ValueGuard Home Inspection

My husband and I are in the process of purchasing an 11 acre farm in southern NJ. We are from Chicago and have very few friends in the area to consult about reccommendations. I found Value Guard through an Angies list search and loved the reviews (and coupons).We had a total inspection on both the home and the 6 stall barn. The inspector was great. He was first and foremost very thorough. Also nice, professional, and easy to talk to. My husband and I both followed him a round asking tons of questions. He was happy to explain things to our knowledge base and made recommendations that were helpful. This company also took care of the termite and radon test. They were wonderful and Shelly in the office is great.

Mike Bluestein was the inspector that was assigned to my house inspection. Overall, very impressive. Mike was there on time and he already started the inspection when I arrived. Since I am a new home owner, he took his time explaining to me the problems in the house and the corrective actions recommended. He took special care to report all the safety issues since I have children in the household. Overall, a well done inspection; very detail oriented. Thanks again Value Guard.

The inspector, Michael Bluestein was the epitome of a professional. He was knowledgeable, thorough, and clearly took pride in his work. I accompanied him throughout the inspection, and felt very comfortable with the level of communication between us. The inspection was incredibly thorough, looking into every corner (and even behind walls). What he discovered about the house, and the information he provided us, was invaluable. Just as important, we have a high level of confidence in the accuracy of the final report.I highly recommend using ValueGuard for home inspections.,

We're buying a house and wanted to make sure there were no major problems with the property before committing. ValueGuard was very highly rated on Angie's List, so we thought we'd give them a go. It was after business hours, so I left a note on the website. Shelly Millard called me first thing in the morning, and we got everything set up. It was a Friday morning when we spoke, and while they had slots available that very day, I was occupied with work, so it wouldn't have been an option. They did, however, set up the radon monitor (which runs for two days) and tried to take a water sample that very day. The water was not turned on in the house yet, though, so they had to come back for that later (at no additional charge). There were no slots available on Saturday, but Sunday afternoon was open, and we took it. When I arrived at the appointed time, the inspector (Mike Baltrush) was already there and conducting some preliminary inspection inside and out in the backyard. From there, we went up to the roof and worked our way down the house, finishing in the basement. The entire process took about 3 hours, which was around what I expected from a proper inspection. Mike was a very thorough inspector and caught a number of things I wouldn't have thought to look at (which, of course, was the whole reason we hired an inspector). He took lots of pictures of trouble spots and non-trouble spots alike. I'm an engineer, so I had a fair amount of knowledge when it came to electrical things, but virtually none when it comes to electric code or household standards. Mike was very good about explaining concepts when I asked about them (engineers are very curious people, after all). I left feeling very satisfied about the inspection. We received the report the next afternoon, and it was very detailed (lots of photos, about 50 line items). We even got the seller to fix the shortcomings in the electric system, which is a small miracle because we had traded a large amount of seller assist for the agreement that the seller wouldn't fix any problems. The water analysis took a little longer than expected, because their lab only runs on fridays; because the seller hadn't gotten the water turned on by Friday, we missed the boat and had to wait until the next week. We weren't particularly bothered by that, but it's worth knowing when you're trying to schedule things. We had the radon and termite reports before the main report; the radon testing is run by an automated system, and the termite inspection was done by a separate subcontractor (Boro Exterminating), so that wasn't much of a surprise either. You can see samples of their report formats for both inspections and radon analysis on ValueGuard's website; I highly recommend looking in on that if you're curious. The reports we received were of the same format and quality, so they're not just "planted" reports that don't look anything like what you'll really get. The main report, in particular, was very detailed and broke down the issues by importance in an executive summary up front before dealing with the issues section by section further in. The photos were at the end rather than inline, but that's probably a matter of personal preference; it did not impede interpretation of the report. We would absolutely use these guys again. The price was about what we expected (especially since we got the works with radon, water and termite inspection). You could certainly pay less for someone else if you wanted, but why would you want to buy a Sunbeam when you could get a KitchenAid? ValueGuard's inspector was thorough, friendly and courteous, and he answered all of my questions quickly and authoritatively.

Wonderful experience. Easy scheduling, the inspector was even early for the appointment. Corey did an extremely thorough job on the inspection, and the report was ready just as promised.

From my first contact with Shelly, to the inspection and report by Michael Pistor, I was very pleased with ValueGuard's service. They were able to schedule the inspection quickly and sent me the agreement right away. They even made payment a breeze, and credited me for the Angie's List coupon even though I forgot to mention it when I made the appointment. The inspection was methodical and thorough - 3 hours for an 1132 sq. ft. house. Mike was careful to avoid any appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest.(i.e., he pointed out where work needed to be done, but declined to recommend specific contractors by name). I trailed him throughout and asked a lot of questions, and he responded patiently. He was good with the homeowner's pets. He was professional, courteous, and respectful of the homeowner's space. The report was ready the next day. It was detailed, well-organized, and even included estimates of the cost for the work that needed to be done. It was very valuable with respect to re-negotiating the sale price. I would definitely recommend ValueGuard.

Cory was my inspector and he did an amazing job! Very knowledgeable and even gave tips on how to upgrade the property safely. The inspection went smooth since the house was only 5 years old but he checked every inch of it. I would use them again and would recommend them to anyone!

Cory Shalaway, who was our inspector from Value Guard Home Inspections was awesome. We never thought someone could be so thorough. He was extremely friendly as well, which we were glad to see. He took the time to explain many deficiencies to us, and he was on site for over 3 hours. His expertise helped save us from making a huge ($200,000) mistake, by showing us major structural, and electrical problems to name a few. I would definitely recommend him to my family, friends, and anyone looking for a home inspector in the Philadelphia suburbs.

The home inspector came on time and did a thorough inspection on the home. Bradley, the Valueguard rep, even went above and beyond what was listed on the official inspection form and pointed out some of the cosmetic flaws that needed to be address. From roof to basement, he did not miss a thing. My mother-in-law who is very difficult to please was with us during the inspection. She was so impressed with Bradley's work that she actually requested his business card and stated that she will contact him if she needs an inspection done even though she doesn't even live in the same state. I was also impressed with his work and will definitely recommend this company.

When I called to schedule the appointment, the receptionist was very friendly and accomodating. They even set up the termite inspection for us on the same day which was helpful. The inspector showed up on time and did a thorough job going through each room and pointing out any issues. He found a few pretty major items (window issues, central air issues) and made it a point to put them at the top of the report so we could show the seller. He gave us a full inspection report and also added in a section with approximate repair costs. In addition there was a very helpful section about items to keep an eye on which is a huge help for a new homeowner. I would highly recommend their services for your home inspection.

ValueGuard Inspections is the best company that I've done business with in years! After finding them (and a coupon) on Angies List, I called late afternoon on a Friday to get a home inspected. Sadly I got their answering machine, and thought they were gone for the weekend. I left a message with my name and number, and within 5 minutes, their scheduling man called me back, was very courteous, kind, and accomidating. He was able to schedule the inspection the next morning with an insepctor (Bradly) that as from my area. Bradly was about 2 hours early, which at first annoyed me. However, he used this time to inspect the siding and roof- someplace I could not climb up on my own. So, he did all the work prior to my arrival so that I wouldn't be sitting around and waiting for him- very thoughtful! He took pictures, sketches, etc. of things on the roof and explained his findings when I arrived. He was VERY thourough on everything and every level of the house. He explained what he saw, what alarmed him, why he would put it in the inspection report, and how things could be fixed. Bradly straight up said, "You could fix that with a 65cent piece from the hardware store" or "that is something you need a handyman to do, you wouldn't want to try that yourself." Needless to say, I was glad to have someone so nice and professional do my home inspection. Both my realtor and myself received the completed home inspection report before noon the following Monday. Such prompt service, such professional work and follow-up. ValueGuard simply is an A++ sevice! And last note, my realtor was annoyed that I turned to Angies List instead of using "her guy." She told us that Monday we received the home inspection report that she loved Bradly and would start using ValueGuard because they were better than her guy! Bottom line, hire ValueGuard Inspections!!

Our home inspector was Michael Baltrush. We were very happy with the entire process. Mike was on time, very thorough, very professional, and explained everything to us. Would strongly recommend to a friend.

We recently used Value Guard for our Home Inspection and Radon Tests. We called the day before, and they were able to have someone out that soon. Micheal Pistor was our Inspector. He showed up on time and got right to work. We followed him around for most of the inspection, with Mike pointing various things out, as well as explaining how to address the issues and rough ideas on how much they could potentially cost. Even though it was a day with temperatures over 100, he took his time on the exterior and the roof, as well as the attic. It took about 2 1/2 hours for the complete inspection. He gave us his card and cell number and told us to call should we have any questions in the future. The very next day, Mike called to let us know he had another appointment in the morning, so our inspection report would be coming in the afternoon, and sure enough, it was. Thanks Mike and ValueGuard for a great expecrience with our first Home Inspection!

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Michael Bluestein of ValueGuard. Our inspection time was scheduled for 2p. I arrived early at 1:45 and Michael was already there waiting for me. He was meticulous (inspection took about 3.5 hours). He was also able to explain things in laymen's terms so I could understand. My husband joined us mid-inspection and Michael generously reviewed the major points again for his benefit. Michael also was able to give us pointers on future projects we envisioned for the house. ValueGuard's office staff, Shelly, was wonderful to work with. She was very organized and delivered on time.

I really appreciate the quick reply from the company. All of their help with my first time homebuying experience paid dividends! This company is well worth it and they really take their time looking at and explaining everything. All of it went into the report. It was a real bargain for the knowledge I gained from Mike (my inspctor!).

I highly recommend Value Guard for your home inspection. Shelley is their receptionist and she is wonderful and responsive with scheduling the appointment and with answering any questions you may have. On the day of the inspection, my inspector was Brad Longosky, and he was there early to check out the roof. If possible, I would ask for him because he was very professional. He took the time to explain any issues that he sees, as well as taking photographs of problem areas, and makes recommendations for repairs. He was very thorough in his inspection and took his time to check every area of the house. Overall, he did a fantastic job and I highly recommend Brad. The inspection reports are very detailed and includes photos from the inspection, as well as recommended repairs and recommended maintenance. So overall, I would recommend Value Guard. FYI, they contract their termite inspections to a company called Boro.

From start to finish, everyone was fantastic. Shelly made scheduling easy & pleasant. They were even available on a holiday weekend. Mike was very thorough, pleasant, and informative. I was very impressed and would definitely recommend Value Guard.

thank you is not enough! I would like to buy this guy lunch!

Mike Bluestein was waiting for us when we pulled up to the house. He introduced himself, told us how he would like to approach the job, and went right to work. We were buying a 3 unit apartment building and he started in the basement working his way to the third floor. It was a very hot day, but he crawled into every nook and cranny, looked closely at the systems, and did it with enthusiasm. We had a detailed report in our hands by the following afternoon. Mike is a knowledgeable professional and his work is outstanding.

The company was very professional and courteous when I called. They established an appointment which was able to accommodate my schedule. Chad, the inspector arrived promptly at the date and time of the appointment. He explained to me the process. I found him extremely professional but in a manner that was very customer friendly. His understanding of home systems was very thorough and he was able to explain everything to me in layman's terms. His inspection was extremely thorough and lasted 3 hours. His report was detailed and complete. I would request Chad for any future home inspection work I need done and would recommend his services without any hesitation.

I told them that I was an Angie's List member and they gave me a discount. They work that they did was excellent. I will be using them every time I need a home inspection.

From the first call for a quote to the follow-up after all work was done I was impressed. It is a well run machine that in my opinion is a model of professionalism. Customer service is as much a priority as providing their home inspection/radon services. Promptness in everything they do is excellent. Good job guys and thank you.

Our inspector spent a great deal of time looking at every nook and cranny! Very professional, and willing to explain everything he was doing in a friendly and clear manner. In spite of temperatures well below freezing, he spent a long time looking at issues outside and on the roof (as well as indoors). The final report was very nice, easy to read, and included helpful pictures. The sellers didn't like the amount of time he spent and all the stuff he found ("nitpicky" was the exact word), but that was OK with me! Though it is quite a lovely home, it really helped us to have the various flaws pointed out (for negotiations with the seller and to maintain the property in the future).

ValueGuard's Mike Blustein provided an excellent home inspection for a house that I decided not to buy based on the home inspection report which indicated a lot of serious structural issues. I found another property that came with 2 houses(a separate in-law suite), and of course, I wanted Mike to inspect this one as well. The inspection was set up easily for a Saturday afternoon, Mike was early for the service, every nook and cranny of both houses was analyzed, and I had my report first thing Monday morning. I got a lot of advice on the issues this property has, but I feel very confident that there are no big "money pit" problems hidden and waiting for me to fall into. It's a scary time to buy real estate, but I have no question that I am fully aware of the condition of my new home! Thanks ValueGuard!!

Cory Shalaway arrived early the morning of the inspection. He was very friendly and a pleasure to work with. As we went through our home he pointed out all the items that either were classified as a major problem (there were none), items needing repair, safety concerns and maintenance issues to keep an eye on. He also offered tips on what was most likely needed for items in need of repair. For example he pointed out an outlet which was wired backwards and said it was an easy fix for a handy homeowner or an electrician. He noticed many things which I had not about our home, and the detailed report he provided (that day or the next morning, I don't remember, but it was very quick!) served as an easy check list for us to make the repairs that were needed. I was very pleased with the inspection and when we purchase our next home this spring I will use ValueGuard, and ask for Cory by name. And lest I forget, the price was great! Thanks again!