Evaluation of maintenance needs for small condo building

thank you gentlemen.

just to be clear, with Umanish’s leak; i had called the trouble spot out with a photograph in the report i had prepared for him. for both of us, it was a matter of looking back at the report and looking at what was over the spot inside the house where he saw water. i did not have to leave my desk.

justinromeu26

in General Discussion 1 year and 5 months ago

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theklaandduncan | 1 year and 5 months ago

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Our small 3 unit condo would like to retain an advisor/consultant to assess near and medium term maintenance needs (roof, etc.) so we can determine what projects need to be undertaken to maintain the 10 year old building both today and over the next few years. I am not sure if an architect, engineer or home inspector is what we need but we are definitely looking for something that is actionable and practical rather than a technical treatise which lays out an theoretical potential issues with the building. It would also be good to find an advisor that would do an evaluation but would not have a potential conflict of interest in serving as a party to perform the work. Would very much appreciate if anyone can point me in the direction of the right type of advisor and/or make specific recommendations of parties you have worked with.

justinromeu26 | 1 year and 5 months ago

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i am a former building manager (commercial) and have been a restoration contractor for two decades now. i have managed reroofing (major projects) and have managed roofing repairs (in-house) and am now a Haag Certified Low Slope (commercial) roof inspector. I have also managed parapet wall and facade rebuilds, interior build-outs, window projects, doors, flooring and everyday maintenance and repairs including plumbing and electric (which i will no longer touch beyond inspecting). In decades past i was responsible for fire and life safety systems and fire safety plans. Before i went to college i worked for a home improvement contractor installing windows and performing related tasks (siding, some roofing).

I am now a licensed Home Inspector. Most of my work is not for buyers but is consulting for owners trying to decide where to go with building maintenance or projects. When i first got out of college in 1989, i worked as a site superintendent for a major property management firm on the carolina coast and frequently dealt with the board of directors and can easily walk around with 3 board members and field questions from all of you. I do not profess to know everything and every time i do one of these inspections i have to turn to the group and say “i do not know” to something they are asking. I know where to get the answers.

Please take a look at my website: brownstonehomeinspection.com. Look at the testimonials on my website. these are from real people and some of them are on this board (Umanish). i am a home inspector now because a customer was having some problems with some contractors (including a roofing contractor) and i told her and her husband how to deal with things and she looked at me and said “you have to become a home inspector”. She gave me a testimonial for my webpage.

i no longer perform work. i can but physically it is getting harder. My intentions are to coach customers and tell them what they can do themselves (maintaining flashings on these roofs is child’s play) and advise them how to select and deal with contractors. I will always advise when a specialist is needed. Generally, a smaller brownstone can take 4 hours to do and a larger one a little longer – up to 7 hours. i provide a detailed written report with prioritization and photos.

Steve
Brownstone Home Inspection LLC

xuytbjicwnofjdde | 1 year and 5 months ago

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I can definitely recommend Steve (@HomeInspector). What you are looking for is exactly what he does really well. He’s been my go-to for issues I encounter ever since he did an initial home inspection for me early last year – that inspection highlighted immediate issues and gave me a list of maintenance items to track. And he actually just helped me identify a roof leak and guide me on the repairs over email / phone a few weeks ago (there is a post on here about it).

cdix999 | 1 year and 5 months ago

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This is exactly the kind of thing we hired Steve for. He came to our townhouse and helped us identify all the repairs we needed to make, uncovered issues we had no idea about, helped us prioritize what was most urgent, gave us advice on how to conduct some of the repairs ourselves, and was super forthcoming about the very few areas where his knowledge was limited. Steve won’t do work himself anymore, so we felt very assured there was no conflict of interest. Would highly recommend Steve for this kind of service.