HOME INSPECTIONS PLUS

Tom inspected a home we purchased in Rochester. It is a new construction home, made by a reliable builder. Given that my wife and I are not experts, we felt it was worth the expense to have the home inspected. Note that my wife and I were not able to attend the inspection. My in-laws attended on our behalf. Tom did a thorough inspection of the home and found several minor items, including a few we would have never been able to uncover on our own. For example, he found nails in the gutters that had not been cleaned up after the roof was installed. He made note of everything, with photos in many cases. We have shared this with the Builder for resolution before we move in. He also found one serious issue - the patio slab angles back toward the house, which could lead to potential water damage / foundation issues. I feel fortunate that someone caught that before we took possession. We found Tom through our Realtor. He is her "Go To" guy for inspections and I can see why. Evidently, only a small percentage of people pay for an inspection on new construction. I think that is short sighted and well worth the expense, even if just for peace of mind. We highly recommend Tom Berge and Home Inspections Plus.

 I called Tom, (I found Home Inspections Plus on Angie's List, but he was recommended by name from my realtor with three others.)  I discussed some concerns I had going into this home.  I wanted to make sure he had the right tools, and the experience to understand what I wanted to be checked and confirm or ease those concerns I had.

Well, Tom started on the outside, checking the stuff that needs to be checked.  He found a few minor issues and easy fixes, which we discussed, short and long term remedies.

Sadly, we found a foundational issue, which when totaled with other little and medium sized fixes, was enough to force me to step away from the house purchase.  I told Tom we were done here, and no need to finish the inspection.  He agreed with my assessment of cost to repair, and the price of the home being too costly...  Tom was kind enough to validate my decision with my realtor.

Tom only billing me for a partial inspection was above and beyond. As I view the cost of an inspection well worth the money TOO find a problem, or just as well a lack of a problem.  Especially when as a buyer, you really feel an attachment to a property in your heart as this particular one had for me and my wife..

Always get an inspection done before making a final decision to buy a home, and Tom is a guy I feel I can trust to do the job honestly.

He began on the outside, going over all aspects including the grade of the lawn, climbed up on the roof and checked everything up there, then we went inside and he checked every aspect of the house as I followed him around. As we went he spoke into a recorder when he found anything that needed repair or replacement then explained to me the reasons why.

Tom Berge did a great job. He took his time, checked EVERYTHING out, and labeled everything important in the house. He encouraged me to ask questions. He used a voice recorder to take notes, which was great for me because I could hear what he was commenting on and could ask even more questions. His report was very details and had a lot of pictures to show exactly what he was referring to.
Our house had been foreclosed on the owners previous to the current sellers, so they didn't have a lot of dates on when appliances had been purchased. Tom new most of the years just by looking at the serial numbers on them.
He is also one of the only home inspectors in the area that has a mechanical camera/probe to check the inside of furnaces for cracks and potential problems.
I would recommend him highly.