THOMAS BUILDING CONSULTING

Mark arrived in advance to go over the compound. When we arrived, he briefed us on the general condition of the house and explained what he'll be looking at. Mark was thorough, friendly and most importantly, professional. No wonder he is regarded one of the best home inspectors in the region.

Mark was early and very thorough. He took the time to answer all of my questions and discussed what he was seeing as we were going through the house. Would use again. $395 for home inspection and $135 for radon testing. Gave the option to have radon detector placed 3 days before inspection so the results would be ready at the inspection.

The inspection went well since the condo was in good condition ( 15 years old ) so seems to have been well maintained by the previous owner. No out standing issues with any of the plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling system. Inspected the gas fire place which he was unable to light, did give suggestions on who to contact for repair. Inspector was on time and completed the inspection in less than an hour and a half. Did review the Inspection with me on his lap top computer prior to leaving the condo.

Mark is an excellent inspector. I've bought several properties for personal and rental use in recent years, and Mark is by far the best inspector that I've known. He always arrives early and prepared, he spots major and minor issues that an owner will want to know about, and he provides a prompt and detailed report with practical recommendations. Most importantly, Mark distinguishes between minor maintenance points and major issues that need serious attention. You would think that would be obvious but I've had other inspectors give equal weighting to things like worn window trim and a failing basement support system. Mark looks from the owner's perspective to prioritize the right points.

Mark arrived to the property before the time set for the inspection and was already looking the exterior of the property over. He was very professional and answered all questions. Mark also gave great suggestions for repairs that we could do on our own that would save us money. He gave us a thorough report at the end of the appointment.

Mark was recommended to us by our real estate agent and we were not disappointed. He was available in a short time frame, arrived on time for the appointment and was very professional. He was very knowledgeable not only regarding the inspection process, but also about home maintenance and general home information. He offered several tips during his inspection. As he performed the inspection, he took photos and made notes on his laptop. At the end of the inspection, he went over the report with us on the premises and immediately emailed us the report. The report was very professional and easy to read and understand. He contracted out the radon inspection through American Radon Testing co. They were also very prompt and professional, arranging to drop off and pick up the testing unit without our involvement. They promptly emailed us the radon test results as well.

It went great. Mark was on time and is extremely knowledgeable. He looked at the home from the outside and noticed that the chimney was flashed in a way that he did not think was proper. Sure enough, when he went in the attic, he did find a slight leak near the flashing. Mark pointed out many of the features of the house on the outside and gave us good information about the house and how to maintain it. He checked all systems of the house (furnace, water heater, air conditioning, roof, attic, insulation, water pressure, drainage) and gave us practical information on care of the systems and estmated ther life expectancy. Mark has a very practical outlook and is very good at explaining things about the home. In the attic Mark took extra time and climbed up and around to thoroughly checkf or leaks and ventilation. I doubt that many inspectors would have taken as much time. He took excellent pictures and documented exactly where the leak occurred on the outside and the inside. Mark also found that the sump pump had a float that could stick and the motor could burn out. He recommended a different type of sump pump be installed. At the end Mark gave us a thorough hard copy of his report with excellent pictures about problem areas and good pictures of the house itself. Mark did a great job and I highly recommend him to anyone who needs a home inspection.

When I called the office to make the appointment, the woman who answered was very professional and personable. She was able to schedule an appointment that worked with my schedule and gave me an idea of what to expect. The price for the inspection was also quoted at that time so I wasn't left wondering how much this was going to cost. The day of the inspection, Mark was right on time and got right to work. We started outside and he told me everything that he was looking for and gave me immediate feedback on what he was seeing. When we moved inside, he explained what it was that he was doing and the tools he was using. He made recommendations for things and commented on the quality of previous work that had been performed. He never made me feel like I was bothering him and he seemed eager to share information with me. As a first time home buyer, this was very reassuring. When the inspection was complete, he went through the report with us on site so that we could ask any questions at that time. He also said that we could call him anytime with questions or for referrals for any work we needed/wanted to have done. I was very pleased with the experience from beginning to end and because of Mark's work, I am excited to move into my first house!!!

He's personal, professional and has been in construction himself, before getting his degree in civil engineering. It was very helpful for someone with a fresh eye to come in and let me know what could use some work and what was fine as is. His price was a little higher than a couple others I checked with, but the service he gave, in the timeliness he gave it, it was money well spent. The lady that answers the phone is very warm and professional as well. I would not hesitate to recommend Mark Thomas.

I had worked with Mark in a professional capacity and he did the inspection on my first house. When it came to choose another home inspector, I didn't hesitate calling Mark. He is thorough, patient, and knowledgeable. He climbed up to the roof and checked all the boilers- he even spotted evidence of an underground oil tank. He is also always available for follow-up calls. His co-worker, Joy, assisted him in inspecting the property and was also very knowledgeable. She even slid under my porch to check out some suspected rot. Very impressive.

This was a very educational experience, and allowed us to go into this house with a pretty good idea of what it would need. The inspection report is detailed and comprehensive, and is a terrific reference later on when you can't remember exactly what you were told at the time. Mark knows old houses well, and can give you a realistic evaluation even when your house isn't brand new. This was the second time we'd hired Mark - his inspection saved us from another house a few months earlier - so clearly we'd hire him again if we ever need to.

HE ARRIVED EARLY FOR THE APPT. VERY THOROUGH, EVEN CLIMBED ON THE ROOF TO INSPECT. OFFERED ADVICE AND POTENTIAL VENDORS TO DO MINOR REPAIRS. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

MARK WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND GAVE LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION. I FELT CONFIDENT BUYING THE HOME AFTER HIS INSPECTION.

GREAT DETAIL AND ATTENTION TO HOMES MECHANICALS; I.E. ROOF AND GUTTERS, FOUNDATION, HEATING, A/C, SEWER, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. POOR ATTENTION TO OTHER DETAILS, ESPECIALLY WINDOWS AND APPLIANCES. EVEN THOUGH THIS PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED MID-JANUARY 2003, MR. THOMAS DID NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN ANY WINDOWS, WHICH WERE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND TO BE SILICONE SEALED AND/OR PAINTED SHUT INSIDE AND OUT, INOPERABLE, AND SUFFERING FROM MODERATE TO SEVERE WOOD ROT DAMAGE (REPLACEMENT COSTS WILL EXCEED $15,000). BECAUSE WINDOW OPERATION AND CONDITIONS WERE NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED AND REPORTED BY MR. THOMAS AT THE TIME OF THE PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION, HIS $325 HOME INSPECTION FAILED TO PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT WOULD HAVE ENABLED THE PURCHASER TO NEGOTIATE AND OBTAIN WINDOW REPLACEMENT COST RELIEF AS PART OF THE ACCEPTED OFFER.

WE WISH HE WOULD HAVE DISCOUNTED HIS SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE''VE USED MARK AND HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH HIS WORK. HE FULLY EXPLAINS EVERY ASPECT OF THE INSPECTION. WE FELT VERY CONFIDENT GOING INTO OUR HOME PURCHASES AFTER USING HIS SERVICES.

THE INSPECTION REVEALED ITEMS THAT NEEDED REPAIR, AND WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME PIVOTAL IN FINAL NEGOTIATIONS FOR A HOME PURCHASE.

HES A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT HE IS THE VERY BEST. VERY GOOD WITH FIRST-TIME BUYERS.