The Home Inspection Co

Hi Adriana and Marius,
It was such a pleasure working with you, it certainly helps when the home buyers are as enthusiastic and attentive as yourself. It sounds like you've settled in. Please don't hesitate to contact me when you start dealing with some of our discoveries. My job was to discover possible problems that you’ll have to deal with. Just knowing about deficiencies and possible timelines you can stay ahead of most any calamities. This puts you in the drivers seat instead of knowing there are possible surprises out there in your future.
There's a huge gap between our discovery and getting the job done that I can't cover in my report. This is why phones and emails were invented, to extend a working contact with me and even as a sounding board. I'm not saying I'm an expert but I can usually point you to the resources that may assist your future projects. Sometimes we don't know the names of things or who to call, I'm always happy to help.
Happy trails,
Your advocate, Ted

Hi Mike,
New home... there’s a lot of information for the homebuyer to digest, thankfully the immediacy of what needs repaired has been prioritized in the report to help homebuyers unpack their liabilities and make plans for their ownership. As your inspector I must say I enjoy the yrs after the purchase to hold your hand while you plan and execute alterations or maintenance.
While I endeavor to alert you to future maintenance I am rewarded by the satisfaction of your accomplishments.
Xmas is here, do you need any toys for your new identity as a fly by night Handy Man? Let it be known.
Your advocate,
Ted

Hi Myles,
Being an older home we had a few cyclical failures and other issues typical to aging. In spite of the house’s apparent functionality we did make a sizable list (but not overwhelming in number or cost) of items requiring repair & replacement. I am very pleased that you are using the inspection to manage the care and upgrade of your home. People who hire me often do so for the very reasons you stated. My clients come from repeat and referrals by past clients. They know exactly what to expect and when we get down to it most all of my clients are keen listeners and even participants. I try to involve my clients in various aspects of the inspection so they have firsthand knowledge or you might say physical and mental muscle memory (I draw the line at following me onto the roof or through a dirty crawlspace). All too often homebuyers only want to get through the purchase process leaving all their money on the negotiation table. I'm happy to say; for many if not most of my clients, they are able to negotiate a sizable reduction against the deficiencies discovered. So even though my clients pay approximately twice as much as other home inspectors charge I would say for 90% of my clients I pay my own way when homeowners do not disclose known deficiencies and even if they were unaware of significant deficiencies. When the discoveries are brought to light they are logically and rightfully negotiable. When someone is selling their house and has not mentioned possible roof problems. When the inspector discovers this failing roof with evidence of roof patching. Well that is an automatic point for negotiating. When a home seller knows of a problem or even covers it over with paint, tar patches or other cosmetics like furniture, storage and clutter so the inspector actually has to go above and beyond normal investigation procedure to discover, that can be interpreted as an act of fraud. Nobody thinks in those terms because they are only trying to show the house in the best light. Often there are only minute telltale signs to this deception, often an observation and interpretation are the product of many years of experience in construction and renovation but also the past 20 yrs of doing home inspections.
Thanks Myles!!! Testimonials are what make my world go around.
Your always advocate.
Happy trails...
Ted Gilmour

Hi Anne & Ian
I have enjoyed our history together. First of all you are very keen participants during the inspection process. That makes a big difference for me as I do enjoy not just pointing out deficiencies but providing, in a logical progression, what may have happened and what will be required to make it good again and also to maintain it. This is only possible when I spend, at a minimum, twice the industry standard inspection time. The industry has always tried to fit in 2 inspections per day. It still does but the inspectors are stretched a little thin considering they are composing an inspection report with photos during that inspection period. I’m fortunate I've been able to maintain my inspection standards throughout the years when most other inspectors are fighting over being the cheapest and the fastest, ingratiating themselves with real estate agents for referrals and producing really nice looking generic websites without samples of their inspection reports. The report demonstrates exactly what you are paying for. I’m always amused when inspectors, while trying to impress potential clients on their thoroughness, leave out the most important bit: the sample inspection report, their main product.
Happy trails...
Ted Gilmour

Hi Ben,
I'm very happy you have touched base with this testimonial. I have to admit when I did the inspection on your home I could not imagine anyone other than a contractor making this purchase. The home was an accumulation of hippie adulterated renovations, yes they were groovy, spiral staircases and all, in many cases totally unsafe and the opposite of what the previous owner, I'm sure with great pride assumed to be “home improvements. “
Much to my surprise you have taken it on and are progressing through the many repairs and alterations required to make it a home. I'm also happy to hear that you have benefited from my inspection and report, using it as a guide and taking out the proper permits to ensure compliance with the city but it also assures that the home will be done with a substantial degree of function, safety and longevity.
Congratulations, you have achieved success against great odds.
Happy trails ...
Ted Gilmour

Hi,
Wow most home-buyers hire me for the reasons you have described but till now have never been so blatant. Yes everyone wants the sale to complete including the home-buyer, there's nothing wrong with that except if you don't know what this house is going to cost you in the next year and beyond it could impact your lifestyle quite dramatically. The entrusted responsibility of the home inspector (not me) is to maneuver around these player (real estate agents, homeowner, etc.) influences and present the home in a favorable light, paving the way to a smooth subject removal. Yes everything can be fixed; your real estate agent can get your roof fixed for $150 or the blocked sewer pipe for $250. Real estate agents have a list of service providers who can rush in to put Band-Aids on any home inspector’s discoveries. Real estate agents like to think they save people money when in fact quick fixes only fix the realtor's bottom line by greasing the skids to a successful sale. Remember both agents stand to lose if the house doesn't sell, getting paid sooner is always preferable to getting paid later.
Thanks for your acknowledgment.
Happy Trails...
Ted Gilmour

Hi Stephen,
We ask for strata documents, a strata depreciation report and engineers reports, they did not deliver more than 2 yrs of sketchy strata minutes. A bit of a red flag. When I showed up I saw they had done rain screening to the North and East elevations which historically are the 1st building coordinates to fail as in “Leaky Condo Syndrome ”. The portions of the building that had been Rainscreened appeared to be above average retrofit quality and the remainder of the building had been painted which is often times a negative treatment that merely hides moldy staining but also is part of a face sealed system which if water gets in cannot get back out again as water or vapor. There's probably a good reason why they don't make submarines out of stucco, any cracking from building movement will allow water penetration, water penetration leads to catastrophic failure eventually.
I did not discover any moisture on these original exterior walls from the exterior or interior. I just hope that’s true but if it is not you should have $50-$75,000 socked away, even better, if you can find out what the previous rain screening costs were, add 10% or 15%.
There's nothing wrong with buying a potentially problematic building so long as you are aware of the future possibilities. It was a little scary knowing that the strata appeared to be concealing/withholding vital information about your building. I would recommend in your email program to create a file to store all the correspondents you had with the sales project. Basically if you ask for available information that was later determined to reveal serious problems. Yup, you guessed it, they are liable for concealment which in other words is outright fraud.
Long story short- the current painting strategy might last for 10 to 20 yrs. Face sealed Building Envelope/Building Enclosure will fail eventually just as the North and East elevations failed prior to rain their targeted screening.

Happy trails ...
Ted Gilmour

Hi Katie, Alex and Margo,
I get a real fuzzy feeling when people say things like “I was a real pleasure to deal with”. Yeah, that's bound to earn you some brownie points, for sure! You were also a pleasure to work with. When homebuyers are keen to learn about their new home I will spend the time to explain: what's going on, what and how to do deal with it, when to do it and an approximate cost. Many Home inspectors tell you that they want you to follow them during the inspection so they can explain things to you. The trouble is their entire inspection is finished in 3-4 hours including the report with photos. The reality is you tag along behind watching the inspector take photos with his tablet computer and inserting them in the boilerplate template. Basically the inspector is so busy working on the report that he has very limited time for explanations. I would add; the inspector would have very little time for actual discoveries as well within the targeted allocation of time per inspection.
I am one of the only inspectors willing to spend whatever time it takes to discover most everything wrong with a home. When most other inspectors are racing to do 2 inspections per day at $500 per you have to wonder if this is actually a legitimate profession. In my opinion it's not a professional advocacy the way home inspectors have raced to the bottom to maximize profit in as little time. When most every inspection company endeavors to be the cheapest and the fastest it becomes the norm. This does not represent the profession that I thought I was joining. With every new wave of fresh home inspectors entering the workforce I believe we lose a little more integrity. The new breed of home inspectors believe that home inspection toys are the way to lead an inspection. These toys should be used as a confirmation and a method to illustrate particular problems. Experience is what leads a professional, you cannot get experience when you're running through the house with a tablet checking off an inventory of stock components.
As you know I am waiting for your questions.
Happy trails ...
Ted Gilmour

Hi Warnock family,
Yes we do have some history and I'm always grateful when people choose me to inspect a 2nd time. A typical home inspection is only accurate for the day it was conducted, yeah sure some issues will remain the same but there are so many things that I cannot see until they reach an historical milestone which may reveal telltale indicators of deterioration/failure. Your 1st inspection revealed a multitude of serious problems where the lesser issues took a backseat in my reporting, not neglected just not as prominent in their urgency. Your 2nd inspection almost 10 yrs later of course revealed some of the same issues but also brought to light others that were not apparent due to weather/time of year or overshadowed by the volume of more serious priorities. Yes I do try to provide a chronological roadmap to repair or sustainability but that also requires your ongoing input and collaboration with me to assist in your making better choices and repair scheduling.
I remember your late father Joe, he was a very interesting man, he took a very keen interest in this home and was hopeful that the family could and would maintain it for their own use which you have to some degree. Joe was old school, as I recall he was a Prof. most teachers and professors have a very stringent yardstick for giving perfect marks. Even though he was thoroughly impressed with the service I provided he only saw fit to award me a 9 out of 10 stars. I totally respect that as being a 15 out of 10 stars in the world of Home Star reviews.
Thank you Joe and family, it has been a real pleasure to serve the generations.
Your advocate.
Happy trails,
Ted Gilmour

Hi Holly,
There is a trend in the last 5 to 10 yrs where homebuyers are looking for a bargain home inspection or you might say a”good deal”. In the last 10 yrs houses have almost doubled in price and buyers are looking for a cheap, fast inspection? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me so I assume salespeople are somehow convincing people they do not need to do their due diligence because the market is so hot. (There should be legislation to give every homebuyer a legal right to do their due diligence but there is a very strong lobby against this novel idea) From my experience it doesn't matter how hot the market is, you still want to do your due diligence. You mentioned previous home inspectors you've used who utilized a binder checklist system. Nowadays the same home inspectors have purchased computer software that has the equivalents of a checklist style home inspection except you can add photos. These programs are so slick that using a tablet computer they can walk through the house and take pictures that are immediately inserted into the report template with the corresponding boilerplate description/advice. The previous standard model was 2-3hr inspections using checklists. Now it's 3 to 4hrs for a complete inspection turnaround, yes that includes the report which is generated after all the obvious, generalized and superficial tasks on the computer program have been completed. Had you gone with another inspector you would never have known the depth of the inspection or the actual utility of the report for negotiating but also to maintain your home. You don't know how sorry I am to say that in my opinion and experience, real estate agents have gained such a hold over 95% of the home inspectors. Home inspectors are more than willing to go along to get along. And that means generalized fast inspections. The reporting systems have come a long way from the scratchy paper checklists to the now photo enhanced boilerplate. If you were to get a 2nd inspection on another house and done by another inspector using the same computer generated report system you would find very little difference between the 2 houses.
When I started doing inspections 20 yrs ago I worked for another company who used an industry leading checklist system. It didn't take me long to realize these checklist systems simply did not have the categories or clarity of the written word and they certainly didn't have photos. I was embarrassed to handover these flimsy pieces of paper as representing the depth of my investigation. There simply wasn't the language to describe or to assist the homebuyer in taking the next step towards ownership and that's exactly what the sales industry was looking for. After 2 months of working for this company I struck out on my own and never looked back. I simply was not able to sell my clients a bill of goods, after all, their potential future hinges on my inspection and communication clarity. Back then, as today, home inspectors are simply used to rubberstamp a buyer's attempt of due diligence. How should homebuyers know when this was/is the industry state-of-the-art and their trusted agent doesn't betray the scam. I call it a scam because in my opinion home inspectors are not professional they are simply agents of the sales community, they are team players. Home inspectors are dependent on real estate agent referrals, anyone who bucks the system is blackballed by everyone involved. Nobody wants some Maverick shining a light on their nepotism or “professional” incompetence. Home inspectors have simply lost perspective with the task they are entrusted to perform. An inspector's true client is the realtor.
Holly thank you for writing this account of my services, my clients are my one and only client and source of future work from referrals by satisfied clients, and not (necessarily) satisfied real estate agents.
Happy trails...
Ted Gilmour