Excerpts from Angie’sList.com:
1st Home Inspections is proud to be named an ‘Angie’s List 08 Super Service Award®’ winner. We’re the top ranked Home Inspection contractor in Western Pennsylvania . This is the third year for this award. According to Angie’s List, less than 5% of Angies List® Super Service award winners receive multiple year awards!
You can subscribe to AngiesList.com for a small fee. It provides you access to top rated contractors. If you have some contractors’ names from friends or relatives; you can go check out what Angie’s List® subscribers have reported. Even if you don’t have any referrals; you can go to this website to find a contractor who has developed their reputation on Angie’s List®.
Listed below are excerpts from Angie’s List® subscribers who have reported about us:
- Mr. Whipkey responded to our call and need of service very quickly. He was on time and very friendly. Mr. Whipkey made sure we follow him around the entire house as he pointed out the satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and needs improvement findings in this house; we let him walk the roof by himself. He offered his advice on how to fix the minor things instead of calling in a contractor or home improvement person which saved us a few hundred dollars. He definitely made us feel and know that he was working for us. If you want the best Home Inspector out there CALL MALCOLM WHIPKEY! You won't be disappointed. P.S. He even can tell a joke or two.
- Malcolm was early, efficient and effective in his inspection. He left no stone unturned, crawled through tight/unstable attic spaces and even gave tips on what we could do to make the home more energy efficient. It took a while to enter this report because we are still working out repairs based on his report. He saved us TONS that we couldn't have afforded to perform ourselves. Electricians who gave us bids after reading his report and inspecting the property commented on how on target he was with his observations. No buyer should attempt this without a good home inspection, and you just can't go wrong with Malcolm. Sellers would do themselves a favor and hire a thorough inspector such as Malcolm IN THE BEGINNING rather than getting a subpar inspector who is going to cost them money in the negotiation process down the road. We will keep the report as a reference for future projects. Completely satisfied.
- The receptionist was pleasant when I called to set up an appointment and they were extremely accommodating with little waiting time. Mr. Whipkey arrived early to meet me at the property on a Friday and was very thorough in his inspection. He was a pleasant man who gave me lots of tips to care for the home and to save money (e.g. setting the thermostat, use of A/C, etc). He was determined to inspect everything, which meant he had to climb out a 3rd story window to look at the roof! It took a couple of hours for the inspection and he set up a test for radon testing over the weekend. The complete results were emailed to me early the next week. Don't listen to your Realtor, hire Mr. Whipkey and he will give you the truth!
- Maybe saved my life. He was great: confirmed appt via e-mail, arrived early, walked the property, made notes. Realtor couldn't shut the alarm off, so he started inside while the alarm blared. Police came, alarm was shut off. Asked me to follow him around so we could talk about the problems he found. He kept good notes and answered any questions I had along the way. E-mailed printable reports to me in PDF format within 48 hours. About saving my life- the circuit panel started sparking and smoking during the inspection of the electrical panel. Turned out, the wires inside were too long and when the cover screws were turned they caught on the wires and shorted! He was unhurt, but I was left with the feeling that it could have been me turning those screws some day after I bought the house.
- The inspection was thorough. Malcolm suggested options for problems he found (he explained the relay electrical system in the house, the pump for the well, the septic, oil heat furnace, etc., he even took time to give us a tip on how to shine up the hardwood floors). He thoroughly inspected the attic and found that the roof was leaking around the chimney and along the edge of the one side of the house. He answered questions about the effectiveness and cost of improvements he suggested. Malcolm emailed a detailed list of the problems found the next day.
- Job 1: I see why Malcolm holds the top rated slot on Angie s List. Malcolm assessed the boiler was in an unsafe condition and put it in a safe condition. We continued the very complete inspection that included the house's defects and offered excellent suggestions to add value and keep costs down. Malcolm suggested replacing a large dilapidated porch with a Portico to keep within my budget. The finished report gave me enough data to make my decision. Job 2: Malcolm demonstrated his knowledge of health risks that may be present in older homes. During this inspection, Malcolm discovered a large bottle of Chlordane in a cupboard. This chemical was banned by the EPA. The house had signs of termite activity and no doubt, had been treated for termites with Chlordane. Chlordane is a health risk if breathed or touched. It stays in the ground for up to 20 yrs. In addition, the heating ventilation system was wrapped with asbestos. The attic had asbestos insulation. Malcolm made these risks known.
- I learned of Malcolm from a selling agent who mentioned he had a reputation as a tough inspector. I Goggled him and found he was past-president of a local professional association for inspectors. A news story quoted him saying good things about professional ethics. My wife and I hired him to inspect the house we bought. He was very knowledgeable, telling us what builder probably constructed the house (we later learned he was right). The inspection was thorough, and he advised us on options for the problems he found. He also suggested other things (e.g., painting, stripping wax from a slate entryway, adding insulation to the attic) to improve the house s value. He answered questions about the practicality, effectiveness, and cost of improvements we were considering. The next day Malcolm e-mailed us a PDF document that detailed the problems he found. It proved very helpful in negotiating with the sellers. This was half a year ago. We have encountered no major problems that were missed.
- Mr. Whipkey was very thorough, very careful, very patient with my questions and very clear in explaining to me what I asked about. He sent a clear and careful report promptly. He also gave me advice for options I could pursue in solving any problems or making any repairs. I knew just what the house needed when I bought it, and I am still referring to his advice and report in the work I am having done on it.
- Malcolm arrived before I did and had already put together a list of items on the house. Overall, he was extremely thorough and I am very pleased with his work and professionalism. He was also very picky and found things that other home inspectors might not have cared to mention. He was also very independent and unbiased. Also note that I am writing this review about nine months after he did the inspection and I purchased the house. I have found no surprises that he missed.
- We called on a Wednesday and he was able to come the very next day. He also only agreed to the job until he was sure he could get on the roof (good thing there was no need to call additional roofer). He was there before I was and had already gotten up on the roof. Malcolm spent the entire time talking us through everything and giving us the why's and how's of different parts of the house (even things that weren't defective). He answered all of our questions and was very friendly and thorough.
- Before arriving for the inspection, I visited Malcolm's home page. His home page is effectively designed, informative, and easy to navigate. I recommend visiting the ''Do's and Don'ts for Home Buyers'' link, as it contains important information regarding your home inspection experience. Malcolm arrived 15 minutes early for our appointment and was able to get started early with the exterior part of the inspection. He inspected the home top to bottom and was extremely thorough throughout. At the end of the home inspection, I provided him with my email address, and in a few days, I was delivered a very well designed and detailed home inspection report. We found Malcolm to be a very detailed and meticulous home inspector. If there are observable material defects in the home, he is sure to find them. He performed a quality, cost effective home inspection for me.
- This is the second property Mr. Whipkey has inspected for us. At his strong recommendation we got an additional sewer line inspection despite the fact that the seller did not indicate any problems with the sewer line. Well, it turns out the line is full of tree roots! It feels really good to go into this process so well-informed, with an expert and helpful inspector, especially as first-time buyers. Mr. Whipkey has likely helped us avoid a big, expensive surprise down the road!
- I’ve used 1st Home Inspections several times. They have always been very professional and reliable. In this last transaction, Mr. Whipkey discovered a major problem with the siding of the house whereby I was able to get the sellers to reduce the price of the home by $100,000. 1st Home Inspections prevented me from making a very big mistake.
- Malcolm is great. He is the president and owner of the company and he does all the work by himself. Everything went really well with the inspection. He also inspected my home when I purchased it too and that all went well. He has all his different licenses and everything. He is great.
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Call 1st Home Inspections at (412) 366-4600 for more information and to schedule your inspection appointment.