectations. The inspection itself was a comfortable and informative experience, and the information we received was valuable in understanding what we were getting into with a new property.

Allen did a great job. He was professional, detail oriented and timely. This is an older home on the West Side of Cleveland, and he reviewed every inch of this house he could access. He explained any issues as we walked through the home and gave me a very detailed inspection report. He also came back to check a few things that were fixed about a month later. I would use Home Detective again and I recommend them.

It went very well. He gave me a verbal and hard-copy of all the issues with my house. He was professional and responsive.

Al and his partner were amazing! Would most definitely recommend.