Oye Home Inspection, Inc.

We hired Burdell Oye on the strength of a recommendation of some friends. He showed up right on time and set to work. He did a very thorough job, though he had some minor technical difficulties with his CO detector, and explained that his inspection of the roof would be limited to what he could safely and easily easily get to. Our friends had purchased a nearly-new home, while the one we were in was built in 1914. After reading Burdell's inspection report, we would probably walked away from the home as hopeless, had we not been renting it for the two years previous. The report made it sound like a money pit, with one shoe waiting to drop after the other. But we did purchase the home, in the end, and two years on feel we are in a position to comment on some of the concerns and recommendations in Burdell's report, as well as make a general suggestion: Generally: We would recommend Burdell Oye for inspection of relatively new homes, or for cases where you want to know everything that could possibly be wrong with the home, possibly for purposes of negotiating down the price. However, we have found that using his inspection for an old home as a guide to what to fix has led us to attempt to address many issues that others have told us were not a problem. Specifically: 1) Burdell was concerned about carbon monoxide (CO) from the water heater, but couldn't be sure because his CO monitor was flaking out. We called in a plumbing company, and they checked CO levels and said everything was fine. We have since become convinced that the water heater is on its last legs, though (as per Burdell's report), and is some times slow to light completely. A CO/flammable gas detector we put near it doesn't go off, but right after it lights we sometimes smell a slight whiff of natural gas. We've bought a replacement. Chalk one up for Burdell here, though the problem may not have been CO. 2) Burdell's report did not include a chimney cap missing from the roof, because he didn't go up there. (Our roof is extremely steep...I've been up twice, but don't intend to do it again! That said, I don't know if other home inspectors would go up as a matter of routine.) It caused rain to come in through the chimney during storms. Burdell had attributed the associated rust stains on the floor to the water heater. 3) Burdell suggested that sagging cross-beams in our home put the structural integrity at risk. Contractors consulted about fixing it said doing so would silent squeaky floors, but that the house was in no danger of falling down - fine for a house of its age. 4) Burdell suggested replacing the electrical panel, which we have done, and are glad we did. His thoughts on what it might cost were high, though, and we almost accepted a super-inflated bid for the job because of it. More generally, the report listed many many things as needing repair or replacement, some minor, some major. A few we have done, most we haven't. The house is functional, however.

Dell was very prompt in returning my call and told us exactly what to expect and how much time to allot to the inspection, what his report would and would not cover. We wanted to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about the property and Dell really covered what was important to us: the soundness of the structure, potential problems in the future and what needed to be fixed right away. He really knows what he's talking about. He gave us a written report the same day and included a CD that shares valuable information about home maintenance. He's not crazy about realtor's but functions as a true buyer's inspector. He can be very funny or very businesslike (or both!) depending on his audience. We were very impressed that he insisted on getting into the grungy, awful crawlspace to check for moisture and other problems. We would definitely use again and recommend.

Overall it was a great experience. Dell gave me all the info I'd want to know, was very prompt, friendly and was very reassuring overall. He gave me confidence in the property I was buying and I feel he gave me good advice on what to watch out for as well as what not to worry about over the next couple of years living in the house.

Dell Oye from Oye Home Inspection was nothing if not extraordinary. He was very responsive throughout the entire process. His knowledge of home construction and the inspection process was superb. But just as impressive, in my opinion, was his willingness to both share his knowledge and patiently answer all of my questions. Working with Dell was a pleasure. He has a great sense of humor and truly made it a priority to work with and educate us about the home that we were considering purchasing.

I am very happy with my experience with Oye Home Inspection. Dell was very professional, on time, friendly, knowledgeable, and covered his shoes before walking around indoors. I would definitely hire Dell again and would highly recommend him to anyone needing a home inspection.

DELL ARRIVED WHEN HE SAID HE WOULD, HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL, POLITE, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HELPFUL. HE ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD. WE FELT HIS PRICE WAS REASONABLE. EVEN LESS THAN HE HAD QUOTED US. IT WAS RAINING WHEN HE ARRIVED AND WITHOUT US ASKING HE REMOVED HIS SHOES WHEN HE CAME IN TO PREVENT TRACKING, WE WOULD USE HIS SERVICE AGAIN AND WOULD RECOMMEND HIM.

Did an excellent job. Went above and beyond.

Dell was very professional and knowledgeable. He thoroughly explained the details of his findings during the inspection and encouraged us to ask questions as we went a long. He also provided us with a very detailed report online within hours of his inspection. We definitely recommend his services and would use him again.

Dell was very nice and pleasant to work with. He was punctual, explained things well, and was very thorough in his report. He gave me good advice.

I was able to walk around with Burdell Oye for most of the inspection, and he has a sharp eye for pointing out things you should pay attention to (especially if you aren't handy with houses yourself.) The written report includes items that you should pay attention to as part of the immediate transaction, as well as longer-term maintenance and safety items. My overall sense was that Burdell does a thorough inspection.

DELL OYE WAS OUR HOME INSPECTOR AND HE WAS ON TIME, VERY THOROUGH AND HE EXPLAINED EVERY DETAIL OF OUR HOME. OVERALL WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH OUR EXPERIENCE AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM.

DELL WAS EARLY TO THE APPOINTMENT, VERY PERSONABLE, AND TOOK THE TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND GO OVER GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES. WE HAD SOME EXTRA TIME AT THE END OF THE APPOINTMENT AND USED THAT TO GO OVER SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES AND FUTURE PROJECTS. PRICE WAS COMPARABLE OR SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN OTHER INSPECTION COMPANIES ON THE LIST.

DEL OYE INSPECTED ALL OF THE AREAS OF CONCERN TO ME. HE GAVE ME SOUND ADVICE AS TO WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AND WHAT DID NOT NEED TO BE DONE. SOME OF THE NEWS WAS BAD, AND WILL COST ME MONEY, BUT LESS THAN I FEARED. OTHER NEWS WAS GOOD AND SAVED ME MUCH AGGRAVATION. I WILL NOT HAVE TO DO AN EXPENSIVE JOB THAT A CONTRACTOR SAID WAS NEEDED. I FEEL THIS WAS A VALUABLE SERVICE.

THE INSPECTOR WAS VERY DETAILED ON THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSE AND WE HAD THE FULL REPORT AVAILABLE TO US ONLINE THAT EVENING. WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T BUY THE FIRST HOUSE WE HAD AN OFFER ON, BASED ON SOME OF THE INSPECTOR'S FINDINGS. WE USED HIM FOR THE PROPERTY WE ENDED UP PURCHASING, AND WOULD USE HIM AGAIN IF NEEDED.

MR. OYE EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS! FROM THE FIRST CONTACT TO RECEIVING HIS REPORT AND A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL TO A QUESTION, DELL WAS WONDERFUL! OUR APPOINTMENT WAS MADE VIA EMAIL, HE MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE LISTING REALTOR, AND WE MET AS SCHEDULED. DELL IS VERY PERSONABLE AND EASY TO TALK TO. HE RECEIVED OUR QUESTIONS WELL, AND ANSWERED THEM IN AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND MANNER, OFFERING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND COMMENTS. HE HAS A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR WHICH MADE OUR 4+ HOURS TOGETHER VERY ENJOYABLE AS WELL AS INFORMATIVE. HE WAS PATIENT AND NEVER RUSHED THE PROCESS, OFTEN PAUSING TO INQUIRE IF WE HAD OTHER QUESTIONS. HE SUMMARIZED HIS INSPECTION VERBALLY AT THE END, AND DELIVERED HIS REPORT AS PROMISED. HE BROUGHT SEVERAL CONCERNS TO OUR ATTENTION IN AN UNBIASED MANNER, NEVER MINIMIZING OR EXAGGERATING. DELL IS A COMPETENT, QUALIFIED INSPECTOR AND WE WILL REFER ANYONE DESIRING THIS TYPE OF SERVICE TO HIM WITHOUT RESERVATION.

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I ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A PROBLEM IN MY ATTIC. HE JUST STUCK HIS HEAD UP THERE. I THOUGHT HE WOULD GO UP THERE. OTHERWISE, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK.

ON TIME, PROFESSIONAL, EXTREMELY THOROUGH. WOULD DEFINITELY HIRE AGAIN.

DELL OYE WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, ON TIME AND EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

HE SAID THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE ME AN WRITTEN REPORT BUT HE WANTED TO GET PAID ON THE SPOT WITHOUT MY HAVING RECEIVING THE REPORT. HE DID GIVE AN EXCELLENT REPORT, I THOUGHT HE DID NICELY. I DID HAVE TROUBLE DOWNLOADING THE REPORT FROM HIS WEBSITE BUT HE WAS ABLE TO E-MAIL THE REPORT ME. HE IS A REALLY NICE GUY AND VERY PERSONABLE.

VERY HELPFUL WITH LOTS OF USEFUL RECOMMENDATIONS.

BURDELL WAS PROMPT, THOROUGH AND PLEASANT. HE TOOK TIME TO ANSWER ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS AND OFFER SOLUTIONS. THE WRITTEN REPORT WAS DELIVERED AS PROMISED.

I THOUGHT DELL DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB. HE WAS THOROUGH AND I LIKED HIS REPORT. I APPRECIATED THE TIME HE SPENT INSPECTING THE PLACE (3+ HRS). MY ONLY WORD OF CAUTION IS THAT DELL TENDS TO BE A BIT DIFFICULT AT TIMES WHEN ASKING QUESTIONS. THERE WERE CERTAIN TIMES WHERE I STRUGGLED TO WORD MY QUESTION IN A MANNER THAT DELL WOULD BE WILLING TO ANSWER... THIS WAS FRUSTRATING AT TIMES. WHILE I UNDERSTAND WHY HE HAS AN ADVERSION TO ''GENERAL'' QUESTIONS AND HAVING TO ANSWER THINGS WHERE HE CAN'T BE 100% CERTAIN, HE COULD BE BETTER AT HELPING THE CUSTOMER WORD THEIR QUESTION (SUCH AS ''WHAT I THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO ASK IS...'' AND SOMETIMES USE HIS PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT TO MAKE EDUCATED ASSUMPTIONS. IN SCENARIOS WHERE HE IS MAKING AN EDUCATED ASSUMPTION, HE COULD VERY CLEARLY STATE ''I AM SOMEWHAT SPECULATING HERE, BUT BASED ON MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES...''. REGARDLESS, IN THE END, I FELT COMFORTABLE THE HOME DID NOT HAVE ANY UNKNOWN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS & THOUGHT DELL DID A GOOD JOB.

THE INSPECTOR WAS REALLY GREAT. HE CAME OUT ON SHORT A NOTICE. HE WAS ON TIME. HE WAS VERY THOROUGH. WE GOT THE REPORTS QUICKLY.

WE'VE USE DELL TO INSPECT THE HOUSES WE HAVE PURCHASED TWICE. HE IS VERY THOROUGH AND EDUCATES YOU DURING THE INSPECTION. HE IS QUITE PICKY AND WILL FIND ''FLAWS'' IN ANY HOUSE, BUT HE WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU AS TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE THINGS HE POINTS OUT. HE'S FRIENDLY, TOO. SOME REALTORS DON'T LIKE HIM BECAUSE OF HIS PICKINGS, BUT I CONSIDER IT A PLUS.