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Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC
Complete Home Inspection, Commercial General Inspection Service,
About us
Emerging from Inspection Consulting Inc. in the mid-1990’s, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC opened under the new name in 2005. Of the inspection firms in existence at that time, we remain the only Company that has survived the real estate turbulence in the last decade. We are proud to be a family-locally owned and operated inspection firm—we are not a franchise. Performing over 1,000 home inspections annually makes NHI easily one of only a couple inspection firms in the area that can boast of such a large and faithful client base without the aid of corporate franchise backing and national advertising. More than just experience, NHI is proud to offer the community inspectors who are on the top of their game, and maintain professional memberships in more associations and professional organizations than any firm in SW Washington. All NHI inspectors have CMI (Certified Master Inspector) designation with the Master Inspector Certification Board and all are members of the InterNational Association of Certified Home Inspectors as well as the Washington State Pest Management Association. More, some inspectors are also members of ASHI – The American Society of Home Inspectors, NWOCHI – The NW Oregon Certified Home Inspectors Association, one is the sitting President of the SW Washington Association of Home Inspectors, and another is the Vice President of the Oregon Chapter of InterNACHI. We maintain licenses in both Oregon (CCB 172294,OCHI 1173) and Washington (414,415 and 421), and we are also Washington State Department of Agriculture licensed Structural Pest Inspectors. We specialize in residential home inspections and we produce our full-color, computer generated reports on site. We market our Company as a “Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions”—we believe that it is our duty to educate you not only in the purchase of your home, but in the process of hiring a home inspector. While we obviously love to schedule inspections, we often spend time with prospective clients and house hunters on the phone educating them about Washington and Oregon laws, what to ask home inspection companies, and how to hire the best home inspector for their needs. While scheduling conflicts or costs make it impossible for us to accommodate the needs of every client, we are proud to help point them in the right direction. If YOU need help in separating the wheat from the chaff when it comes to home inspectors and home inspection firms, you should really spend some time with us on the phone. We will equip you with the information that you need to make an “educated real estate transaction”. It is our job, and we love to help! If you are in the market for a home inspection, please give us a call! You can also visit our websites to find more information: www.NickelsenHomeInspections.com www.PortlandOregonHomeInspection.com Sincerely, Kurt P. Nickelsen, CMI Founder/Owner of Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC 360-600-4354
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
28 years of experience
Services we offer
Residential Home Inspections
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
3.917 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 59% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 6% | ||
| 6% | ||
| 18% |
Showing 1-17 of 17 reviews
Mikki M.
Oct 2020
I could not believe the disrespect this company showed to my family and my home. We were asked to vacate while the inspection was performed and I regret complying with the request. My washer and dryer which had clothes in it was run as I was notified on my phone the cycles were complete, ruining a couple items of clothing. When I returned home I found my backdoor unlocked, both side gates wide open, the small garage door open, and a note that the radon test was going to be for 5 days not the 2 agreed on. My home is always locked up and they left it wide open to whomever wanted to help themselves to everything I have which includes personal documents, firearms, computers etc. And they enabled my dog to get out of the yard. This is highly unprofessional and horribly disrespectful. If you value your home and what it contains I recommend hiring someone else.
Vicki S.
Nov 2016
The inspection went well. However, the inspector left his watch at the property. When he returned to get it he engaged in a conversation downplaying one of the defective items he found (a broken seal in a slider). He told the seller that it was just starting and would take at least ten years before it would be a proble. He negatively impacted my ability to negotiate fixing the proble. My greater issue is with my conversation with the owner. He was hostile and rude and raised his voice when I said I would handle it in this manner. He stated "go ahead and threaten me, you aren't the first." Buyer beware. He was so unprofessional.
Response from Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC
"What is troubling here is that an inspection which went well warranted an 'F' rating. Reviewing notes from the time of the inspection, the inspector returned to the home and when the seller's of the property asked whether they could ask any questions, the inspector stated that he was '...limited in what he was able to answer.' The seller persisted and asked if the inspector could show them the door that had a failing vapor seal--being subtle, they couldn't seem to find it. To aid the buyer of the home, the inspector showed the seller's the door. The inspector never once told the seller that it would be '10 years before it would be a problem'. In the 90 seconds that the inspector was there, the inspector told them that it was a problem, showed them the door, and explained that vapor seal failure is gradual--on a sort of spectrum. The inspection firm keeps copious notes of all written and oral communication for transactions, and saves all correspondence. When the inspection was conducted and the information was provided the client had no problems. The only problem that the client appears to have had was the fact that we returned to the home and, in her absence, did precisely what we are required to do without being rude to the owners of the property. When that communication was misrepresented to the client, she chose to contact our company with vitriol and threats and, subsequently, didn't like our response to not being persuaded by such threats. Having the ability to review a company's work is a valuable service to the public and it is one that the owners of Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC, as well as its employees, use as well in their day to day transactions with other companies. But it certainly comes with some side effects, which [Member Name Removed] aptly displays here. I wouldn't be surprised if such erratic behavior manifests itself not only in personal and professional interactions elsewhere, but has likely led to undeserving adverse reviews of companies elsewhere on the internet. That is just the modus operandi of such people. Best Regards, NHI"
Robert Y.
Jun 2015
unknown
Response from Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC
"Thank you for your review. Hope all is well! - NHI"
Kelsey P.
Jun 2015
We just finished with our home inspection today. Overall we're very happy with the services received from Nickelsen. Chase completed our inspection for us. He arrived about 30 minutes late, however the market has been nuts, so I'm not surprised the company is so busy. They were able to fit us into the schedule with about a week's notice which is great considering how busy most inspection companies have been.
Luckily we weren't in a time crunch when Chase arrived and he never seemed to rush through the process. He was very informative and communicated what he was doing throughout the inspection. This is our first home purchase so it is reassuring to have someone explain what they're doing the whole way through. We had the reports in our inbox before we even arrived back home which is great when you've faced a lengthy build process and are anxious to get into your new home. I would recommend them for any home buyer!
Luckily we weren't in a time crunch when Chase arrived and he never seemed to rush through the process. He was very informative and communicated what he was doing throughout the inspection. This is our first home purchase so it is reassuring to have someone explain what they're doing the whole way through. We had the reports in our inbox before we even arrived back home which is great when you've faced a lengthy build process and are anxious to get into your new home. I would recommend them for any home buyer!
William G.
Mar 2015
All went well and on time and was really helpful in completing the housing arrangements. I think he in experienced and pragmatic.
Carmen N.
Jan 2015
We were very pleased with our home inspection performed by Nickelsen Home Inspections LLC. Our inspector Kurt was very professional and supplied us with a detailed report including photographs documenting the needed repairs. We were impressed with his communication and follow up. After one year, Kurt came back out as promised for a follow up inspection (for our year warranty).
David C.
Jun 2014
Steer clear unless you like being talked to like a child. This guy Justin did a fine job on the home inspection I'm sure, just like the majority of other home inspectors out there, but he shouldn't interact with customers. He's an arrogant p****. Went on and on about how he tells his clients what to do and how they never listen, and how he doesn't know what's wrong with them. Nice way to bash your clients to another client, we were amazed at his attitude.
Response from Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC
"Thank you for your review, [Member Name Removed]. We are pleased that the 38 page report provided proved helpful with making an educated decision regarding your transaction. All the best! - NHI"
Beverly W.
Sep 2013
Yet again, absolutely fantastic service all around. We first used them 2 years ago based on a high recommendation by our realtor and were really happy with everything. Now we used them again and were just as happy. They were very professional, scheduled an appointment right away in our tight timeline, completed a thorough inspection and had the full, extremely detailed report with a lot of pictures to us in less than 24 hours. And all this at a very reasonable price. Their comments and suggestions in the report were extremely helpful and easy to understand.
We'll definitely use them again and highly recommend them to everyone we know.
We'll definitely use them again and highly recommend them to everyone we know.
Response from Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC
"Thank you so much for your view. Best of wishes! - NHI"
WILLIAM N.
May 2013
good
Elisabeth D.
Dec 2012
I used Nickelsen Home Inspections based on a recommendation by my wonderful realtor and I was very pleased with the entir process. Justin was right on time and did a thorough inspection, giving me th report right on the spot. The whole process took nearly a couple of hours for a 2200 sq ft home and the report. He summarized the areas of concern and explained everything to me and even answered my follow up questions into the evening hours. He was very responsive via email as well and also emailed me a pdf version of the full inspection report. I really appreciated Justin's thoroughness and professionalism and highly recommend Nickelsen Home Inspections.
Nathan C.
Oct 2012
unknown
DANIELLE N.
Apr 2012
Both inspections exceeded our expectations; Justin was extremely thorough and entertaining to boot. Based on the findings from the first inspection we declined to purchase the home, and remain grateful to him for saving us from purchasing a home that had more wrong with it than we ever could have imagined. When we found another home to purchase, we knew there was only one person we wanted to inspect it, and again he did not let us down. Our inspection was thorough and seamless - but in addition to a thorough, high quality inspection, the customer service is also exceptional. We had a sewer scope by another company simultaneous to the home inspection, and when the service provider was unable to reach us for payment, Justin wrote him a personal check for us and allowed us to pay him when we paid for the inspection. When the current owner of the home came home earlier than expected, Justin declined to review the report while she was there, and instead reviewed the report over the phone until after 9pm in the evening. We move into our home in a few short weeks and are very confident that we are making a fully informed purchase, thanks to Justin at Nickelson Home Inspection. Thank you!
David P.
Aug 2011
The crawl space was the main thing I wanted inspected but he did not get into the crawl space because he said it was too small. He just looked inside and said it was alright by the smell.
He spent a lot of time on his computer doing his reports, but I did like the report I got, it was very detailed.
He spent a lot of time on his computer doing his reports, but I did like the report I got, it was very detailed.
Beau M.
Jul 2011
Inspector showed up and conducted a walk through of the home and provided a subsequent report on findings.
Concerns over the quality of the work include:
1) After purchase, outlets they had not tested proved inoperable. While the inspector stated once on site that he was not testing any outlet that was not easily accessible (i.e. if an outlet was behind a chair, couch, dresser or bed the inspector stated he would not test it), even some of the outlets that were accessible during the inspection were not tested and proved inoperable. There was at least one expensive outlet missed in particular.
2) The inspector indicated during the inspection, once on site, that he was unable to completely test most of the most expensive systems in the house. Specifically neither the AC nor the heat could be tested in 65 degree weather, which is the predominant weather in the entire PDX metro area, nor could the roof. Apparently the roof could not be closely inspected due to the presence of some portions at a pitch of 5/12 or greater, which was his estimate of the pitch. The inspector could not find the filters for the heaters, but failed to note this in the report. There was no advance warning that they would not test these systems. Had we known this, we would have selected either a different day (i.e. not +/- 65 degrees outside) or a different vendor (i.e. one that has the ability to walk on roofs with slopes).
3) Misses in the kitchen: the door to at least one cabinet was not properly hung (i.e. it comes off), tip-out shelves under sink and stove have no bottoms and drop through to shelves below, and the soap dispenser in the sink is broken.
4) Misses in the office: warping of the door of built-in office furniture, even after we pointed out that the glass was missing from the cabinet door. Also missed that the outlet under the desk, the one designed to power a computer at the desk dose not work.
When we hire professionals to conduct inspections we expect through inspections. Of the four homes we've purchased over the years, this inspector seemed by far to us to be the least through. Their report also seems to be full of boilerplate text, portions of which were literally copied directly from other sources, which is mostly not a problem, but really underscored the boilerplate nature of the report to us.
We would not use this provider again, and will not recommend them to others due to the issues listed above. They are probably not the worst in the business, but I'm confident there are better inspection services available out there (at least better than the inspector they sent for this job).
Concerns over the quality of the work include:
1) After purchase, outlets they had not tested proved inoperable. While the inspector stated once on site that he was not testing any outlet that was not easily accessible (i.e. if an outlet was behind a chair, couch, dresser or bed the inspector stated he would not test it), even some of the outlets that were accessible during the inspection were not tested and proved inoperable. There was at least one expensive outlet missed in particular.
2) The inspector indicated during the inspection, once on site, that he was unable to completely test most of the most expensive systems in the house. Specifically neither the AC nor the heat could be tested in 65 degree weather, which is the predominant weather in the entire PDX metro area, nor could the roof. Apparently the roof could not be closely inspected due to the presence of some portions at a pitch of 5/12 or greater, which was his estimate of the pitch. The inspector could not find the filters for the heaters, but failed to note this in the report. There was no advance warning that they would not test these systems. Had we known this, we would have selected either a different day (i.e. not +/- 65 degrees outside) or a different vendor (i.e. one that has the ability to walk on roofs with slopes).
3) Misses in the kitchen: the door to at least one cabinet was not properly hung (i.e. it comes off), tip-out shelves under sink and stove have no bottoms and drop through to shelves below, and the soap dispenser in the sink is broken.
4) Misses in the office: warping of the door of built-in office furniture, even after we pointed out that the glass was missing from the cabinet door. Also missed that the outlet under the desk, the one designed to power a computer at the desk dose not work.
When we hire professionals to conduct inspections we expect through inspections. Of the four homes we've purchased over the years, this inspector seemed by far to us to be the least through. Their report also seems to be full of boilerplate text, portions of which were literally copied directly from other sources, which is mostly not a problem, but really underscored the boilerplate nature of the report to us.
We would not use this provider again, and will not recommend them to others due to the issues listed above. They are probably not the worst in the business, but I'm confident there are better inspection services available out there (at least better than the inspector they sent for this job).
Anders M.
Jan 2010
Kurt was very thorough and professional. He gave us a detailed report and a clear explanation of his findings. He answered questions along the way and gave us a good sense of what needed to be done in the house. He provided information at the right level of detail so that we could make a good decision about our home purchase. I would recommend him to anyone in search of a home inspector. His style of communication shows that he is very experienced and very attentive to his clients' needs.
Phillip C.
Nov 2009
I contacted Justin from Nickelsen Home Inspections after hearing of them from a real estate agent and checking out their website and reviews. Justin responded immediately and continued to be responsive and timely throughout our business. He was very clear up front that he wouldn't schedule an inspection until we knew for sure that the utilities were on in the home. This turned out to be a good call as it took several days longer than originally expected. Justin arrived early, was very thorough and used the latest technology to provide us with a comprehensive report. We had access to an earlier inspection report done on the home and Justin found and documented multiple issues that that the earlier report overlooked. Justin was friendly yet bluntly honest and was a strong advocate for us, the home buyers.. He did his job neatly, methodically and with a great sense of humor. We were able to use the lengthy, photo laden and detailed report that Justin produced the following day to negotiate a significant reduction in the final price of the home.
AMY A.
Aug 2005
KURT IS ALMOST ALWAYS REACHABLE BY PHONE AND IS ABLE TO GET THE INSPECTION DONE WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. I HAVE WORKED WITH SEVERAL INSPECTORS AND BELIEVE HE IS THE BEST. HE IS VERY THOROUGH AND PRINTS THE INSPECTION REPORT ON THE SPOT.
Licensing
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FAQ
Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC is currently rated 3.9 overall out of 5.
Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC does not offer free project estimates.
No, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC offers emergency services.
No, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC does not offer warranties.