Todd

Andy can read people well. He could sense I was hesitant about buying my first century home and wanted to know everything I could about it during our inspection. So as I chaperoned him during an almost five hour detailed inspection, he took the time to give me an on the spot tutorial about how to run the house, preserve its outer core and prevent water infiltration and preserve its integrity — and its charm. He's seen it all and can relate stories that will make any home buyer shake in their boots. We wriggled through the crawl space, climbed into the attics and climbed ladders to inspect the roof. But he puts any of the issues he does find into perspective: is it critical? Does it need to be addressed? If so how soon and how much approx. will it cost? He's not out to convince you to buy the house or not buy the house: he's just telling you about the house. He also steers any remediation issues you might ask about to other contractors who are experts. The 99-page detailed report that he later provided is now like an owner's manual for the house. Some of the issues he flagged did put me in a better position to successfully negotiate a lower purchase price, but that's not why I hired him. That was a nice by product of having the assurances that someone who really knows century home put your house through the paces, and asked the same types of questions a potential buyer down the road might ask. In a nutshell, hire this guy to inspect your century home. If you don't like colourful stories, well, let him do his thing in peace, but you'll be missing out on an invaluable part of the experience. He doesn't just inspect century homes, he loves them and can point our things about their unique beauty and charm that will help you fall in love with your new home. He's also ruthlessly critical when he does find something and won't pull punches. On another note, he's the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with when all is said and done.