There just seems to be never a dull moment in the home inspection business, especially lately. I've seen in the last week more creative construction techniques than at a home show.
Today was the topper. The inspection never really got going due to obvious (to me) and numerous problems with this home.
The termite inspection revealed extensive damaged to the structure. This was added to by years of soil and water contact. The contractors who were clearly renovating this house to flip had "repaired" this structural deficiency.
The structural damage was so acute when walking in the kitchen the floors were perceptively sloping this way and that. No two door jambs leaned the same direction.
The crème de le crème was in the back yard. The house was built into a hill and the side yard had a retaining wall against the back yard. The Ringling Brothers Flipping Company decided to; Tear Down The Wall.
Well apparently the wall was also attached to the foundation. When the Ringling professionals tore out the wall they also remove a nice large chunk of the foundation corner. They must've thought this was not a problem because no bracing or any temporary support was any where in sight.
All this was explained to the customer when she arrived a little late. Since she was going through FHA this deal was not going to fly....EVER!
I just wanted nip this in the bud quickly and save her some money. She was actually going to pay me my entire fee!
She asked for a report describing the damage in order to get her earnest money returned. I sent her one by email and she replied with the following;
Jim,
I can only say wow and thank you for such a short yet very thorough (in my eyes) report. I like your style and sincerity. Thank you
That is one huge reason why I love this job.
James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:
| Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services. | Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®. |
When we hire people to do a job in our homes or really any where for that matter, we expect the job to be done right. Unfortunately there are some people or companies that seem they are not interested in providing good service. Or perhaps they may have a less than stellar employee. Whatever the reasons for low quality we have to be careful who we select to do a job.
I recently did a pre-sale inspection for a husband and wife who by their own admission can not change a light bulb. Because they are not handy they rely heavily on service providers to do work around their home.
From an inspectors stand point the home was well cared for and maintained; new roof, updated kitchen and bath and a newer furnace.
When I got to the job of inspecting the furnace is when a problem became apparent. The homeowners stated the unit had been installed in 2005 by XYZ Company. They would be coming by tomorrow to service the unit for the first time since installation.
What?
The homeowners explained since they have a pellet stove, the furnace actually gets little use.
I asked them have they ever changed the furnace filter.
No was the answer. Where is it, they asked.
I said well it's right here on top of the unit. You just take off the cover and pull out the.....filter
The filter was not coming out without some dismantling of the air intake pipe. By dismantling I mean cutting and re-gluing.
This kind of stuff makes me crazy. You know the guys who put this in knew about the pipe and yet they left it in the way of the filter. I also believe they left it wrong because they knew the homeowners, who are very honest about themselves, would quite possibly never discover their goof.
My advice to the homeowners was to have the company fix the mistake when they come to service the furnace and I would demand the service and repair is free.
James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:
| Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services. | Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®. |
During the course of every inspection you invariably come across some interesting personal items of the homeowner. I'm not snooping or being nosy, but as an inspector I poke into some out of the way places.
One item I discovered recently was an interestingly named bar of soap. I was inspecting the kitchen sink and the logo caught my eye. The lettering was not something my brain must have recognized as usual.
It wasn't Dial or Irish Spring. The name brand was Socrates. As you might have guessed it's from Greece as was the homeowner.
It seems a little strange to put the name of such a great and insightful philosopher on a bar of soap, yet there it was in an ash tray on the kitchen sink.
When I mentioned the soap the homeowner told us it was of course from Greece and she liked the scent. I asked after cleaning up do you become more philosophical.
After a momentary pause she and everyone realized I was joking. I'm thinking of ordering a crate for myself.
James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:
| Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services. | Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®. |
My two girls absolutely love stickers. They have them all over their bedroom doors. Not particularly appealing to my wife and I, but the girls seem to think they look great. Oh well, we can change the doors some day.
My love of stickers is a little different than my girls. I like to see them on things like furnaces and boilers or electrical panels. They can tell me things like when that clunky old boiler was installed or last serviced.
Since I never lived in the home I am inspecting scrounging up whatever information is available is an important part of the process. Stickers or tags can provide pieces to the puzzle that is every home inspection.
I found that green beauty on a very old but functioning boiler. It doesn't get much better than that, an inspection sticker from the city. NICE!
That big, bright orange guy was an unusual find. Old Dan the plumber left it to tell all those who come by that he did the drain repair. I like it!
The last one is not particularly special, a run of the mill service record sticker on a boiler. I like to see them to know; 1 if the unit has been regularly maintained and 2 what repairs may have been performed.
Yep, I do love stickers, just not on my doors.
James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:
| Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services. | Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®. |
I love technology and gadgets and who doesn't. My job as a Connecticut home inspector allows me to buy cool stuff and use for my job. How great is that!
One of my favorite tools and most costly is the infrared camera. This device measures the surface temperature of anything you point it at in real time. It can actually seem like you are looking through an object, but in fact are seeing the differences in temperature due to material composition, density and other variables.
On a recent inspection I was scanning a home with a steam heating system. The rooms all had older cast iron radiators. I pointed the camera at one of these old heaters and thought the image was kind of cool.
You can actually see where the steam wafts up from the pipe on the left and distributes through the radiator. The temperature at the top near the pipe, about 190 degrees or more. VERY HOT! At the drain pipe on the right about 80 degrees.
Technology can reveal hidden information to us and help us do our jobs better for our customers. And sometimes it's just fun to use.
James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:
| Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services. | Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®. |
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Customer service focused, Connecticut licensed, ASHI certified home inspection company. We specialize in residential & small commercial building inspections, energy audits & infrared thermal imaging.
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC is a full service, CT licensed, ASHI certified home inspection company based in Wallingford, Connecticut. Our inspectors perform home inspections in Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London Connecticut Counties. All home inspections and reports provided by JRV Home Inspection Services meet the Connecticut Home Inspection Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics mandated by Connecticut State Regulation and overseen through the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
JRV Home Inspection Services does not claim to adhere to other Standards of Practice put forth by every home inspection organization in existence today. Nor do we assert to follow a multiple list of Standards as other inspection companies' may proclaim. That would obviously be in direct conflict with the Connecticut Standards. In Connecticut there is only one Home Inspection Standard, any others are inconsequential.
Why use JRV Home Inspection Services? We will let our customers explain.
In our opinion our greatest asset is a satisfied customer. Because of our strong, continuing commitment to our customers, we reward them for their referrals.
Inspectors Profile
James Quarello, the founder of JRV Home Inspection Services, brings to the company an over 20 year background in industrial equipment installation engineering and home remodeling. Mr. Quarello is a graduate of The Home Inspection Institute of Americas' intensive Connecticut certified HI-100 Home Inspector training program. He is also a graduate of Inspection Training Associates (ITA) New Construction inspection program and has passed the National Home Inspectors Exam (NHIE). 
Jim is a certified member of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and is active in the local Southern New England Chapter (SNEC-ASHI) where he currently serves as chapter President. He has also served in the dual capacity of Director and Education Committee Chairman. Jim holds Connecticut Home Inspector license # HOI 394.
Jims' qualifications include:
Articles Mr. James Quarello has written or been featured as a source. Mr. Quarello was highlighted in a local newspaper article titled, High-Tech Home Inspection, on using an infrared thermal imaging camera during home inspections and energy audits. Jim's article, Home Inspection 101, on choosing a qualified home inspector was published in the American Society for Quality Inspection Division newsletter. His article New Construction Progress Inspections was published on Ezine Articles earning expert author status and also in the September/October issue of the American Society for Quality newsletter. This article; Keep Your House Clean or Else, Jim was the primary source of information for this piece on Quinnipiac University student housing.
JRV Home Inspection Services conducts a thorough, 3 hours or more, home inspection consisting of a roof to basement evaluation of the readily accessible areas of the interior and exterior of the home and its mechanical systems. We spend all the time necessary to be sure you understand and are aware of the actual condition of the home prior to your purchase.
We are an experienced, professional, CT licensed, ASHI certified home inspection company serving Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London CT counties.
We present the finished inspection report immediately upon completion of the home inspection! Included with every home inspection is a Termite / Wood Destroying Insect inspection and separate report, and a 62 page home maintenance guide.
We will also include with your report additional information on radon, radon mitigation systems, well flow, lead paint, or septic systems if relative to your particular home. We also offer a wide choice of additional inspection services that many home buyers today require.
JRV provides these additional home inspection and environmental services
Termite/Wood Destroying Insect Inspection We include a CT certified termite inspection with every home inspection.
Radon Testing We conduct EPA & State approved continuous monitor radon testing in air. We can also sample your well water for radon. Our inspectors are CT DPH trained radon testing provides.
Water Quality Testing We are able to perform a wide variety of water quality sampling for certified laboratory testing.
Mold Sampling We strongly suggest reading the information contained on our mold page before deciding to have any mold sampling and testing performed.
Infrared (IR) Thermal Imaging or Thermography: We are currently among a very small minority of home inspection companies in Connecticut that can provide this state of the art inspection technology.
New Construction Consultation & Progress Inspection Service If you are building a new home or having an addition or large renovation done on your existing home, we can provide comprehensive project oversight.
Energy Audits-Home Tune uP: We can provide an energy efficeincy assessment of the home utilizing state of the art energy efficiency software to provide a detailed, itemized list of all available cost saving upgrades.
Septic Systems We strongly encourage hiring a professional, certified septic installer to inspect the tank and system thoroughly before closing. It is also advisable to obtain all records from the current owners to determine if problems may exist.
Lead Paint We do not perform lead paint inspections. We recommend hiring a State certified lead inspector from the current list of certified lead contractors or contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health Lead Program. Any individual or company performing lead testing not on the State list is operating illegally and putting you and your family's health at risk!
Because servicing our customers many needs is important to us we gladly accept most major credit cards.
JRV Home Inspection Services proudly offers our client testimonials as proof of our skill and dedication to providing the best, most comprehensive Connecticut home inspection available. We are more than happy to provide contact information for our past clients if you would like to speak with them directly about our home inspection services. Comments from our clients about JRV Home Inspection Services home and condo inspections... The inspection conducted by JRV more than met our expectations. An extremely thorough and professional job. The inspector, Jim Quarello, proved to be quite knowledgeable about the various systems in the home; and he gave us a comprehensive education of all facets of the home and the inspection process. For us, the purpose of the home inspection is to be sure that the home you are considering purchasing is a worthwhile investment. Jim's thorough work left us with a great sense of comfort. After watching Jim conduct the investigation and explain the results, we knew that, if anything in the house were not up to speed, he would've uncovered it. We enthusiastically recommend Jim's services. Bruce & Eileen Seeliger I would like to highly recommend JRV Home Inspections for your next purchase. I am an active real estate investor and recently had the privilege of working with Jim and his team. He inspected a seven unit building for me. I was most impressed with his systematic approach to the building as well as his tedious attention to detail. Although most of the units in the building were identical, he approached each one as if for the first time taking nothing for granted. He was extremely knowledgeable and did an excellent job of explaining any concerns or defects that had arisen. I enjoyed his professionalism and thought that his follow up in the days and weeks after the inspection were refreshing. I will be utilizing his services on all of my future purchases and will recommend his company to anyone I know purchasing a property. Tony D'Agostino I hired James Quarello to inspect a home I was looking to buy after friends of mine referred him to me. My friends recommended Mr. Quarello after he had inspected a home for them and they said he was very detailed and professional. They were dead on. Mr. Quarello showed up early, before my realtor and I arrived, was very thorough in his inspection of the house I was looking to buy, was patient, answered all my questions, knowledgeable on every aspect of home structure, repair, maintenance, and inspections. Overall I was impressed and relieved to have hired Mr. Quarello to inspect the home. I would definitely use him in the future and recommend him to anyone who is looking to have a home inspected in the future as well! Brian B. Dear Mr. Quarello, My wife and I would like to say thank you again for the detailed inspection you conducted at our future home. When buying a new home, the consumer is always worried that the inspector will run through the home overlooking the items that will later cost a fortune to repair. I myself being a carpenter am aware of a lot of the little things that should be carefully inspected. You took around four hours (and god knows most inspectors after 2 or 3 hours just want to pack it up!) and still were willing to stick around to make sure we were fully aware of the things we needed to know!! In a world where customer service is pretty much shot, its GREAT to see someone take such pride in the work they provide for the consumer, and explain everything we were not so sure about in such great detail to us was more than we were expecting. Thanks to you we now know our investment inside and out!, and that's priceless! Sincerely, Christopher S. Metzger Jim, We would like to thank you for your knowledge and professionalism during our home inspection. We found your performance impeccable and commendable, and this from two prior homeowners who never experienced such a systematic and thorough attention to detail. We walked away confident in our selection of inspectors and secure in knowing we were given full disclosure of inspection findings written and verbally as well as additional reading material for new homeowners. Later that day we found ourselves already speaking highly of your company and we plan on continuing to do just that at any opportunity which presents itself. Thanks again for making the process of buying a home that much easier for us. We will be recommending you to our family, friends and acquaintances. Sincerely, Jim & Tina I was very pleased with the excellent home inspection I received from JRV Home Inspection. They spent hours inspecting my home, individually met with me and answered every question I had, and enabled me to purchase an older home that was safe for my four year old even though I know nothing about building. Thank you so much for conducting our home inspection on our very first home. We were very pleased that you were able to accommodate our scheduling needs. We were even more pleased when you conducted our home inspection with such expertise. Thank you so much for your attention to detail & your ability to convey your findings with us. Since your visit we have been able resolve your finding with our seller, we feel confident that by recommending you to our friends & family they too will be pleased!. We look forward to our closing that is scheduled later this week! Kind regards and happy holidays, Lionel Bonilla, Tamara Laskey & Kids Dear Jim, We would like to thank you for your excellant inspection of our new home,our closing is one week from today. Buying a home is a very stressful process,but you helped to make things alot easier for us. We were pleased with the completely thorough inspection. You pointed out things we did not know about and made suggestions of repairs to be made, you eased our minds. Thank you for your help, we would highly recommend you to anyone purchasing a home. Warmest wishes!! Tim, Maria and Jaimi-Lynn Anderson
Fairfield, CT
Innovative Home Solutions
Hamden CT
Hamden, CT
Wallingford, CT
Wallingford, CT
Dr. John Pagano
Meriden, CT
Wallingford, CT
East Haven, CT
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