STEPHEN HOME INSPECTION

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Seemed trustworthy and helpful.

Overall, it went quite well. I was able to schedule an appointment on relatively short notice (about five days), and he was able to accommodate some changes in the time. He called to confirm the day before, which was nice. He was quite knowledgeable and experienced...he had been to the building before and could tell what was updated over the interval! He was thorough and went into detail with some of the problems with the electrical system. We received a typed report just hours after the inspection was complete.

This was our first home inspection and it went great. Getting a recommendation on a home inspector was actually why I joined Angie's list, as I didn't have any personal recommendations to go by. Stephen was professional and friendly, gave me a quote over the phone, and had several available times open on fairly short notice. The inspection itself took several hours. Steven was very thorough. My real estate agent recognized him from a previous sale she had been involved in, and remembered him as being very thorough there too. We got a 12-pg report the next day. The house had no major problems, but a detailed assessment of all recommended repairs and upgrades (as well as ballpark costs) was provided. He also gave us a guide to home maintenance. I recommend Stephen Home Inspection without reservation!

After emailing Stephen to set up an appointment to inspect a condo I am purchasing. He promptly called me to set the date and time which was on a holiday. He called to reconfirm the night before (Sunday). He arrived early and already started. He was extremely professional and courteous. He took the time to explain not only the major equipment but even the little things about them. It was a bitterly cold and extremely windy day and he had to go on to the roof to inspect the unit's condenser. I was both impressed and relieved by his inspection as this was my first real estate purchase. His detailed report including photos arrived a few days later in the mail so that I can refer to it when I move in and know exactly what repairs I need to make.

Stephen himself inspected the property on short notice and on a weekend. He was very professional and prompt. He stuck to his estimate even though he ended up spending at least an hour or more of additional time. Stephen was able to give us ballpark estimates of repair costs and also helped us to understand the priority of the repairs we would be facing. This was very important because we wanted to be sure we knew exactly what we would be facing before we even bid on the house. Stephen has an engineering background and has been doing this sort of work for years. He knows a lot of the history of Boston homes. He was also available for follow-up questions after submitting us a detailed report that included photos. We were extremely happy with his services and would highly recommend him.

The service was exceptional; he returned my call quickly and was able to schedule my inspection with little notice. At first I didn't think a home inspection was all that important for a condo that was just constructed, I now know it was money well spent. Not only did I get the comfort of knowing the property I was interested in was in good condition, but the information Stephen provided was amazing. Stephen covered all areas that would be expected from a qualified home inspector, in addition; what I really appreciated was the time Stephen took to explain everything to me. He also covered and made recommendations for areas that may not necessarily fall under a home inspection, but things that he felt could be improved or fixed. Stephen also provides a very detailed written report immediately at the completion of the inspection and then next day you receive via email the complete report and within a day or two you receive via mail the final typed report with pictures.

Stephen arrived early, performed a very thorough 2.5 hour inspection of a 2400 sq ft home -- answering questions and explaining his findings along the way -- and delivered a report the next day. He also spent 45 minutes with us on the phone answering follow-up questions, and would have gladly spent more time had we needed it. His inspection allowed us to proceed with the home purchase with complete confidence.

Great. I am using him again to inspect my house before I put it on the market.

It seems that Stephen is a good guy and very professional about his work. However I was disappointed in the result. He followed a checklist that was pretty complete but didn't leave much time for real issues. For example, at the end I had to ask him to check part of the roof that was flat and shingled. Many real issues discussed during the inspection: roof damage, stove issues, exposed hot water pipes, possible lead paint on floor... were not in the report. However, he found lead paint outside on the porch and stated in the report that lead paint may be in the house. But he forgot to test the only spots in the house that had any paint at all. It was clear that I intended the cottage as a rental. Finally the final report was so unorganized that it was useless.

Stephen returned my call promptly and was able to do the inspection with little notice. He was extraordinary. We were all impressed with the depth of his knowledge and the way he attended to detail. He could tell how old a piece of wood was and what was out of place(it was an old house). If there was a problem to be found I have no doubt that he would find it;he is no ordinary inspector, and on top of it he is a structural civil engineer (I think that is how you say it). Hire him you will not regret it.

He was thorough and did an excellent job.

Stephen and I set a date/time for late afternoon and he said he'd call that day to reconfirm. I didn't hear from him and it was just a couple of hours before the set time, so I called. Stephen answered straight away, as he did when I first called, and we confirmed the time and he was prompt. He was thorough and informative. He was considerate of our neighbor and his property. He was patient and he explained what he was doing and shared his feedback along the way. He was knowledgable and relaxed. I was satisfied with the thoroughness of the inspection, which was one of my main factors in choosing him from the other reports.

Stephen Sala performed two per-sales home inspections for me. For the first home, he pointed out issues about the house I had never even considered (for example, that the patio was on the north side and would never receive any sun, or that a 3rd floor bedroom would get hot in the summer). For that reason, I passed on the home. This was a great decision because I found a home I liked even more, and Stephen did that inspection as well (and pointed out only minor issues). For that second home, I needed the inspection done the next day, and he was able to accommodate. I learned more about housing and construction in those 2 3-hour sessions than I could have inspected. He even left an ''owner's manual to your home'' at the end. Stephen is knowledgeable and professional, and he gets my highest recommendation.

Mr Sala was exceptional!! He spent time to thoroughly look at not only the unit itself, but the outside of the building, around the unit on the fire escape, the roof, including roof deck. He also did a spot lead paint test for us with a kit which confirmed lead present without having to do a full lead test inspection, saving us $$. His report was full of insight and allowed us to negotiate the P&S from a very comfortable position. He was professional, punctual and even made a second trip out to the unit at no additional charge to review the utility area which we were not able to see during his initial trip. His price was quite reasonable and I would highly recommend his services !!

Although this firm was not selected the owner sent me 2 emails with helpful tips and information.

I would highly recommend. He was early to arrive, he took his time, answered a lot of questions, and never seemed rushed, despite a obviously impatient listing agent who was hovering about. Very solid work, and well worth the price paid, if only for the peace of mind.

Stephen was great, on time, thorough. I did feel that when he was about half way through, that he maybe wasn't looking as hard for problem areas because the house was so ''clean'' throughout.

THIS WAS AN ENGINEER/HOME INSPECTOR WHO WAS HONEST, STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE. METICULOUS, PUNCTUAL AND PROFESSIONAL. A+

THE HOUSE WAS QUITE COMPLEX, AND MR. SALA DID A THOROUGH JOB, EXPLAINING EVERY STEP TO ME AND MY HUSBAND (FIRST TIME BUYERS). HE CLEARLY KNEW ABOUT STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, AND TOLD US WE HAD A VERY COMPLICATED SITE. HIS REPORT, DELIVERED, VIA EMAIL, THE NEXT DAY WAS VERY EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND. HE POINTED OUT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHIMNEY THAT WE LATER CONVINCED THE OWNER TO HAVE INSPECTED AND REPAIRED AT HER EXPENSE. MR. SALA ALSO PROVIDED US WITH A VERY HANDY HOMEOWNER'S GUIDE AND OTHER USEFUL HOUSE BUYING INFORMATION AT THE END OF THE INSPECTION. HE MADE IT CLEAR HE WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE INSPECTION. I TOOK HIM UP ON THE OFFER AND CALLED HIM A FEW DAYS LATER. I REACHED HIM EASILY, AND HE ANSWERED ALL MY NEOPHYTE QUESTIONS PATIENTLY. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIS SERVICES TO ANYONE IN THE BOSTON AREA.

VERY PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL POINTING OUT THINGS THAT NEEDED TO ADDRESSED AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.

STEPHEN SALA GOT BACK TO ME RIGHT AWAY, MADE AN APPOINTMENT, CAME TO THE HOUSE AND EXPLAINED MOST THINGS HE WAS LOOKING FOR, GOT AN INSPECTION REPORT TO US VIA EMAIL WITHIN 24 HOURS, SENT A PRINTED REPORT TO US VIA MAIL. THE REALTOR SELLING THE PROPERTY ALLOWED THE HEATING TO BE TURNED OFF IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES, AND STEPHEN WAS WILLING TO COME TO THE PROPERTY AGAIN TO INSPECT FOR BURST PIPES. GOOD EXPERIENCE, I'D RECOMMEND HIM.

THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME I'VE PURCHASED A HOME, AND THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT THE HOME INSPECTOR KNEW MORE ABOUT THE JOB THAN I DID. AS AN ENGINEER, I APPRECIATED STEPHEN'S ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND UNDERSTANDING OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR A DECK THAT IS FOUR FLOORS UP. HE TOOK TWO HOURS TO INSPECT A 2580 FT CONDO, CLIMBING ON A LADDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND DISASSEMBLING COVER PLATES TO GET AT THE GUTS OF THE SYSTEMS. EVERYTHING IS DOCUMENTED WITH DIGITAL PHOTOS. THOROUGH AND PROFESSIONAL, I RECOMMEND HIM WITHOUT RESERVATION.

HE WAS VERY THOROUGH, EXPLAINED THE HOME''S SYSTEMS AND OFTEN HOW TO MAINTAIN THEM (WONDERFUL INFO FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS). HE PROVIDED A DETAILED ANALYSIS AND EVEN RETURNED TWICE ON HIS OWN TO DOUBLE CHECK PROBLEMS HE THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE SEEN OR REVIEW ITEMS HE WAS UNSURE ABOUT. I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE ASKING HIM QUESTIONS AND ASKING FOR HIS OPINIONS ABOUT THE PURCHASE AND SOUNDNESS OF THE HOME. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND PROMPT. WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND, ESPECIALLY FOR A NOVICE LIKE MYSELF.

HE PROVIDES A REPORT BETWEEN 15 AND 18 PAGES. EXTREMELY THOROUGH AND RESULTED IN MY NOT PURCHASING THE FIRST 2 PROPERTIES. AS HE INSPECTS, HE ALSO GIVES ADVICE ON THING NEEDED AND MAINTENANCE TO DO. ALL FOR APPROX $350.