Detroit Michigan Home Inspectors
and Home Inspection Services
313.510.0284
The Who, What, Where, When and Why of Detroit Home Inspection
WHO IS Matt Fletcher AND WHY SHOULD YOU HIRE HIM?
My father ran his own home maintenance and restoration business for 35 years, so I grew up in the contracting business and put myself through college restoring, renovating and maintaining old houses. I have also built new houses from the ground up including: installing underground plumbing, wiring, framing walls, doors and windows, roofs and building staircases. I have an Associates Degree from Macomb Community College, a Bachelors Degree from the University of Detroit and a Masters Degree from Wayne Statee. I have my Builder's License, click here to see my license.
Today I am a home inspector, licensed builder, certified teacher and have taught building and construction trades at a local high school where we build a real house with our students. Click here to see photos. I am also a chapter member of the National Association of Home Inspectors (MI-NAHI.org) and attend monthly meetings to stay current on the latest industry standards. When I am not inspecting or teaching construction, you can generally find me knee-deep in my own restoration project. Click here to view the numerous before and after photos of houses I have personally restored and built. The knowledge I have can only be gained through years of hands-on experience taking old houses apart and putting them back together again. I have been quoted by real estate author and Harvard MBA John T. Reed (johntreed.com) in his monthly newsletter and two of his books, Deals That Make Sense and How to Buy Real Estate for at Least 20% Below Market Value. I am also the subject of THREE STORIES by attorney and real estate INVESTOR Rob Hill in his BEST SELLING book, What No One Ever Tells You About Investing in Real Estate : Real-Life Advice from 101 Successful Investors. I am currently writing my own book on the home inspection business.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A HOME INSPECTOR?
I think I really got started in this business in 1981, I was a senior in high school. In the winter months my father’s contracting business was slow so we began buying HUD homes to renovate and resell. Prior to bidding on the HUD homes, we would go inspect each building to see what repairs they may need. We would sometimes spend the entire day going from house to house. We called this “HUD hopping.” After we bought the HUD home we found out just how good our inspection was when we had to do the repairs. Friends and relatives began asking me to do inspections and things grew from there. I incorporated in 2004.
WHAT WILL BE INSPECTED?
I use a checklist and narrative system and inspect about 200-400 different items on a property including:
Attic
Basement
Chimney
Doors
Driveway
Electric Service
Fireplace
Foundation
Furnace
Garage
Hot Water Tank
Insulation
Plumbing
Porch
Roof
Windows…and more!
Please advise the seller to move any necessary items so that we will have access to crawl spaces and attics. Many times closets must be cleaned out to allow us into the attic through an access hole in the ceiling.
My customer will receive a written report, my completed checklist of the home, and any necessary photos at the end of the inspection. No waiting. The inspection report is over 30 pages in length most of which applies to the home I just inspected. Some of the information is generic in nature. For instance, there is a home maintenance schedule for maintaining your home.
Some folks ask if I give a warrantee on the homes I inspect. No, I don’t. No inspector does. A brand new house built by a good builder has a 1 year warranty. A brand new furnace has a 1-2 year manufacture’s warranty. I would be a fool to give any guarantees on a house that I did not build and is 5, 10 or 100 years old. I will give you my honest, unbiased opinion based on a 2-4 hour inspection. That’s all any inspector can do.
WHERE DO YOU INSPECT?
I inspect in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. However, I do turn down jobs depending on time, location, traffic and weather. I live in Harrison Township near 16 Mile and Jefferson which is located in eastern Macomb County.
WHEN DO YOU DO YOUR INSPECTIONS?
I do my inspections seven days a week: morning, afternoons and evenings, during daylight hours.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
It will take about 2.5 hours to inspect even a small house. Large houses take about 4 hours. It takes this long to do it right. Please schedule accordingly. Complex and old buildings like farms with outbuildings or apartment buildings take even longer and I charge more in those situations.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
My Rates for single-family homes are as follows:
Up to 1,300 Sq Ft = $ 290.00
1301 Sq Ft - 1500 = $ 300.00
1501 Sq Ft - 2000 = $ 320.00
2001 Sq Ft - 3000 = $ 350.00
3001 Sq Ft - 4000 = $ 400.00
4001 Sq Ft - 5000 = $ 450.00
5001 Sq Ft - 6000 = $ 475.00
Over 6000 Sq Ft - please call for rates.
Multiple unit buildings are priced according to the number of units. Please call me for specific prices: 313-510-0284.
*NOTE: Condos are less if you do NOT want the exterior inspected. Most condo associations take care of the building's exterior. Please read your condo bylaws carefully to understand what you are responsible for maintaining. Please call me if you have any questions.
WHY HAVE A HOME INSPECTION?
Here is what the Federal Housing Associations (FHA) says:
“When you make an offer on a home, it's a good idea to make your offer contingent on a home inspection, conducted by an independent authorized inspector. You will have to pay for this inspection yourself, but it could keep you from buying a house that will cost you far more in repairs, down the road. If you are satisfied with the results of the inspection, then your offer can proceed. If you aren't, you may want to negotiate, asking the seller to pay for certain repairs or asking for a lower price.
A home inspection gives the buyer more detailed information than an appraisal--information you need to make a wise decision. In a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to:
Evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems
Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced
Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure, and finishes
A home inspection gives the buyer an impartial, physical evaluation of the overall condition of the home and items that need to be repaired or replaced. The inspection gives a detailed report on the condition of the structural components, exterior, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating, insulation and ventilation, air conditioning, and interiors.
The cost for a home inspection is only a few hundred dollars (which the seller may be willing to pay for). Most importantly, hire only home inspectors that have the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) or American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) designation. These are inspectors that have met the rigorous standards of education, professionalism and expertise set by NAHI and ASHI in order to attain that designation.”
NOTE FROM MATT: The father of one of my students had me do a $220 inspection for him on a ranch home they were buying. Based on my report and photos the seller lowered the price of the home 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS. The house needed a roof among other things.