We made an offer on a detached home in Mississauga with a 5-day inspection condition. Mike was professional and personally answered all client phone calls. The inspection lasted about 2 hours and Mike had a custom app that allowed him to take pictures and notes as he was doing the inspection, we were able to get the report almost immediately after the inspection. Several issues identified by the inspection would have been quite costly to repair. I brought a contractor at the inspection appointment as well and the contractor was able to give us a quote on the cost and feasibility of the repairs. Mike was available to answer my follow-up questions.
The only things to be aware of (which I wish I had known) was that Mike's inspection does not include going onto the roof to inspect it (no equipment to do that and out of safety concerns), only the portions visible from the ground are inspected from the ground. Had I known, I would have arranged for roofers to go up there to inspect the roof but I had no time left at that point. In addition, the HRV (aka air exchanger, heat exchanger) attached to the HVAC is not included in the inspection and we found out after moving in that our HRV was defective (1500-2700$ to replace). When I contacted Mike about it, he said it was not included because it is not a critical component of the house. I guess you could say that it is not critical but I think a lot of people would consider this to be part of the HVAC system inspection just like the AC and I was a little disappointed that this was skipped as it would have only required turning the HRV on/off with a switch to find out whether it was functioning or not (in our case, it was not running at all even when you switch it on and easy to pick up).
Overall the inspection still gave us peace of mind about the general condition of the house, Mike was knowledgeable and the inspection saved us a couple of thousands of dollars. Mike also charges a reasonable price.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $450.00
- Company Response
Thank you so much Caroline for you time in providing a review here. I would just note that the working at heights regulations in Ontario are very strict and we always have to think of safety, which, can often mean we will not go onto the roof. If it is too high or steep it is not safe to do so. As for the HRV unit these are not a required item in a home just as a humidifier is not required and they do not exist in the majority of homes. We are there to make sure that all necessary (critical) items are in good condition, furnace, structure, electrical, plumbing, windows, doors, appliances etc. I am sorry this particular item is not operating for you, however, even if tested it may have worked at the time of the inspection then failed afterwards. This is the possibility with any mechanical component.
Thank you again,
Michael Mischke
4Sight Home Inspections