Classic Home Inspections Inc. reviews (710)

Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 10 Nov 2011
home inspection
I can't thank this guy enough. On the day of our inspection, he arrived early & got started right away, writing down notes and taking pictures. He was very thorough & professional yet you do not feel intimidated by him. He was very honest, he will tell you how it is, no more, no less. The property we were looking at was immaculate and clean inside & out, new appliances, roof, window etc. BUT it had a 40 year old furnace which must be replaced, being a first-time homebuyer I would've totally missed that if not for him. We were able to negotiate the price further because of this 'issue'. We also received a binder of all his findings and there he mentioned the aluminum wiring of the house which could be an issue with insurance. Sure nuff, it was an issue & a big SAFETY & COSTLY one at that! In the end, we decided not to buy the place. I can't put a price on safety and peace of mind. I called this guy like so many times with all my questions (sorry, Brent!) and every single time he would give me the same straight to the point, honest answers. It was the best $350 I've ever spent so far since I started looking for a house. I will definately hire him for my next inspection, no doubt. So Brent, don't get too comfy, you will hear from me again sooner or later! Now I just wish there's a realtor like this guy, then the world will be a better place! Brent, from me and my mom, our sincerest thanks. You saved our necks! :)
Answer from pro:
Awwwww Grace ! What went wrong with that one? Why on earth was everyone giving you so much friction on this house? Including your realtor? At the inspection, I was thinking to myself, "Are these people for real"? They were so certain with what they were saying I was starting to actually believe them and second-guess myself! They were admit that the furnace was 15 years old and it was over 40. There's a bit of a difference! Then your realtor gives you the Direct Energy number to call them so you can get on a plan? That's the negotiating process? That's comical if anything! Oh well, next one will be a winner! Thanks again Grace, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 18 Nov 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 9 Nov 2011
Home Inspection
Brent was prompt in answering my calls and scheduling an appointment was extremely easy. He arrived on time and first did an inspection of the exterior of the house starting from the front and then to the rear. He also propped up a ladder and inspected the roof (from the rear of the house). Once the exterior was done, the garage was looked over and then we proceeded into the basement where Brent inspected the cold storage, furnace etc. The main level was then inspected where the fireplace was turned on, the AC etc. Lastly the second level was inspected where Brent inspected the attic for a good 5 to 10 minutes. The entire inspection lasted around two and a half hours. Overall, this being my first home buying experience I did not know what to expect with regards to the home inspection. That said Brent did an excellent job of explaining everything about the house, showed me how to change filters, what settings to keep various elements of the house at and answered all of the questions I prepared for him in advance. Thankfully, there was only 1 issue with the house where a 30 amp fuse was used with 20 amp wiring which Brent was quick to spot which definitely needed to be fixed. He also offered to come back when I moved in to check that the wiring was done correctly. In addition, Brent also recommended that I remove the trees that were currently planted in the backyard. I found Brent very open and willing to answer any questions I asked him. He encouraged me to call him even after I move in if I have any questions at the time. A binder containing all aspects of the home inspection was provided to me immediately after the inspection concluded. Based on my experience with Brent, I will definitely employ his services again when I buy my next home. Thanks for your time and help Brent! p.s. Brent, I apologize for the delay in posting this review
Answer from pro:
Wowee ! Thank you so much for leaving that review Keith! I am glad that you were happy with the inspection. People are notorious for doing things around the electrical panel which can cause big time problems...having an incorrect breaker on incorrect gauge wire would certainly be one of them. Easy enough to fix, but certainly something you don't want. Always please feel free to contact me if you ever have question about the home or the report itself. Thanks again Keith, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 18 Nov 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 4 Nov 2011
Inspection
Brent was very helpful in answering all our questions and was timely in getting back to us about our concerns. I would highly recommend him! He took lot of pictures which were key to helping us in our negotiations during our buy. Thanks Brent!
Answer from pro:
Thank you so much for the review and kind words David! I am glad the pictures came into use with your negotiations. Handy to have when you need them! Thanks again, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 18 Nov 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 2 Nov 2011
Home Inspection
Simply put, Brent lived up and exceeded to my exceptions, which were set pretty high based on all the very positive reviews he had here on the homestars website. Let me start by saying that I would highly recommend his services should you ever require a home inspection. I have had several home inspections done for me in the past and none of them has been as through as the one Brent did. In addition to being through, Brent also took the time to walk me through each of the items he found in his inspection, did not rush me when I asked many questions, and gave me an idea of what the approximate cost should be to fix the issues to allow be to budget. All in all, he spent over 4 hours in my home going over every square inch. If and when I purchase another home I will call on his services again.
Answer from pro:
Thank you sooooo much for the kind words and review JPK !!! You don't know how much I appreciate you leaving a review for me! I am glad that you were happy with my inspection. Hey, ALWAYS feel free to ask me questions! I will more than happy to answer them for you. Certainly a very nice home, but definitely some issues to be addressed. Thanks again so much JP, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 18 Nov 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 27 Oct 2011
Home Inspection
Brent was absolutely amazing. Although the sellers of our new home already had a home inspection completed by another home inspector we decided to get our own and called Brent after reading the reviews on this site. Best $350 we've ever spent! Brent found a leaky basement, mold in the laundry room and behind the crawl space in the basement, as well as knob and tube wiring in areas of the home. All things which were either "missed" by the seller's inspector or were glazed over in the report (i.e. "some original wiring exists in the home"). Brent is not afraid to get in there and get dirty. We're so grateful for his services. Not only did he give us a great "tour" of the home we just purchased, gave us advise on what needs to be fixed immediately and what can wait a few years, gave us approx. cost estimates for the work, and told us we can call him at any time in the future if we have questions about our new home. He is a pleasure to work with and my husband and I actually enjoyed the three and half hours we spent with him yesterday morning. We learned so much and enjoyed Brent's company as we did. We put an offer in on the home on Saturday and I called Brent Sunday morning expecting to get an answering machine. Instead I got Brent personally. We was very accommodating and gave us his first available appointment (Tuesday morning). As a new mom (with a five month old baby) I'm most grateful for Brent having found the mold in the basement. Without him we would not have known about this mold and would have inadvertently exposed our newborn daughter to this. As a result of Brent's inspection and his ability to give us estimates for the work, we were able to go back to the seller and get $10,000 off the price of the house. And now we have a good sense of the house we bought and the work it needs. I would highly recommend Brent's services to any home owner. Even if the seller has a home inspection - I would recommend getting your own! Thanks again Brent - from all of us (especially the newest addition to our family)
Answer from pro:
Thank you sooooo much "New mom in Leaside"!!! I simply cannot believe that the pre-listing inspector (who is a very big Toronto name!) tried pulling off a report such as that. That was one of the "kindest" reports that I have ever seen. The best part is, there are other reviews on my feedback here that people had the exact same experience with that guy! Totally in favor of the seller. The best part is, he won't speak with people if you get the home and call him up for answers. When I do a pre-listing inspection, it says right on it "Please call me if you have any questions". It will be interesting if the sellers use that inspector for their home purchase. I personally would be fuming mad if he missed $10,000 worth of issues. Maybe he should start putting in a little more effort, or get out of the business. Thanks again so much for the review, enjoy your new home, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!!!
Reply created 5 Nov 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 24 Oct 2011
Home Inspection in Downsview
Originally I was provided a name for a home inspector by my real estate agent. Having used homestars in the past, I decided to do a lookup on the provided home inspector. To my disappointment, they were rated 6.9/10 with limited feedback. I decided to do my own search. I logged in an email through homestars on Thanksgiving and it didn't take more than 30mins to get a call back from Brent. Brent didn't disappoint. Brent accomodated the day I wanted the inspection and by the time I arrived, Brent had already did a walk around the house. Although the house had no major issues, Brent showed and advised on areas that should be addressed right away. Brent also emphasized his availability on any questions I had in the future. Brent took pics throughout the house so that I wouldn't forget some of the areas that needed to be addressed. I recommend Classic Home Inspections, not only for their professionalism but the Brent treated this inspection as if this was his own home. Thanks Brent!
Answer from pro:
Thank you so much for the kind words and review John! I really appreciate it! Ahhh, the old "do I go with my realtor’s inspector or do I go with someone else" dilemma. However, with the magic of the internet and the genius of Homestars.com, a match made in heaven for anyone looking for a tradesperson. In your case, a home inspector. You know, once you told me who your realtor mentioned, I thought to myself, yesh, "They don't get a very good name". They are even considered one the "pioneers" of the Toronto home inspection world. But, the people have spoken, and apparently they are not doing a very good job. Nonetheless, I am glad that you were happy with me! I figure with the amount of money people spend on houses these days they need proper answers. I'm glad I was able to help you out in making your decision. Thanks again for the review John, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!!!
Reply created 5 Nov 2011
Review from Rob Hoosein
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 17 Oct 2011
Home Inspection
At first we weren't sure who to call. I was very skeptical, but Brent lived up to the hype. (let me explain this comment, when I first started searching, I couldn't believe everyone spoke so highly of Brent, I wasn't sure what to believe-but when we met, I could see how down to earth he was and how he was a straight shooter and I really felt like he was looking out for my best interests.) He was on time, friendly and took the time to explain issues he saw, he got on the roof and under the carpet corners, and pointed out things that were repaired or damaged. He was very thorough from top to bottom and from outside in. Just a great all around guy, great work and service. It was a great experience for me and I totally recommend him to anyone who needs a solid Home Inspector.
Answer from pro:
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words and taking the time to leave a review Rob! You don't know how much I appreciate it! I am glad that I met your expectations. I'm also glad that you shared such enthusiasm when we were at the inspection; it helps make the whole process much easier for both of us! Please always feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions about the home. Again thanks so much, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!!!
Reply created 5 Nov 2011
Review from Jess Lau
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 12 Oct 2011
Home inspection
Thank you so much for making time during your thanksgiving weekend to do our home inspection on such late notice. Even though we bought the house without an inspection we still felt it was important to get an overall idea of the condition of the home. It was a relief to know that our home has no major problems, in fact for a 40 year old house it was well kept and built like a bull. Thanks for the great news and giving us a piece of mind.
Answer from pro:
Thank you soooo much Jess for leaving the review! I'm sure you two will love your new home. Even more, I'm sure that you will love the area! Toronto Hunt Club is one of my favorite areas in of all Toronto! It's always interesting going into an inspection where people have purchased the home without an inspection. It is a roll of the dice, however in your case, you did good!!! Thanks so much again for the review Jess, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 14 Oct 2011
Review from HomeOwner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 8 Oct 2011
House Inspection
Had the pleasure of having Brent inspect my new home. He was very through, climbed up on the roof, took pictures of everything, and got up into the attic. He also told me I could contact him any time if I had any questions. He also took the time to let me know what to look out for in owning a home, since this was my first home purchase.
Answer from pro:
Thank you so much for the kind words and review Vik! It was great meeting with you too! Wow, is everyone moving to Brampton? That has to be one of the hottest areas of the GTA right now! Another beautiful Brampton home! I'm sure that you two will be quite happy with your purchase. Vik, purchasing a home can be quite "overwhelming", if you ever have questions about the home, don't hesitate to contact me. I will more than happy to help you with your questions. Thanks again Vik, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 14 Oct 2011
Review from Hideki Kumagai
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review left on 8 Oct 2011
Home inspection
Brent was very thorough, courteous and informative. He spotted things that I had glossed over at first. He took the time to even explain the maintenance of the pool and fireplace that we have never owned. We would recommend him to anyone looking for a house inspector.
Answer from pro:
Thank you so much for the kind words and review Hideki! I really appreciate you taking the time and leaving feedback. I means a lot to me! Please, if you ever have any questions about the home always feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to help you out. Thanks again, and thank you for choosing Classic Home Inspections!
Reply created 14 Oct 2011