Smart Move Inspections, Inc.

Very thorough inspection, very well documented with photo illustrations and references to Standards as applicable, communicated verbally and explained thoroughly. Michael found 'defects' that were not visible to the naked eye as he also used a thermal imaging camera. With the thermal imaging camera he found a sump pump issue, that he (or his peers) , he contacted during the inspection) had never experienced before.

This is the second time we have use Michael for a home inspection.
The last inspection being 8 years ago on a foreclosure. He arrived on time and
performed a very thorough inspection of the house. He allowed us to follow and
answered questions. He took many pictures and explained each one to us before
leaving the property. His written report came the next day. It was very
detailed and easy to follow. We have seen other inspection reports that simply
make checks on a pre-made template. Our report for the house had a detailed
paragraph about each issue. More detail in this situation is crucial when you
are buying a house. It's obvious that Mike looks out for the customer and
writes his report in order to have the best negotiating power for the buyer.
We also appreciated that he would not give us names of repair companies as to
not promote anyone in particular. He does not recommend a project be done only
to give his buddies some business. We would recommend Michael to anyone and use
him again if needed. He is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. 

He arrived ontime, provided a thorough inspection, adhered to the inspection standards (I checked), had state of the art inspection equipment, and wrote up and incredibly detailed report with tons of pictures.  Among many other things, he found a critical water leak, and electrical issues which could pose a deadly threat-no grounding at most of the outlets. The problems he found far exceeded the total cost of the inspection thus making it a good value in my eyes.

Excellent.   Mike knows his stuff.

At first appearance everything seemed very through about the inspection we had done prior to purchasing a house as an investment property. We received detailed pictures and a report. We hired a contractor to make the necessary repairs detailed in the report. It was at this point it became clear that Michael Connolly had used a zoom lens on his camera to inspect the attic rather than actually getting up in there (according to the contractor who views the pictures in my inspection report).. In the attic we found major water damage to the roof that was not in the report and was obvious to anyone who climbed into the attic A cam light was found that was still hot that had simply been covered up by the kitchen cabinets. This to was easy to see when you climb around in the attic itself. There was black charring around the light showing that it was a fire waiting to happen. Various other electric issues were found making it clear  someone with no experience had been trying to rewire things in the attic to do a kitchen remodel. We had to have the entire area rewired and it was costly. Had Michael Connolly actually entered the attic and climbed around rather than simply taking pictures from the opening I have no doubt these issues would have been caught and I could have negotiated some money off the purchase price for the rewiring. These issues were clear as day to me when the contractor had me cimb up there with him to show me what was going on. He had me do this  because I questioned him because I thought I had a through inspection done and assumed a professional would notice something as clear as char marks and a hot cam light with no bulb left open in the attic and water damage to the roof. Needless to say I am not satisfied since I feel a through inspection does require actually going into the attic. It is a small house and for what I paid I expected a through inspection.

Mike Connolly took care of everything from our initial contact: made the appointment, did the inspection, and I had a detailed report the next morning. I couldn't be there but asked if my brother-in-law could be there. My brother-in-law reported a very professional inspection and a friendly attitude. The report is a custom document with defects classified by seriousness and suggestions on possible solutions and the type of contractor needed to repair the problem. The report was 40 pages of text with an addendum of 165 photos that not only showed the defects close up but also distant shots that helped locate the problem. This was not a check the box on a list type inspection. I called Mike after reading the report with some questions and his answers were clear and explained everything so that I could understand it. Parts of the document were used to negotiate with the seller on corrective action and the seller immediately agreed to fix all problems we asked him to correct. I feel like I got the Mike Holmes Inspection I asked for and more, for less then the airfare to fly Mike Holmes in. The report also included items that were not problems yet but items that should be monitored for future actions. We will be using this report for years to come.

Mike's service was great. He was responsive to my concerns, on time and produced a great report. He went above and beyond. He prepared a detailed 14 page report which outlined significant workmanship issues with a new Zaring home. His report was clear, focused on issues which needed correction and allowed me to clearly show the noted items were not nit picky, but actually the result of the builder's poor attention to detail, incomplete work and potential problems. I am fairly observant, but Mike found numerous problems which if left uncorrected could have been a real headache and resulted in damage to the home if left uncorrected.

Excellent experience. Prompt, courteous service from the initial phone contact all the way through to the written report. Tremendous value - saved us thousands by uncovering needed repairs. Without a doubt the most thorough, professional home inspection I have experienced. A refreshing experience in an age where many "handymen" pose as home inspectors.

MIKE CONNOLLY IS AWESOME. HE IS INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND REALLY PUTS YOU AT EASE. WILL ALWAYS HIRE AND RECOMMEND HIM.

SMART MOVE WAS RECCOMMENDED BY A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE THAT RECENTLY SOLD HIS HOUSE. I MENTIONED TO HIM I WAS SELLING ONE HOME AND PURCHASING ANOTHER AND HE COMMENTED 'I HOPE YOUR BUYER DOESN'T GET SMART MOVE TO DO YOUR INSPECTION THEY DID THE ONE ON THE LAST HOME I SOLD AND THEY WERE TOUGH' SO I THOUGHT THAT SHOULD BE THE PEOPLE I HIRE. THEY WERE TIMELY ALTHOUGH WE HAD JUST HAD A HUGE SNOW STORM. THE BAD WEATHER DID NOT PHASE THEM IN THEIR DILIGENCE TO PROVIDE AN EXCELLANT INSPECTION AND REPORT. THEY PROVIDED A VIDEO TAPE AND DIGITAL PICTURES AS WELL AS DIVIDING THE ISSUES INTO MAJOR AND MINOR PROBLEMS. WITH THEIR DOCUMENTATION AND PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION I FEEL I WAS ABLE TO BET THE BUILDER WE WERE PURCHASING A USED HOME FROM TO TAKE CARE OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.

THEY GIVE YOU A VIDEO AND EXPLAIN EVERYTHING SO YOU CAN REFER BACK TO THE VIDEO AND BOOKLET FOR LATER USE