- Approximate cost of services:
- $350.00
Rob's insight helped to save on quite a bit with our first home
Hi guys. I’m thrilled that you were happy with my inspections for you. I’m even happier that you didn’t buy the second house with the probable buried oil tank (I was very upset to learn that the house sold over asking on the offer date to unsuspecting buyers after the vendor and listing agent failed to acknowledge/disclose this very serious problem). And thank you for letting us know your concerns regarding the response from Zoe in our office to your follow-up questions. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for Zoe to provide any date information to clients unless it’s specifically noted in my report. Since many clients don’t actually read the report, Zoe always encourages them to spend some time with it when they call since it’s the best way for them to better understand their new house. She may also not have access to the report when your call comes in and because it’s usually difficult to reach me directly (I always return calls and emails), reviewing your report is frequently the fastest way to get the information you need. That said, there are many items and upgrades that are not possible to date visually and therefore won’t be in the report. If possible, I provide a best estimate when I’m next available. Ultimately, that’s what we were able to do in your case. We will, however, try to be more careful in future so clients can better understand the limitations of providing this kind of follow-up information – especially for Zoe, our office manager.
Hi, Kani,
Thank you for your kind words. We are always grateful when clients take the time to write a review. You also emailed us which we will add to our testimonial page on our website, homecore.ca.
We wish you much happiness in your new home.
Zoe
Hi Patrick,
I'm very disappointed in your review of Chuck and our services. Our policy at HomeCore has always been to provide our customers with the best inspection possible and, having carefully reviewed your inspection report and photos, Chuck and I are both of the opinion he did just that. While many of your comments were actually quite positive, including that Chuck was "very professional", you then go on to suggest that Chuck missed some tell-tale signs of a problem with a recently done mould remediation in the attic.
At the time of the inspection (February 9/13), The Listing Agent made everyone aware that there had been a previous mould problem in the attic and that the vendor had hired Healthy Environmental to undertake the remediation. Chuck confirmed remediation had taken place and that, at the time of inspection, there were no obvious signs of remaining mould. Had you contacted the company before signing a new remediation contract you would have learned that the white powdery product you see in the attic is actually an anti-microbial filler called RX Remedy and not a "paint covering" as you were told by a contractor interested in getting your business.
Contrary to your comment about the attic ventilation, Chuck did inform you (see the Structure page of your written report) that the soffit vents were blocked and must be cleared. He also recommended additional attic insulation and to seal around the hatches. Failure to follow these recommendations means that the root cause of the original problem was likely not addressed resulting in the problem redeveloping.
We strongly encourage all our clients to call us when something unusual or potentially costly occurs. It has, unfortunately, become quite common for many contractors with a vested interest to know just what to say to get a homeowner to part with their hard-earned dollars. We have no such vested interest and are genuinely happy to provide our clients with ongoing guidance and support after their inspection. Had you responded to our inspection follow-up email, you would have received additional information alerting you to be extremely cautious of and how to best proceed with any company you will undoubtedly need in future. Had you contacted us before proceeding, we may have been able to give you some valuable guidance that could have saved you a lot of money.
We sincerely hope that the work you undertook to deal with this recurring problem has accounted for and dealt with all the possible causes of mould in your attics. These include ventilation, insulation, and air sealing of all penetrations from the house to the attics. Missing any one of these steps means you could find yourself in a similar position again next year.
Rob
Hello Jessica. I'm very surprised by your negative experience with your post-inspection inquiry. We take our customer service very seriously. Obviously the home inspection is paramount in our business but we've always felt that our follow-up service is just one more element that separates us from everyone else, as told by the hundreds of testimonials on our website - many of which refer specifically and appreciatively to our follow-up service. I regret and apologize that we failed to satisfactorily resolve your issue. Rob
Hi Brian. Thank you very much for the kind words. I very much enjoy doing warranty inspections even though they take longer than resale inspections. It's been my experience that builders generally don't do a very good job educating new home buyers on homes in general or the systems that operate them successfully. Helping my clients navigate the often complex warranty process along with what's worth fighting over and what's not is very rewarding for me personally. Thanks again. Rob