Home inspection

[green-horn]

I just had a home inspection done and would not recommend MIKE HOLMES INSPECTIONS. They will take your money [ weeks in advance - billed to CC of course!] Not answer questions in advance. Not return phone calls - regarding qualifications. Show up late, and continue to pay more attention to watch then inspection. Not write anything down-just take pictures of anything we already point out. Then email report as you have to special request for them to print report.

My advise to anyone needing this service is to watch his shows, buy his book and save yourself his $971.25 charge. [nice pay for 3 hours work!]

 

[Cyle]

Sorry to say, but Mike Holmes is a TV guy NOT a construction guy. Plain and simple, he is a retard. I'd really like to know how much construction knowledge he really has, not what is shown on TV. These inspections are just his name on it, it means nothing. Just like the holmes approved homes, another money scam joke. I'd say as of today, he is a negative to the construction industry vs a positive by far. When your budget is infinite it changes things a LOT. Not that some things he does is even proper, he cuts corners on some things.

To top it off, good luck finding a reputable home inspector that REALLY knows their ch!t. There is a reason you see it everyday someone complaining about a home inspector. They are great to tell you all your electrical, appliances, etc works (that ANYONE can do). But when it comes to drainage, foundation, mold, etc, they are few and far between. Plus they have ZERO liability. I can't count how many times i've heard people say their home inspector didn't even go in the attic or on the roof. It's just sad. Ya some homes you can inspect the roof good enough from the ground, but most can't.

He's in TV for the money, and that's it.

Sorry to hear that happened to you, but you are far from alone getting screwed by a home inspector.

 

[Cyle]

O and if the inspection is that bad, I would reverse the charges on the credit card and tell them it was so useless you have to get another inspector.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Better off to just do your own very thorough inspection than hire "most" home inspectors.

 

[MATTIAC]

Or maybe just hire cycle. He is tough though.

 

[takethebounce]

I am friends with several home inspectors who operate a "franchise". Its a fairly large company overall. I know a few of their owners from other franchises as well. Most are decent people who take pride in what they are doing.

One of the inspectors who does the "Mike Holmes" inspections in Calgary was actually fired by one of the franchising groups I know for doing bad inspections. Obvisouly Mike Holmes doesn't do referals on future employees.

Those TV shows are so ridiculous its not funny. I am not a licensed contractor by trade but I have been involved in home construction a good part of my life. I could easily do my own home inspection but I would still bring along one of my actual home inspector friends as they are very knowledgeable on code and being that they do this every day can point out some very interesting items.

The TV shows give people a false impression on what can legally be done during an inspection. There are rules and laws that must be followed. One portion is called the "Standards of Practice" and "Code of Ethics" Anyone can go to the CAHPI site and download these. This is what the inspector should be following. You can also use that site to find qualified inspectors in your area. Now it is still possible that someone is CAHPI registered and they are a moron but you could always contact CAHPI and share your experience with them. There is also NACHI or something else, and a Master Inspector organization too. But usually you write exams and pay fees to become part of these organizations so its not a failsafe system.

Also, no one can predict the future. Everything is based upon the current state of the home and current code. Your water heater might be 2-3 years old, and should last awhile yet, but is its the inspectors fault if it fails 6 months down the road? They can't poke holes in walls, they can't make assumptions based upon what the heat sensing camera lens tells them either. I have heard of brand new homes failing inspections by the people I know after the city inspectors passed them as well. So no matter what, a home can have its flaws. Typically you pay $300 for a $300 inspection, $500 for a $500, and so on. Near a $1000 is a scam for what you get (basically a tv show name)


Most reputable inspection companies are insured. Should they miss something, yes they can be held liable. Hence why the good ones have insurance. Realators can be funny too. They may refer you to a "certain" home inspector because thats who they like to use. That person they like to use might be someone who rarely finds anything wrong with the house. Helps guaranty the sale! So ask realators who they would use if they were the ones buying the home. Obviously they want to purcahse a good home themselves.

 

[nast70]

References, references, references.....

Our guy checked out ok, and found some neat things about the house (the roof sheeting was upside down??), but missed a couple biggies after the fact. Our ensiute shower drained directly into the kitchen! The drain had separated from the pipe about 3/4". All this was visible behind the lense of the sunshine ceiling. At least I had easy access to fix it!

You never know what to expect when buying a house. This was our fourth house and we thought we knew what to do and look for.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED AND YOU'LL NEVER BE SUPRISED