Guidance selecting a home inspector

My wife and I are going into contract on a brownstone in Brooklyn and we want to get a good inspection. My list of candidates in order so far is below. Any experience with either of these? Also, does an inspector with a structural engineering background really make a difference? Precise Home Inspection Primo Home Inspection Aberdeen Building Consulting AJ Papp and Associates Thanks again for your help.

anonymousmanhattan

in Inspection 11 years and 6 months ago

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anonymousmanhattan | 11 years and 5 months ago

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Ok, so we went with Matt at Aberdeen Building Consulting, and he was FANTASTIC!!! He was thorough, found things another potential purchaser’s inspector missed and annoyed the heck out of the Seller’s agent with all the little things he pointed out, and the time he took. We loved it because it truly gives us a sense of confidence going into this house–we know whats going on in there and he wasn’t rushing to get to another job. We got the report the next business day and he is super responsive by email and phone. Very personable, he was pleasant and informative on the phone, but even better in person. In sum, the guy loves what he does, takes your investment seriously, knows his stuff and educates you all along. He may get quiet here or there as he goes through the process (which he warned at the outset), but still stops along the way to explain. I asked a lot of questions, and was a fly on his back, but never felt like he was annoyed, rather, he welcomed questions. We highly recommend Matt. Thanks to all of you for the help and for this forum for helping us find Matt.

lamb | 11 years and 6 months ago

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I used richard perri based on some glowing rec’s here and had a very good experience… I had a carbon copy of his notes on the day of inspection and a detailed type-written report within the week following. he’s not cheap, but I thought he was well worth it. 718-828-9116

anonymousmanhattan | 11 years and 6 months ago

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Thanks for the responses. @ August and red robin–yes, I already did a walk through with two contractors to get their perspective on the property and some changes I know I wish to make, but will likely have to wait for a few months to do. @ LivingGreene, thanks a lot. I didnt really hit it off with Matt when I called him, but I get the sense he is one of those into his thing kind of guys that you need to talk with him in person. I will keep you posted, but thanks again.

Greene44 | 11 years and 6 months ago

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We used Matt at Aberdeen and he was AMAZING. Honestly, I loved this guy. He had so many specialty tools (including infrared humidity detectors), and really took his time with the inspection. He documented everything and produced an excellent report very quickly. He was also super affordable. We found him to actually be cheaper than many of the others. Anyway, go with Matt at Aberdeen. He was one of the few people during our real estate transaction I can highly recommend. Well him and Adam Dahill (mortgage broker) who is also wonderful.

Augustiner | 11 years and 6 months ago

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I second Redrobin: A contractor will be much more useful in this situation. You want an opinion how much you’ll have to out into the place to make it work and if the purchase makes sense for you. An inspector will not give you that.

Guest User | 11 years and 6 months ago

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I can’t speak to the inspectors you’ve noted, but what my husband and I learned after we bought our building is that we should have had a contractor inspect the building in addition to an inspector. The inspectors have a checklist of things they are looking for and indeed they’re important, but a contractor is going to bring a different eye and awareness to the inspection so I highly recommend you bring in a contractor, too. And with that in mind, it might be good if your inspector were an engineer, particularly if you have any concerns about the building.

mortgagepro | 11 years and 6 months ago

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If you search the Brownstoner archives, this person is highly recommended and been around for a long time. I liked what some on Brownstoner posted, especially how thorough he was and how he presented himself. I have never met him but may be worth adding to your list of options and see what others say as well. Joseph A Pasaturo P.E. AVT Engineering Brooklyn, NY 11228-0291 718-720-5088 http://www.AVTEngineering.com License Number: 16000005388 Good luck! Adam Roberts South Shore Mortgage NMLS# 1310 P: 631-956-0111 x218 adamr@fast2fund.com