Sherlock Homes Inspection Services Inc

Bill Anglin with Home Inspection with Sherlock Homes Inspection Services Inc was excellent. He went above and beyond with the inspection. Finished in a timely manner. And he was very compassionate.

Bill Anglin showed up a few minutes early with an assistant, got permission from the real estate agent, and started on his inspection of the exterior. When I arrived, the assistant was on the roof, and Bill was working his way around the outside of the house, but he dropped everything to greet me, and explain their very systematic method. Then I followed him around for the nearly 3 hours, asking a million questions. He was patient with my total know-nothing questions, and answered them all very clearly. He pointed out lots of things that I need to know. He tested every electrical outlet, pointing out which needed grounding, which should be GFCI, which had reverse polarity, etc. He tested every water faucet for temp and flow, and every drain. He took photos of everything, and took verbal notes (clearly using a good iPhone app!) all the way. As it's an older home, it was no surprise that there were plenty of things to find that need some work. He explained what he was NOT able to inspect as much as what he was able to do, and gave advice for futher inspection, when it was beyond his expertise/beyond the scope of a home buyer's inspection. Example: The house had a humidifier, and he said simply: "I have no experience with humidifiers", but the label was visible, so I can easily research it. (I have enormous respect for people who clearly state what they don't know, esp if they don't start venturing guesses!) Throughout the inspection, he was very professional and friendly, while still being efficient (moving quickly) and thorough (didn't miss a thing). It was late on a Friday, so I told him not to rush the formal report, because there was nothing to impede the sale of the house, and I didn't want him working over the weekend. But very early Monday morning, I had the completed formal report (online, via password-protected link in an e-mail) with all phots (some with added arrows to make very clear what the text was referencing). I've shared this report with family and friends who have all agreed that this was a very thorough inspection and excellent report. Everyone was impressed with his work. The report clearly highlighted all problems, especially those that involve safety issues, and those that need prompt attention - along with specific recommendations. This is excellent documentation for the future: along with documented repairs, this will help make any future buyer of this house very happy. He saved me a bit of money, by offering a verbal-only inspection of the detached garage (not required for a home purchase inspection). So, he did the full inspection, but skipped taking photos or notes, and I jotted down the things he found. I was grateful for the coast savings, while still learning all that I need to know about the garage. Also really great: he offered suggestions that could save money while still achieving the necessary fix. He always made it very clear what would be necessary to bring something up to code, and what would not. Wherever applicable, he explained what is expected/acceptable in older homes, but also what a new home would require. This helps me decide how to proceed with such repairs: which ones would be worth spending a bit more on: those that would actually improve safety, vs. those that will be more important for re-selling in the future. When I suggested a couple of possible big improvements/modifications, he listened attentively (sooooo appreciated!), and spoke to both the pros and cons of my ideas. This is invaluable in making decisions! Both Bill and his assistant were cheerful and professional throughout, and I would highly, highly recommend them to anyone and everyone. We need more people like them in this dog-eat-dog world: good guys, all around. God bless them!

I called this company based on the many positive reviews on Angie's List. I left a message in the evening and got a return call the next afternoon. I felt a bit unsettled with the initial contact. The scheduler called me and started collecting information on the home to be inspected and then put me on hold for a bit longer than one might expect, having just been called. She came back on the line and continued her terse line of questioning and somewhat belittling tone when I did not have the realtor's email address (I did provide a name and phone number). It is the only thing that stands out to me as a negative in my experience with Sherlock Homes Home Inspection Services (SHHIS), and I considered looking elsewhere for an inspection as a result. Remembering all of the great reviews, I stuck with SHHIS and I am quite glad that I did not look elsewhere! Bill (Sherlock) and Shawn (Watson) showed up on a Saturday morning ready for action. They were very thorough in their review of the aged home. This was no quickie inspection, like one I have gotten in the past. They really dug in and provided a quality service. Always willing to discuss issues they were seeing, explain their process, not be rushed, etc. Professional, knowledgeable and courteous! They photo-documented everything and provided detailed recommendations throughout the report. The report came in slightly later on the following Monday than stated due to another inspection, but Bill did give me the results of the radon test as soon as he has them and worked late to make sure I had it by the day he said I would; the link to my report arrived in my email at 9PM. This was impressive to me. The report itself is fantastic. I downloaded it in PDF form from the link, username and password provided. While I'm sure this saves the company quite a bit of money, I would have like to have been given a hard copy of the report as well. Perhaps it available upon request, but I am not sure on this. Having to print and bind it oneself is a tedious process and I have had a hard copy provided for past home inspections by others. The digital format is handy though... I have sent the report, or sections of it, to various contractors to get bids for needed repairs and have had several of them comment positively on its value relative to others they have seen. More high praise for Sherlock Homes!

He was on time and very articulate. He communicated any changes that needed to be made in a very timely manner. His service price was very reasonable. I plan on using him again in the future.

First of all, let me say that we have been severely burned in the past by a home inspection-slash-real-estate-agent 'alliance'. About eight years ago, my husband and I bought a house in a new city, where we lacked a sufficient network for word-of-mouth referrals. We called a real-estate agency whose secretary transferred us to the agent who happened to be in the office at that particular time. After about one month, we found a house, made an offer, and hired a home inspector, referred to us by our agent. We had some concern that he merely shined a flashlight into the attic, and were skeptical when he seemed inconvenienced about going under the house. Ultimately, he found a few minor issues with the home. Fast forward seven years: We were in a position to sell our home and move back to Spokane. We listed our home and got an offer almost immediately. The buyers hired an inspector- A COMPETENT inspector, who told us that basically our house was about to crumble in on itself. Well, not really, but close enough. There was at LEAST $15,000 of damage in the crawlspace of our home. The competent inspector was confident that the damage had likely been occurring much before we had purchased the home. Two independent contractors agreed with him. Needless to say, I have developed 'trust issues'. I recently made about six calls to area home inspectors as we are in the process of purchasing a home here in Spokane. After speaking with Bill from Sherlock Homes Inspection (clever name), I knew I had found 'the one'. It wasn't so much what he said, although that did carry some weight, it was how he said it. It upset him that some bad apples were staining the reputation of the honest and hard working inspectors. He talked of the 'standard of practice' that inspectors are required to meet legally, and how he feels it is is moral obligation to go above that standard and inform potential home-buyers of everything seen, whether it is a legal requirement or not. He has seen some real estate deals fall apart because a house he has inspected has more damage than a buyer was willing to take on. He has had angry phone calls from agents because they are frantic about what he has uncovered and worried that their deal will fall through. He has handled all of the phone calls from me, the listing real estate agent, the seller's real estate agent, and electrical appliance contractors with patience and respect. Bottom line: He values honesty. He values Integrity. He values Hard Work. (oh, and his education credentials are through the roof as well). Meeting Bill in person was a pleasure. I am recommending him to my family, friends and colleagues, and I will recommend him to my children as well, (if he hasn't retired by then after a long and lucrative career.)

He showed up on time did a very good job took about three hours to do a inspection and had his report done in a very timely manner. Also said he would come and over look the house after the repairs where made for free. Just overall knew his stuff very good at his job.

We are hoping to buy a property on Horseshoe Lake that consists of a 1100 SQ ft. geodesic dome and a smaller 320 sq. ft cabin. Bill (owner of Sherlock Homes) inspected both structures. Bill was very personable and professional. I appreciated that he encouraged me and the current home owner to be there during the inspection. His inspection was very thorough and the report both detailed and understandable. Following the inspection Bill has promptly answered all questions I have had concerning the report/structure. I highly recommend Sherlock Homes and wish I had used this inspection service prior to buying the home I currently live in.

Bill showed up on time, very professional in his appearance, demeanor and appeared to be extremely knowledgeable. Spent hours (at least three) going over every inch of the building, every electrical outlet, every plumbing fixture inside and out. His report was extraordinarily detailed, footnoted with pictures and explanations. his post work follow up was prompt, polite and accurate. All contractors should have the same standards of care, accuracy, timeliness and value.

Was on a tight inspection schedule due to 4 of our 10 days falling on weekends. Brian was busy but rearranged his schedule to keep us within the contracted time. Brian was prompt in phone calls, friendly, very professional, timely and a real joy to work with. Due to tight schedules for both he and us I had to call him on a Sunday to review his report. He was ready and waiting. VERY thorough job. Agreed to inspected the additional outbuildings and fences.Since we were unable to be at the inspection (relocating from AZ), he added a TON of photos on where important items were: which electrical panel was for which building, water shut off valves, etc. Photos and descriptions notating damage, safety, electrical, plumbing, heating, and other issues were very clear, easy to understand, and exactly marked with circles and arrows. I've needed to call or email with additional questions and he's always been ready to assist and research answers if needed (like how long the concrete shingle roof will last). As I told him, I sure wish we'd had him for a previous house purchase in northern NY. He uses an online program to process payment and present the 56 page report. Worked like a charm and easy to share with my realty agent. Brian is a marvelous resource.

Start to finish - it went great. Very professional on the phone as well as in person. Prompt, knowledgeable, and personable.

The great news is that I do NOT have termites. I cannot praise Bill enough. He was prompt, thorough, extremely polite and kept me informed every step of the way during his inspection. He is also exceedingly reasonable in his fee.

I am in the process of buying a rental home. The one crazy thing about the whole process? I've never seen the rental home. I live across the state from my first-ever, future rental home. I'll be honest, this makes me a little (a lot) nervous. You know who squashed most of those butterflies in the pit of my stomach? Bill from Sherlock Homes. The man is a consumate professional. My only experience with home inspection was when I bought my home. The dude showed up, scribbled some stuff on a pre-printed piece of paper, and charged me a lot of money for checking some boxes. Bill, on the other hand, combed over the property with an eye for details. The inspection report I received didn't leave ANYTHING out. There was even a picture of one of the outdoor lights that was half filled with dead bugs because it didn't have a lid (ewwww!). Bill also uses a fantastic website that allows you to login and review the inspection. The pictures are loaded with the appropriate part of the inspection discussed, so you're not flipping back and forth between the files. And he even includes suggestions for "would be nice" repairs and "MUST DO" repairs. These are not only littered throughout the inspection but also summarized at the bottom for easy review. The even better part? It didn't cost that much. I would have paid Bill 2x as much for the peace of mind he provided. I will definitely hire him again for any future sight-unseen rental house purchases I embark on.