Real Estate inspection videos

Ice dams — Home Inspection in the winter months

A Real estate home inspection isn’t always sunshine and smiles – sometimes it can be cold and snow covered. We performed a home inspection one January before the big spring rush, as the buyer found a good deal on a house with a detached, very large barn for horses.

Because we were able to do the home inspection in the winter time, we were able to uncover several cold weather issues like drafts, missing heating elements, poorly functioning heating systems, and even heating leaks. Stories like this are commonplace, and they show that there’s never a wrong time to get a home inspection.

Roof Inspection

Roof Inspection is an important part of the home inspection and discover the source of ongoing leaks and or improper roof installation

Heating Real Estate Inspection

Heating system problem

Heating system inspection with a problem with the flame in the wrong place can result in a dangerous situation requires repairs or replacement of components of the heating system.

What is inspected by a Home inspector near me in Massachusetts at a Real Estate inspection?

Water damage Real Estate Inspection

Water is a significant part of a home inspection, as water is a home’s “worst adversary”. I am additionally inspecting the gutters and downspouts to safeguard they are taking the water far enough away from the structure.

Exterior Real Estate Inspection

I’m also examining the walls/siding, fascia’s, rake boards, soffits, and windows and I’m also checking the structural integrity of the building. Inspecting for structural integrity and safety. Also Inspecting underside, as well (if possible)and Examining the condition of the roofing material (ie: shingles, etc.). Also inspecting vent pipes, exhaust vents, and skylights.

Attic Real Estate Inspection

In addition Confirming fundamental reliability of the roofing and Making sure the attic is appropriately vented and insulted. Also Examination support system and for signs of water infiltration and Inspecting chimney (if present) and making sure there is a sufficient amount of insulation.

Interior Inspection by a Home inspector

In addition Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Doors & Windows Inspection. Although The Home Inspection State regulations only require that we operate one door and window per room. I go well beyond that.

Kitchen Inspection

In addition Home inspection State regulations do not require us to inspect appliances. Although I do not inspect and operate dishwashers, ranges, microwaves and trash compactors.

Bathroom Inspection

Inspect plus operate all toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers, checking for leaks and proper functionality. Also, inspect any exhaust fans.

Basement Inspection by a Home Inspector

Ensuring structural integrity, looking for signs of water penetration and also inspecting bulkheads.

Heating System Inspection (Temperature Permitting)

Also Inspect and operate all boilers, furnaces and air handlers. Making sure each room has a heat source. Although Inspection of oil tanks is not mandated by the Home Inspection State but they are included in my home inspection.

Cooling System Inspection (Temperature-permitting)

In addition Inspect and operate all cooling systems in-season (ie: condensers, compressors, evaporator coils, heat pumps, etc.).

Plumbing System Inspection by a Home inspector in Massachusetts home inspection service area

Inspect plus operate all plumbing fixtures. Also Observing for leaks in supply and drainage pipes everywhere and Inspecting there are no clogged pipes (backups). Water heaters inspected.

Electrical System Inspection by a Home inspector near me in Massachusetts home inspection service area

Extremely important part of a home inspection from a cost standpoint, as well as safety. In addition Inspecting all electrical panels ensuring proper grounding of an electrical system. Also Inspecting all visible wiring throughout the building for loose and/or exposed wires. Although The State regulations only require us to check one outlet per room. I go way beyond that.

Termite Inspection by Massachusetts a Home inspector near me home inspection service area

I am also looking for any kind of insect damage (ie: carpenter ant, termite, etc.) and My 15 years (previous) experienced contractor along with my 24 years experience home inspector. If you or someone you know has more experience than me in each of these two fields (and can prove it) then I will gladly remove this claim.

Well water test

This test is recommended for any house with Well water. I can test for up to 26 items in the water (ie: bacteria, lead, iron, VOC’s etc.).

Radon Testing (add’l fee)

Radon

If there is a finished basement or if you plan on finishing it, then this test recommended. There are also other situations that would constitute performing a radon test.

Any Questions?

Call Today (978) 793-1346

Below is a video that discusses several issues that can be discovered during a home inspection. Don’t fret – we’ve seen them all and will point them out where necessary in the home inspection report!

Clayton Home Inspection, Inc.

5.0

Based on 74 reviews

review us on

Robin McCann

17:46 22 Oct 24

Tom did a wonderful job and was so thorough. I would highly recommend him!!!

Brandon

21:30 24 Aug 24

Tom is the best!

Allen Shaughnessy

00:29 20 Aug 24

Tom did a great job, thoroughly going over the house and explaining to me, along the way, the issues he found along with many important points I needed to know once we bought the house. He gave me a good list of questions to ask the owners. I feel good that I know a lot more about the house and what to address now and in the future.

Joon Chong Yee

16:04 25 Jun 24

Tom is a very thorough inspector and he will list all the improvements and potential problems for the house. As a first time homebuyer it can be overwhelming to see the long list of issues, you might want to clarify with him what are the serious problems that needs to be addressed with the seller, and just keep that in mind.

Ron Koehler

19:07 19 Jun 24

I am completely satisfied with the roof inspection Thomas did for me. He was thorough and explained his findings clearly. Because I needed the inspection for insurance purposes my need was urgent and Thomas acted in a timely manner in both completing the inspection and producing a written report. The cost was reasonable. All in all a great value and I highly recommend him.

Kelsey

17:24 02 Jun 24

Thomas Herbst did a great job with our home inspection. Not only was he was extremely thorough, but when we weren’t able to go to the inspection he took the time to connect with us to review his findings. He was very personable and easy to work with. Highly recommend!

Colleen Moran

15:01 12 Apr 24

Awesome inspector :)

Wenjian Guan

14:38 02 Dec 23

Tom's inspection service is thorough and professional. Strongly recommend his serviced. The best!

Ladan Mes

12:05 24 Oct 23

Professional, knowledgeable, thorough, courteous. What more can you ask for? Worth every penny!

Chad Keeney

13:48 04 Oct 23

Very quick and knowledgeable. If you are considering buying a new home This is your guy! He doesn't miss a thing and can save you tens of thousands of $$ or more. Highly recommend.

Dien Lang

15:20 02 Oct 23

The inspector assigned was very through and professional with the inspection. He revealed all the essential details needed for any potential home owner swiftly.

Todd Brown

08:14 13 Aug 23

If your looking for a home inspection, this is the one. Had such a great experience doing a walk through with Tom. What a wealth of knowledge. Such a great personality as well. From the very first encounter with a firm handshake (finally a hand shake that felt like competition) it felt like I went to school with Tom. Great conversation made the hours go by fast. I highly recommend Clayton Home inspections Inc to anyone, whether it's your first home or third. Thank you Tom. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and to have you share your expertise.

Derek Young

20:04 25 Jul 23

If you’re considering hiring an inspector in Middlesex County, do yourself a favor and hire Tom. Not only did he explain everything in detail, he has an in depth market specific knowledge that will make you feel more than comfortable in your decision. Great guy, great service, highly highly recommend him.

Chen Shi

02:19 15 May 23

As a satisfied customer of Thomas, I highly recommend his home inspection services. Thomas came highly recommended by a friend who recently purchased a house, and I am so glad I took his advice. As a first-time homebuyer from China, I was unfamiliar with the nuances of homes in the United States, but Thomas was incredibly patient and took the time to explain everything thoroughly until I understood.Thomas is highly experienced, and it shows in the quality of his work. He was punctual and conducted a thorough inspection of my new home. His attention to detail and expertise in the industry was evident in the detailed report he provided, which was instrumental in negotiating with the seller.What impressed me the most about Thomas was his willingness to go above and beyond to ensure my peace of mind. He didn't hesitate to spend extra time on my case, which is a testament to his dedication and professionalism. It's no surprise that he has an excellent reputation in the industry, and many people recognize his work.Overall, I would highly recommend Thomas for anyone in need of a home inspector. His professionalism, expertise, and patience made me feel at ease during this otherwise stressful process. Thank you, Thomas!

Second Account

16:32 12 May 23

If you are in need of a home inspection, definitely contact this company. For extraneous reasons, we were unable to complete the inspection, but everything up to that point was great. Highly recommended!

Jeanne Roque

20:55 11 Apr 23

John Bush

04:27 14 Feb 23

Tom did an excellent job inspecting a home we are purchasing in Middleborough, MA. This is the second time that we hired Thomas. He is an extremely well qualified home inspector with a lot of experience. He's seen everything in his career as a home inspector. He was extremely thorough, noting every detail, and prioritizing the items that required attention. No stone was left unturned. He fully explained everything in layman's terms. Tom produced the inspection report quickly, without introducing any delay in the purchase of our home.

Tony Balzotti

15:17 10 Oct 22

Highly recommend! Nothing but great things to say about this company. The professionalism, customer service and depth of inspection are second to none. I have used them for 3 inspections and will continue use them on all of my Massachusetts projects. Thank you Clayton Home Inspection!

Whit Bell

20:44 03 Sep 22

Thomas was fantastic. He was thorough and knowledgeable. He took plenty of time to explain potential issues and answer all my questions. I appreciated how Thomas conducted the inspection. I would recommend Thomas to all my friends and family.

Derek Opert

13:05 03 Aug 22

I couldn't recommend Clayton Home Inspections any higher. We are first time home buyers, and had Tom inspect our house the day after we purchased it, one to learn if there were any immediate repair needs, and two to just learn how the house works. He was incredibly thorough and did an amazing job clearly explaining everything to us in an easily digestible manner. He also did a great job prioritizing near term items versus down the line items. He is an extremely nice person as well, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. Tom came highly recommended to us, and I'm very glad he was the home inspector we chose.

Katie Jankowski

17:22 20 Jul 22

We had Tom come out twice to look at a prospect home and our eventual home as well, both times Tom was on time and very very knowledgeable, not only providing us with information on the home but also offering several great recommendations to improve the home. He took many pictures and answered all of our beginner homeowner questions. Would definitely hire Tom again for a future home!

Gyasi McClarence

15:45 17 Jun 22

I called two other inspectors a week ago and still haven't heard back from either one. But I was able to get confirmation for a next day appointment on the same night.Tom was ultra responsive and professional. When we arrived early the next day, he was energetic and enthusiastic to do the inspection. He stayed with us for three hours explaining the pitfalls and dangers of the home; everything from structural damage, insects, to water irrigation mediation and his visit to Rome. He made sure that I understood exactly what was meant every step of the way.The inspection report was well detailed, and he even took time to give a personal summary over the phone. As nervous home buyers, my experience has never been better, thanks to Tom.

Joel Bonina

00:34 06 Jun 22

Thomas was knowledgeable and thorough in his home inspection work. He took the time to explain everything clearly and wrote a detailed report. Would recommend his services in the future.

Skipton Pet Lodge

11:17 30 May 22

Thomas inspected the commercial building that I was purchasing in January. We closed on the sale in May and when I got into the building had several questions. I called Thomas and he took the time to answer all of my questions even after the inspection! He cares about his work and helping people understand what they are buying. Thank you Thomas!

Mark Mulkerrin

21:30 16 May 22

I recently had a great experience working with Thomas from Clayton Home Inspection. He was thorough, responsive and competitively priced. He took the time to answer all of our questions. Even after the inspection was over, he still answered our phone calls and was happy to explain things. I have worked with inspectors in the past who were alarmists, but Thomas was able to communicate the issues on this property without making my girlfriend freak out. That was a huge plus. I highly recommend Clayton Home Inspection!

Denise Li

02:46 06 May 22

Clayton Home Inspection was absolutely fantastic to work with. Thomas was very responsive, timely, and payment was very easy.

Eva Chan

17:53 03 Mar 22

Thomas is the BEST! I have been using quite a few home inspection services in diferent states we lived. However, Thomas is the best of all!!! He is very detailed, professional, patient and responsible. He explained every problem for me in a very scientific way that I got a deeper understanding about my house maintainence in different situation. What I want to emphasize is his professional attitude and knowledge! Highly recommendation!

Stacy Cunningham

10:20 19 Dec 21

Thomas was extremely professional, thorough and informative throughout the inspection process on my commercial investment. He was able to answer any questions I had throughout the inspection and provide effective solutions and resources for the issues that were identified. Would highly recommend Clayton Home Inspection to anyone looking for a detailed home or commercial inspection.

Peter Boure

12:27 06 Dec 21

Tom inspected the house we bought last year. He said to let him know if questions ever arise about the house. I reached out to him, and he opened his files and took the time to walk me through how to deal with a complicated issue. He is knowledgeable, asks great questions and gives good advice.I highly recommend Clayton Home Inspection.

William McGrath

14:09 01 Dec 21

I am a scientist and my wife is an engineer. We relocated to Massachusetts for our work, and choose Clayton Home Inspection for our first house purchase in MA.I had been disappointed by other home inspectors in the past, missing some pretty obvious issues, but the Clayton Home inspector carefully reviewed every accessible area methodically. The inspector discussed each finding in detail and put together an easy to understand report.A good home inspection is very important for the older houses typical in MA. I would recommend anyone looking for a home in my area to go with Clayton Home Inspection.

Patricia Mclaughlin

21:17 05 Oct 21

Thomas was great! He set my mind at ease right away. In need of a last minute inspection for a refi. I scheduled my inspection within 3 days! He was prompt and very professional. He took his time and checked all areas in and around home relating to our issue. All of my questions and concerns were answered in a way I could understand. Very knowledgeable and patient. Gave us specific remedies to take care of our problem. Most Home inspection companies only perform full home inspections. Thomas did not hesitate to offer his services to inspect the area of our home that was required. He even responded back within hours with his official write up! I would not hesitate to call on Thomas in the future if needed and will highly recommend him to any friends or family in need of an inspection!

Denise Bush

13:28 07 May 21

Tom was professional, thorough, and gave helpful tips and suggestions about how to fix items and which replacements to use. He was also patient and responsive when scheduling. Would recommend!

ying shen

15:12 28 Apr 21

I got Tom's contact information from a friend of mine, who highly recommanded him. The experience of us through the whole inspection process gave the same impression. Tom is very knowledgeable and pays attention to very details, a bunch of things we never notice until he pointed out to us, he also shared a lot of information in regarding to the heating system and appliance usage, very helpful in the long run. I will highly recommand Tom too, five star profession

Erin Wentworth

11:23 21 Apr 21

Thomas was great! He showed up early to the house to get started on the outside. He explained everything he was seeing and commented on his own mitigation ideas. His report was thorough, and his online Portal made communication and scheduling a breeze! I would highly recommend his services.

jaeyong yoo

14:48 22 Mar 21

Tom was very punctual and kind. This was my first time home-purchasing inspection and he walked me through the details of how to maintain a home. Answered all my dumb questions in very kind manner. His input to the home inspection seemed to be insisting on very high standard, which gave more confidence on the inspection report.

Teague Owens

17:04 16 Mar 21

Very thorough, explained everything concisely, and the report was detailed and prompt. Highly recommend

Chuck Johnson

23:02 15 Feb 21

Tom was very thorough and discerning in his evaluation of our potential new home. He was personable and gave us practical advice about what he saw in addition to his complete write up of what he found. He takes the time to do it right.

Eugene linkov

11:53 31 Oct 20

Thomas provided an extremely thorough inspection and went above and beyond to help answer all the questions we had throughout the process. Great experience with Clayton Home Inspection!

Kana DeLuca

19:59 13 Oct 20

Thomas inspected our very first home! He was thorough, friendly, and made sure to ask us throughout the inspection if we had any questions. He also delivered the reports very quickly which worked perfect for our tight closing schedule.

Lynn Gelski

20:17 26 Aug 20

Thomas is so professional, highly competent thorough, and so personable. Turn around time was expedient in a very detailed and comprehensive inspectors report. Extremely experienced and personable. Every detail was explained in the report to my complete understanding. I recommend Thomas highly.

Candice Stevens

02:46 25 Aug 20

Thomas was very professional and informative. He was a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend for home inspection.

andrea boure

02:18 24 Aug 20

Home inspection for a house we are buying. Very responsive, detail oriented and while thorough, did not exaggerate findings. Would recommend them to anyone in their service area.

Deryn Bradstreet

13:42 07 Aug 20

Single family (attached) home inspection. Tom was on time, very easy to work with, and professional. He explained everything to make sure I understood the house. He is very knowledgeable and provided a detailed inspection report which made me aware of things I would not have otherwise been aware of. I will be using Tom's services again.

Tara Watson Humphrey

09:58 07 Jun 20

Will use this service again! Money well spent. Tom was prompt (in fact, early), knowledgeable, and thorough. We were very close to buying an historical home, circa 1830's, that we knew needed major renovations, but Tom, gave us a view to what lay beneath the surface. His report was very detailed, and was provided quickly. We appreciated his experience and expertise in working with antique homes and are continuing our search. Special note: thanks, Tom for being so easy to work with especially during this covid-19 crisis.

Robert Gately

21:56 05 Apr 20

Tom was great, very detailed and brought a lot of things to my attention that I completely missed. Also explained everything and made sure I understood. It was very easy and quick to schedule appointment. I would recommend to anyone needing a home inspection.

Mary Walsh

17:58 09 Mar 20

Tom performed the inspection for the purchase of my condo back in October 2019. I have purchased 3 homes and Clayton Home Inspection is, by far, the best that I have dealt with. My closing was fast-tracked and I needed the inspection done quickly - Tom worked with me to find a convenient time (coming on a Saturday so that I didn't need to take time off from work, no less) and spent a significant amount of time and attention to detail during the actual inspection. The report he provided (very soon afterward) was complete and detailed. I would definitely use him again (although I hope I don't have to as I plan on this being my last and forever home).

Andrew Blair

01:46 05 Dec 19

This was my first experience with a home inspector and I am beyond impressed with the professionalism and care that I was met with. Tom was incredibly thorough and took great care to give details and insight into what he saw. He showed up early and I could not have asked for better service. If you are looking for a home inspector, look no further.

yulia garvanovic

19:30 24 Nov 19

I was very lucky to hire Tom to inspect the house I was interested in. We had to get the house inspected very promptly and, fortunately, Tom had an opening for us within 48 hours, on a Saturday afternoon. We found Tom very knowledgeable (you can't beat 40 years of experience in this business!) He treated the house as if he was the buyer, so he made sure to address every potential issue. Tom also gave us great recommendations on how to make the house more energy efficient. He was very professional and pleasant to talk to. The inspection report arrived within 24 hours. Highly recommend!

Joseph

00:51 06 Nov 19

Tom was extremely thorough, pointed out areas of concern to me directly (rather than me waiting for the report) and gave suggestions on how to economically remedy them. Seems he genuinely enjoys helping potential home buyers not waste money. Fantastic inspection. Highly recommended!

Galina Plotkina

21:46 17 Sep 19

Tom conducted home inspection for me last week. He is the best Home Inspector I've ever met: extremely professional and easy to communicate to, highly knowledgeable and detail oriented. Tom provided us with a very thorough home inspection, gave many important advices. Friends and family recommended me to invite Tom for home inspection. Now I can confirm that it was a real pleasure to meet Tom. I recommend Clayton Home Inspection to anyone who is in need of a home inspection and home education. Tom, thank you so much for great job!

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