We had some water damage from the summer 2011 storms and brought Dan in to find the damage and report back where he thought the damage was coming from. Dan was a pleasure to work with and seemed knowledgeable. I asked him about one specific spot in our home that I suspected water damage, but even after using his trusted tools, he said there was no damage at that spot. When he completed his inspection, he sent the report in a timely manner providing us with his thoughts on what needed to be fixed. When I asked if he could recommend someone for the work, he provided me the contact information of a scare-tactic mason who was telling us there were several hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs necessary to fix the leaks (we ended up getting everything fixed for about $30,000). During our repairs, I asked the contractor to rip open the spot I had asked Dan to look at for water and they found significant water damage and mold. I finally got around to letting Dan know about this (two months after the work was completed) and he got very defensive in his emails, even saying "I do not possess x-ray vision" in one of his replies. My emails to him were to figure out what went wrong in his inspection (never asked for a refund) but after a couple back and forth discussions, he ended his last email with, "It [Web site] does not say that we possess magical powers or that we are Superman. If you got that impression somehow I'm very sorry for that misunderstanding." Unfortunately, I would not recommend them to anyone. It is not because I don't trust their work (which is in question in my mind) but I would not want anyone I know treated the way Dan has been communicating with me. read more

Brian came out to do our inspection early one Sunday morning. When we got there, he had already been there for a half hour and had completed the outside inspection of our home so he would be ready for us to go inside when we got there. That was so thoughtful. Amazing thing #1. It just got better from there. Brian was so thorough and patient. He explained everything in great detail, was so patient with our thousands of questions (being first-time home buyers) and didn't miss an inch of the home! The inspection report was incredibly detailed and fleshed out. Our home was a foreclosure, a bank-owned property and the biggest benefit of having that inspection report was this - after the inspection report found that there was more work to be done than we had initially anticipated, we thought we were going to have to pull out of the deal and leave "our" home behind since everyone said the bank would never come back with more money for repairs. However, armed with our report, or real estate agent went to the bank and said, "Hey, look at all of these things that my clients need to deal with, would you accept this lower offer so they can have more money fore repairs?" And, guess what? They did!! They accepted our offer of 7K less than our initial offer. So, if you are debating as to whether or not an inspection is worth it, stop debating - it 100% is worth it! Besides the fact that you should never buy a home without knowing everything about it, you could use it as a bargaining tool, if need be. Brian and Domicile get our 5 star shout out. Look no further than this company for your home inspection needs - you will not be disappointed! read more

I'm selling my condo, and this is my third transaction as a seller, fourth as a buyer. The buyer in my sale transaction used Ross from Domicile. As a seller, you expect that you're going to have things to do when you receive a buyer's inspection report. You know your property's warts, you know how you've maintained the property, and you know that there are things that may come up on an inspection report that you are not aware of, whether serious or minor. However, as a seller you do not expect a 54-page report on a one bedroom, one bath condo with suggested repairs like "hey seller, rip out all your mechanicals (furnace, water heater) in the mechanical room, put down a fireproof floor, then put all the mechanicals back in. Really? The report also contained extraneous suggestions like use CLR on shower head and kitchen faucet to clean them and have the ducts cleaned because the seller has cats (something I had done prior to listing anyway). That kind of stuff is homeowner 101, and in my opinion has absolutely no place in a report a buyer is relying on to alert them to actual problems with the structure or systems. Aside from ridiculous suggestions, Ross was absolutely wrong about the humidifier on the furnace not working. The humidifier had just been installed by a very reputable HVAC company I've used for years about 6 weeks prior to the inspection. When I had the company back out to "fix" the humidifier (which was under warranty), there was absolutely no issue with the humidifier which was functioning exactly as intended. Ross was also wrong about the type of valve used with the humidifier (surprise!). That visit luckily didn't cost me anything financially because of the warranty, but it did cost 3 hours of my time waiting for the repairman. Ross was also kind enough to completely break my garbage disposal, costing me $300 and another 3+ hours of my time. Not appreciated. About 10 days after Ross inspected my condo for sale, I had the house I am buying inspected by Rob Koncious of High Point Inspections. The difference between the report I received from high point on a 3 bedroom, 2 and two half bath house was like night and day. I received a concise 30 page report with practical, realistic suggestions. Rob was thorough, professional, and gave me the information that I needed to ensure the home I'm buying is sound and not a secret money trap, which is the entire point of the inspection in my opinion. I feel sorry for buyers that hire Ross, because he's an alarmist wackadoo. While he's busy recommending fireproof floors for the mechanical room in an existing structure, mislabeling a working item as broken, actively breaking other items, and telling the buyer how to clean things, what is he missing? I guess I was lucky though, because he didn't rip into my drywall with a screwdriver and force me to take the condo off the market to repair it like I heard recently happened during an inspection of another seller's property. TL;DR, get a reasonable inspector who will give you the information that you need rather than a rogue inspector like Ross. read more

Dan is awesome. He came back out TWICE to follow up on issues that we had -- one with plumbing and one with the windows -- at no extra cost! We truly appreciate his diligence and professionalism. read more

Given my positive experience with Domicile last time, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to hire them again for an inspection of my new condo. Well, it seems the word has gotten out about the amazing work these guys do, because they were booked a week out based on the appointments online. If you've ever bought a home you know you usually need to get the inspection done within a certain amount of time, and my sales contract dictated that I needed an inspection done before they had any appointments available. I decided to call to verify if what I was seeing online was accurate in both availability and if the inspector I used last time (Ross) was still there since he was still on the website but had zero appointments listed. The woman who answered the phone was SUPER salty with me. I hung up with that phone call so completely aggravated -- I wasn't even asking for anything unreasonable, just two simple questions. Unfortunately the timing just didn't work out with Domicile which isn't their fault, but I have to be honest when I say that I will think twice before using them again or recommending them. That woman and her attitude problem left a bad taste in my mouth. I know it's a busy time of year, but you can't fault me for wanting to be a repeat customer. Edit (5/14/15): For what it's worth, Ross reached out to me personally the day after I posted this to apologize. The next day the girl who I had spoken to also called me to apologize, so perhaps I caught her on a bad day or off moment. Either way, I appreciate them trying to fix it. read more

We reached out to Dan to do an inspection on a couple things that concerned us about our new home. Dan was extremely helpful in walking through each of our concerns, explaining what the issue was (or was not) and empowering us to do some fixes on our own (through simple, affordable steps). He was very thorough and investigated areas that we hadn't even thought to ask about. We never felt rushed or confused; Dan spent plenty of time explaining everything to us to make sure we understood. Big fans of Dan and Domicile consulting. We'll be sure to use them again and recommend to our friends! read more

Horrible experience. They inspected my home pre-purchase and completely missed a critical structural issue. I'd never use them again. Update in response to business owner's comments: As he will learn, there is evidence of the defect outside of the locked area he speaks of. His inspector, Kenneth Whitelaw, neglected to thoroughly inspect the structure when he saw the locked door, he just skipped the whole thing... Like I said, don't use these guys. read more

We knew something was wrong with a recent construction project at our building but struggled with the gap between what seemed to be problematic work and our contractor's assurances that everything was fine. Domicile provided a comprehensive report for our building that helped prove that the work was insufficient and even dangerous. We're so grateful for Dan's expertise, professionalism, and attention to detail. If you're in need of an objective assessment of the quality of a project, I highly recommend Domicile. read more

Our realtor recommended Domicile Consulting for a gut rehab that we were buying. After reading some reviews we requested Morgan Hughes, knowing that we wanted someone who was extremely thorough and wouldn't mind us following him around and asking questions the whole time. Morgan exceeded all expectations. He took his time and spent not 2, not 3, but 4 hours inspecting every inch of our house. He had no problems answering questions and was great about showing us each issue and explaining what should be fixed so we knew how to confirm the fix was done later on. He had no problem responding to the seller's defensive remarks when he felt something should have been done better. Morgan is the type of inspector who doesn't just run through a checklist and go about his day. He takes a vested interest in making sure every detail is not just completed, but completed to the highest quality. Given that our home was essentially new construction, we still had a list from Morgan that was about 20-30 items long and our seller agreed to fix almost every item. We were so impressed with Morgan's initial inspection that we hired him to come out and confirm all the items were completed before we closed. He is professional, extremely knowledgeable, and makes it his job to personally protect the buyer. He's not an inspector who is just trying to kill a deal, or squeeze money out of a seller. He's an inspector who is truly looking out for the buyer's best interests in a fair and thorough manner. We will gladly use Domicile again! read more

This review is particularly for Ross but I also thought Dan was very nice as well. I had only 5 days to complete a home inspection and I saw the great reviews for Domicile so I gave them a call. Dan returned my call right away, but was away from the office so he asked me to make my own appointment through the website and offered me the returning client discount for the inconvenience (which was actually no inconvenience at all as the website scheduling tool is extremely easy). I scheduled an appointment with Ross and immediately received a confirmation email and a copy of a contract I could .pdf and return via email so that all the paperwork would be done before the day of inspection. Ross followed up with me a few hours later to let me know that he'd actually already inspected the property for a previous interested buyer who didn't end up purchasing the property. I let him know that we were interested in seeing his previous inspection report (if his former clients agreed to share the info), and that we'd still like him to come out. We ended up having to reschedule the appointment to accommodate the seller's schedule, which meant we had to go with another inspector, sadly. I still really wanted Ross's opinion of the place, so Ross checked with his previous clients and got the okay to share the old report with us. He then spent time reviewing the old report and his concerns about the unit in detail (which was EXTREMELY nice and above and beyond our expectations as he was really doing this as a favor after sharing the old report). The quality of the report was also excellent. Ross made sure the pictures were clear, indicating in red what areas of the photo he referenced in his notes. He prioritized his concerns, explained the repercussions of failing to resolve certain issues and made it clear to a lay-person what changes needed to be made and why. I thought the report was really a fantastic resource. While walking us through the report, Ross also helped us separate the "honey-do" list items from those which were a safety concern (which is very helpful for those of us inexperienced home buyers). I was shocked at how much concern Ross had for us despite the fact that we never ended up being his clients. He had genuine concerns over the property and wanted to make sure that whoever ended up living there understood how important some of the safety updates were which he suggested. Ross is a genuinely nice guy who really cares about buyers and wants to protect his clients (and anyone else who happens to be interested in properties which he's inspected!). Thanks, Ross, for taking the time out to share your opinion and extremely thorough report! read more

After reading reviews of several home inspection companies I opted for Domicile Consulting. I'm on Yelp quite a bit and to see 99 reviews at 5 stars must mean something. My wife and I are purchasing a 3 bedroom townhouse in Oak Park so I called on Sunday and was immediately schedule for 4pm on Tuesday. Kenny arrived on time, greeted me courteously, and began his work right away. He spent an hour examining the exterior, crawl space, and common spaces alone. The total inspection lasted nearly 3 hours and Kenny explained problems he saw along the way in terms that a layman can understand. If there is something to note, it won't get past him, no matter how insignificant it may seem. He uses moisture detection and thermal camera devices, will crawl out on the roof or under the house, and hits every light switch. He took pictures of burnt out light bulbs, which I would have assumed were just that, but could be a sign of faulty wiring (no way to tell until the bulb is replaced). The report was finished within 48 hours of inspection and was full of color photos highlighting problem areas. I was able to quickly forward this to my real estate agent and lawyer to start resolving a few issues. Kenny called me the day after I received the report to ensure that I understood the content and to answer any questions that I had. He told me that if I should have any questions in the future to not hesitate in calling him. In his words, "this relationship doesn't end with filing the report." I can tell you that this report is worth every penny and then some. If you want to know exactly what you're walking into in when purchasing a home, to be treated fairly and professionally, and to know that your safety and well being are number on, then call Domicile. read more

Do yourself a favor and let these guys do your inspection! I have never seen an inspection report as detailed as theirs, I mean it's literally down to every detail you can possibly think of. Dan Cullen did the inspection for our new home purchase, he came on site 40 mins earlier and finished the whole thing an hour earlier than expected. Initially I was worried that he might tried to rush through things, but when I saw the report, it has 70 items, 70! Covers everything from top of the attic to the bottom corners of the crawl space, each with a picture. With this report we are now in a good position in the negotiation process. Yes they are expensive, but they WILL find everything wrong about the property and save you thousands down the road. Highly recommend them to anyone who is buying a new property! read more

we're moving out from Los Angeles to Chicago (the usual response we've been getting is, "Why in the hell would anyone do that?") in early 2010 and we just got our offer accepted on a condo in Old Town. Since we are "out-of-towners" for the time being, choosing an experienced, trustworthy, non-biased home inspector was of the utmost importance. After searching around for a while and reading the good Yelp reviews, i decided to go with Dan Cullen at Domicile Consulting. Ohhhh Yelp has never let my foodie tastebuds down before in L.A., and so far in Chi-town it has proven itself worthy yet again! Dan rocks and is worth his weight in gold. He is patient, smart, and you really get the sense that he is your advocate in the whole terrifying home-buying process. It meant more than i can express to know that i had someone competent inspecting my potential future home, since we couldn't be there in person. Dan's report was extremely thorough and the photos were awesome. it makes it really easy to shop around to get estimates from out of state. Talking to dan post-inspection was also great. He is friendly, honest, doesn't rush you, and gives extremely helpful suggestions on how to deal with issues found in your inspection. Use Domicile Consulting, you won't regret it!!!!!! read more

Ross Neag of Domicile Consulting was our inspector. I needed his expertise on a house we were buying. I had NO idea who to choose so we went to YELP for the highest reviews and they came up! When I talked to Ross on the phone he was very nice and when I asked him what sets him apart from the rest - he said he treats his clients as if they are family. And that was sooo true!! It was like having my well informed uncle or brother near our side. He was able to tell us in person the problem areas - whether big or small what was going on with this old frame house in chicago. There was never a point in the inspection that we didn't understand something - and if it was something challenging - he would break it down to terms we understood. His finished report was available online and in full detail - including photos with either arrows or circled items. It was very thorough inspection of the house. Including the performance of the house and how best to optimize the house. Amazing. In the end there was way to much stuff to do to the house - and learned it was basically the 'lip stick on a pig' house. So a big THANKS to Ross for finding all the hidden problems that this owner was trying to hide with paint and what not. We did not go through the process of buying the house. NOTE: about 2/3rds way through his inspection he realized that everything was going to cost too much to fix - because he knew our budget. So he basically stopped the inspection after he got all the ammo we would need to pull out of our accepted contract. And in doing so he saved us money on his inspection. Smart! The next time we need an inspector - we're using Ross again. He's super friendly and we'll reccomend him to all our friends and family - as he did treat us as family! read more

We chose Domicile due to 3 different recommendations. We did our own research through Yelp and Angie's List and loved reading the great reviews. Then we were given a short list (I think 3 companies) from our realtor of inspectors she recommended. Domicile was also on her list. No brainer! At first we were looking at 2-flats and then we moved onto single family homes. Dan came out to inspect the first home (2-flat) we made an offer on in North Center. Dan was thorough, kind, and taught me along the way! Thanks to his inspection we were able to make the decision not to go with that home due to all the work that needed to be done, including major problems with the foundation. He did not offer advise either way, he simply said that it depended on how much money we wanted to put into it. I learned quite a bit from him and was more than happy to go with Domicile again when we looked at a single family house we made a bid on. At the single family home, Mike was our inspector. He was also thorough and kind! I felt completely comfortable with both inspectors and even had wonderful interactions with Ross when I called the office! I highly recommend Domicile and anyone on their team! We felt we were treated extremely well as we learned a lot about the homes without feeling talked down to. read more

Domicile was awesome to work with. I felt so confident knowing that they did such a thorough inspection. They use lots of technology to help find problems with a unit, like a moisture meter to detect moisture in dry walls and a thermal imagining camera to detect moisture in walls and ceilings, especially basements. What was great was that he also gave us the practical advice in addition to the thorough inspection report--what we should fix now, what we can wait to fix, what a repair might entail, etc. And our realtor, who referred him to us, mentioned that down the road he'd be happy to answer questions as well. He checked out everything in our condo: All of the common areas--including the basement, storage areas, roof, and porch--plus our unit itself. Quality, professional service! read more

I can't say enough good things about Dan and Domicile Consulting. I initially went with them because they were recommended both by a very good friend who had just bought a condo as well as my own agent. Given both ringing endorsements I felt pretty confident they were a good choice. From the start, they were great to work with. I love that they had the ability for me to schedule an appointment online and see immediately what dates and times were available. Even better, scheduling a last minute appointment on a weekend was not a problem. This was a huge relief since I was pushing for a fast close. I love that even though my contract wasn't finalized until Friday morning I was still able to get a Saturday appointment. I was a little nervous because the only follow up is what appears to be an automated email, but Dan showed up on Saturday as planned. (For full disclosure, he did show up about 20 minutes late since another appointment ran over, but this was relayed to my agent.) Once he arrived, he got right to work. I appreciated that he didn't just do his inspection but made it educational for me at every step of the way. He was constantly pointing things out to me and letting me know why they were or were not a concern. He was also very open to me pointing out things that were of interest to me and giving me his professional opinion. All in all, he stayed for about 2 hours which seemed more than fair for the cost ($375) and the size (2 bedroom condo). He was very through and spent a lot of time looking at the whole property as well as the inside of the unit and the basement. I also liked that he pointed out things that would be "nice to know" as a homeowner - like inquiring about if I knew how to reset the garbage disposal if necessary and giving me advice on how I could repair some of the more minor or cosmetic issues and how much this would cost. Since this was my second time buying a place some of this stuff was not new to me, but I really wish I had him the first time I bought! The great service continued after the appointment. He was great at giving me a sense of how this unit compared to similar ones he had seen as well as giving me a professional opinion of which things I should worry about and which were not a big deal. There were a lot of things that came back on the report so this was very helpful! I also felt that he was very objective, it did not feel like he was being overly negative to kill the deal or conversely, overly positive to make sure it went through. His report was INCREDIBLY thorough and written in plain English. I showed the report to a bunch of people to determine what I should ask the seller to fix and everyone commented that it was the most thorough report they'd seen. I also loved that he answered my follow up questions promptly giving me ranges of what things would cost to fix so I could have a sense of what to ask for without having to have additional professionals come by the unit. All in all, I couldn't recommend them more highly! Yes, he's thorough so his reports might scare some people but personally as a buyer I'd rather know about all the worst case scenarios. I don't feel like he employs scare tactics as one reviewer alluded to, only that he knows his reputation depends on a thorough report so that's what he gives. read more

I used Domicile from the great reviews here on Yelp, and they did not steer me wrong. Like others have stated, Mike was right on time, he was very thorough, and even spent the time with us to explain different features of the house. (i.e. how the humidifier worked and how to replace assorted filters when the time comes.) These are all insanely important for a new home buyer and things i wouldnt have ever thought of. The report, which we received quickly after the inspection, is very nicely laid out, clear and super detailed. I was pleasantly surprised to see diagrams and other knowledge shared just for us reference in the future. Their service was above and beyond anything I expected and I very much recommend them! read more

Over priced. I hired domicile in 2015 because of the raving yelp reviews, but what I got was a lot of 'you'll need to hire a structural engineer' type responses for x, y, z issues. The report was what I expect from a home inspector, but for a few 100 more I could have just hired a structural engineer. I was hesitant at the steep premium compared to other inspectors, but was lead to believe it would produce a more detailed report. The expectation of some semblance of solutions / recommendations were not worth Domicile's premium and mostly dissipated as soon as the inspector left. read more

Read some reviews on Yelp about these guys. I wrote a story bout' it... Like to hear it here it go! I used Domicile Consulting to inspect a potential new home a few months ago. Now that I am closing on that very same home, I'll share my very positive and enlightening experience. Andrew Danner was extremely professional. He arrived early to our appointment and as my wife and I were dreaming away at what color to paint the walls and what finish we want the appliances, he was taking the time to inspect every detail of the home thoroughly. The whole process took about 3 hours. We even had little questions during his process and he was kind enough to stop what he was doing to answer them fully. Very cool! After he was done, he spend a great amount of time, going over his initial report, which was very in depth. He didn't miss a thing. He literally gave us a quick verbal summary about everything. Details are very important when buying a home. It can be pretty intimidating not knowing whats behind walls and how things should be constructed. I was most impressed with the quality and extensiveness of his final home inspection report. I got pictures and details of issues that needed to be addressed, AND how I could address them myself. How awesome is that? We ended up buying the house and having the seller install a new hot water heater(it had none) based on the inspection report. I felt confident that Domicile Consulting gave me the information I needed to be confident in such a huge investment. You wont go wrong with these guys. Definitely worth every dollar. read more

These guys are the best in the business...If you have ever seen that Holmes inspector show on TV, that is a pretty good analogy of what to expect from Domicile I work in real estate, and Domicile is always my go-to when a client asks for a referral for a home inspector....But I'm also a client myself. My building recently entered into a 60k contract for some needed repairs, and as the condo president with zero construction experience, I had no idea how to tell if these guys were doing a good job, or totally ripping me off. I decided at that point to call domicile as a consultant to review their work. Ross came out both at the start of construction and also at the end of the project, and within 5 minutes of talking to him about the job I knew I made the right decision. He made note of all of the issues that I simply would have not have identified on my own, and not only did he provide me with a detailed report of the issues, but he also called the builder directly to explain what needed to be corrected....The builder knew immediately that he was dealing with a pro, and did not even try to skirt the issues at hand. Bottom line, these guys are as good as it gets...I cannot recommend them enough. read more

Awesome!! I can't say enough good things about Mike C. and this company. He is a reliable person and I definitely trust his expertise in our home search. It's nice to know someone is looking out for us as we comb through potential homes. Thank you!!! read more

We recently bought a duplex down and decided to get the condo tested for radon before closing just to be sure. It was still occupied by the sellers so I wasn't involved with anything onsite. Afterwards, I received payment instructions and method to retrieve the report, all of which went well. There was a scheduling snafu that with research we found it was a mishap entirely on the sellers and their agent which initially led me to write a review with less than 5 stars (since replaced with this one). The owner reached out right away in a professional manner and try to figure out why it wasn't a great review. In hindsight, I should have just emailed the owner first. read more

Highly recommended. Dan came in and did a thorough inspection (of what he could inspect, we didn't have a key to get into the storage unit) and provided a detailed report of a 2 br condo that I was contemplating purchasing. I'm really glad that I had the inspection done early because I retracted my offer due to the roof and water damage that was in my prospective unit. There were several other issues with the unit, which were fully described in the report and I was able to share the report with several of my friends, who were impressed with the quality and thoroughness of the report. When I do find another condo or home of my dreams, I will be sure to head back here for inspection. Extra bonus: I was given a discount for being a RPCV. Sweet! read more

I called up Domicile due to their excellent rating here on Yelp and was very happy with the results. Though I was initially scheduled with Dan, he was unable to make it and sent Ross in his stead. I found Ross to be a great guy, he was very professional, extremely knowledgeable and very easy to talk to and tag along behind. His inspection was very thorough and his inspection report great! If you ever need an inspector, call these guys! They are truly the best! *Edit - Apparently my review was never published but since my first experience with Domicile, I contacted them again for an inspection of work my mother had completed at her home. Or rather the work was incomplete. The job was a mess and when Dan came out he tore into it. His assistance was awesome, extraordinary and above and beyond. There is no way I could have gotten through this horrible experience without his great insight and incredibly detailed accounting of every cut corner and skipped step. He inspected all of the work that was done, pointed out everything they missed, safety concerns, permit issues, the works. He walked me through what I should expect from an expert to a novice so that I knew how to deal with the crooks that delivered this horrendous job and even going above and beyond, dealt with them directly on my behalf to ensure that the information was delivered in the appropriate manner coming from someone in the industry. Dan was a lifesaver and I'm truly grateful for his assistance. I can't recommend Domicile enough! They've saved me a ton of money, pain, and frustration! read more

Domicile Consulting is real classy in my book! Before scheduling an appointing with Domicile, I asked around and none of my friends or colleges was able to refer their inspector to me. That worried me and needless to say I was reluctant to turn to the internet. A search for "chicago home inspector" pointed me to Yelp's home inspector page. Domicile had a 5 star rating with over 100 reviews. I read a few pages of the most current reviews and felt confident that the internet led me to the right place. It was extremely simple to schedule an appointment on Domicile's Website. I received email confirmation, and a day before my appointment I received a reminder email. The email had a reply-to address directly to my inspector along with what seemed to be his direct phone number. Daniel came out to inspect the 1885 red brick three-flat I was really excited about. It had been completely gutted and rehabbed in 2007-2008, so I was a bit concerned of what might be hiding. From the minute Daniel exited his vehicle he was already working. Even as we greeted each other, I could see Daniel's eyes peering behind me at the building. He then moved on to the first troubling item he noticed - poor tuck-pointing. Daniel explained why the 'bead tuck-pointing' (also known as European tuck-pointing)" was not recommended. We walked through the gangway and examined the brick. Daniel was making notes, and taking photos, and explaining as we went. He pointed out shoddy tuck-pointing and un-kept brick, bowing at the top of the wall, and support beams installed throughout the (inner) wall. Shortly later he was up on the roof examining the other side of the building that is inaccessible due to the buildings being built so close to each other. It was at that point that Daniel called me up to the roof. He noticed some bowing in the wall an explained that at this point it would be best to seek a masonry contractor to determine if the wall could actually be fixed and how much that along with the other necessary repairs would cost. Daniel basically told me that at the point we could end the inspection at no charge to me, or that we could continue on; though he made it clear that from his perspective he would just be taking my money if we continued. I asked for some time to talk it over with my people, but informed Daniel I was likely to cancel the inspection. While I was explained the issue, I saw Daniel was still going about with his inspection. Still poking around, taking photos, and jotting things in his notebook. We cancelled the inspection as advised. Daniel directed me to the "Contractor Referrals" section of his website to look up an specific person he thought would give me a good assessment. The following week the masonry contractor echoed everything Daniel told me of the brick and tuck-pointing. He also pointed out the shoddy tuck-pointing, deteriorating bricks, bowing in the walls and the use of the internal support beams to keep the walls together. The contractor also confirmed that one side of the building is inaccessible and could not be repaired unless we wanted to tear up the walls from the inside which would be an extremely costly and time consuming process. Thanks to Daniel of Domicile Consulting, I essentially received two free inspections which saved me from making a terrible purchase. I will most certainly call on Domicile Consulting to inspect my next potential building. I am confident that Domicile has my best interest in mind. read more

As you can see from the myriad reviews, Domicile is a top-notch inspector, and I will share two specific shout-outs. We used Morgan, who was amazing. He has all of the qualities you would want in an inspector: he is (a) nice, personable and understanding with new buyers; (b) knowledgeable and experienced; and (c) practical and dollar-focused in his advice. In addition to being a great inspector during our main walk-through, Morgan talked to me about my questions in his ridiculously detailed 80-page color report, and he even met me on a Saturday morning with very little notice to investigate an emergency issue that had arisen. Morgan is a great guy, and you should ask for him when using Domicile (though I am sure everyone is great). We used Kelly for the radon test, who was also excellent. We had a big issue come up here, and Kelly educated me over the phone about the results, remediation potential and market practices. He acted like my advocate throughout the process and made himself available outside of "normal working hours." Definitely spring for the extra radon test, as it is a real health concern, and you never know what kind of home will be affected. I highly recommend this company and these two individuals. read more

Hire with confidence! Ross Neag of Domicile Consulting inspected an apartment for me. I live in New York and only viewed it once in person, so I needed an evaluation from an experienced and trusted source and Ross was it. The apartment had a tenant living there, so when I saw the place I felt awkward about looking at things very closely. Also, I'm not naturally a handy person and would not know what to look for as far as mechanicals are concerned. Ross took excellent pictures and elaborated in clear detail on his recommendations. Additionally he provided price estimates for two different scenarios of (a) patching things up and (b) doing a complete gut renovation. He responded to e-mails very quickly. I felt confident in proceeding with the purchase and closing on the apartment. I would use Ross for any future property inspections and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to my friends and family. read more

Dan at Domicile Consulting is Chicago's version of Mike Holmes. My husband has experience in the architecture/construction industry and has watched every Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection episode on HGTV that has ever been aired. My father-in-law is an architect so he is also very knowledgeable about the industry, but Dan blew them both away with his knowledge and attention to detail. We scheduled Dan to inspect a place that we wanted to buy using their online system (which we love), and his inspection was unbelievably thorough and carefully written. He sent us the report (41 pages long!) complete with photos and explanations of what was wrong, what needed to be fixed, and what concerned him. We eventually walked away from the purchase due to a systemic problem with the building and the overall carelessness of the builder (things weren't up to code, some things were not done correctly, other things were just not done at all). We were a little heartbroken because we both loved the layout and the amenities of the property, but we have seen enough Holmes on Homes to realize what a nightmare a huge problem can become. Domicile Consulting has a deal where if they inspect a property and the deal doesn't go through, they will walk-through another place with you that you are considering to purchase for a smaller fee to give you their feedback in a more casual way. If you decide to move forward with the second place, they will apply the smaller fee to the inspection fee since they were there already. We love the fact that they offer this service and will definitely take advantage of that when we finally figure out what we want to bid on next. We understand that a property will never be 100% perfect, but we'd rather know what we're getting ourselves into rather than buy a lemon and find out the hard way. Dan is a life saver from rescuing us from that first property! If you are interested in buying a place, hire them for your inspection! read more

For almost buying a 100 year old home we knew we needed a great inspector. My brother recommended domicile and stuck to his guns that I went with them. Boy did it sure pay off. The home we were interested in was inspected by Christi. She was extremely friendly from the start and was nice enough to explain every step of the way. And let me say they do NOT miss anything. You will leave feeling educated, ensured, and in my case, stressed beyond belief. But Christi did her job and most likely saved my fiancée and I over 200,000 dollars in the house and repairs. There were so many underlying problems you just don't think of that these professionals find. We are still searching for a home as we terminated our contract and can say with confidence we will use this company again. They are honest and professional people. They also saved us in the long run by avoiding investing in a property that was a huge money pit. Thank you Domicile! read more

A few of my friends highly recommended Domicile based on how thorough they were with their home inspections. After using them twice in the last month I fully agree that they are the best. Their detailed inspection saved me from making a big mistake buying a vintage condo on the lake which looked stunning but had tons of structural and electrical issues in the unit and through building. The second time I used them they helped me confirm that my fully renovated dream pad was as dreamy as it seemed inside and out. I will highly recommend them to anyone needing a top-notch home inspection. read more

Ross Neag and the guys are Domicile Consulting are at the top of their game!! Don't hesitate to ask these guys to help! My wife and I were looking at a couple of fixer-uppers and Ross was able to help us sort out the "diamond in the rough's" vs "this place is disguising big problems". In fact, he helped identify some water damage in one of the homes we were considering and saved us from walking into a money pit. He also inspected the home we are in now and clearly and thorough detail explained the key items to address and helped prioritize projects. He even called some of our contractors to help ensure the job was done right!! Seven months in, he stopped by for an energy audit and to see the progress we made. We truly couldn't be happier! read more

I ended up going with Domicile because of the positive reviews on yelp. I'm 22 and this is my first condo, plus I know absolutely nothing whatsoever about construction/home improvement/etc, so I was worried I would get an inspector who didn't take me seriously and would think all of my questions were annoying. I ended up using Ross and the process couldn't have been any better. He ended up spending about two hours looking over the condo and was very informative (Even my realtor was shocked at his thoroughness, and said most inspectors are in&out in under an hour). He didn't seem to mind me following him around and asking tons of questions, and treated the inspection as an opportunity to educate me on everything there was to know about the place. Overall he was super friendly and professional and had the inspection report in my inbox in less than 24 hours. I'd definitely recommend Ross & Domicile. read more

Great service from Dan Cullen. The inspection was very thorough, as were Dan's explanations of the findings and possible solutions. His knowledge of energy use and energy efficiency just add to the value of the inspection - in addition to noting any code violations, repairs, etc, he also gave us plenty of suggestions as to how we could make the home more efficient. Over the next few years, I wouldn't be surprised if we as much $$$ in energy as the inspection itself cost! He's got a keen eye, and for what his eye misses, he's got the arsenal of tools (including thermal imaging lol) to spot potential issues. Will definitely call Dan for any future inspections I need, and would confidently refer / recommend to anyone. read more

Ross Neag did multiple inspections of leak-related issues at our vintage home, including roof and windows, over the period of almost four years. This included inspection with a thermal camera and moisture meter, as well as visual inspection, and a written report with photos and comments documenting his findings. Ross was thorough and patient, and pointed out small additional issues that we hadn't asked him to look at (e.g. peeking in the furnace room, inspecting around exterior fixtures nowhere near the areas of concern). He explained what he was doing and what he found, and answered our many questions in language we could understand. He gave us several suggestions for how to proceed, including recommendations for contractors (one of which we have used so far, and it worked out very well). Although we did not have him do a complete inspection, from his comments we got the impression that he is very sharp and knowledgeable about all aspects of home inspections. At the end we wished we had had him do the original inspection of our home. We have since referred our friends to him for a pre-purchase home inspection, and they were pleased as well. We have asked Ross to come back to help with diagnosing issues with our home, and we would not hesitate to use his services again for similar issues. read more

Ross and his team are extremely knowledgeable and professional. As a realtor, I have dealt with several types of inspectors and I only refer Ross and Domicile to my clients! While we have walked away from many deals due to his findings, I always know that I can sleep at night. His reports are roughly 30 pages with detailed photos and narrative by area and type. Your clients then know exactly what they are buying and how much work they will have to put into it. Thanks Ross! read more

Buying my second place in as many years. Refuse to use anyone but Domicile as I used them 3 times last year. These people are THE BEST! Had the pleasure of working with Dania O'Laughlin today. She was extremely friendly, incredibly diligent, wow, every time I learn something new! Even under pressure from the realtors to hurry up and get out of there she stood her ground and protected my interests. Her feedback was brutally honest and insightful. I was held back because of a conversation I was having with my realtor, emailed her after and she called me right back. Laid it out brutally straight and honest. If you want someone on your side in a quick and pressurized deal, choose Dania! She's someone who knows who's diligent ad honest and won't let you make a mistake. Domicile, if you ever go public...... :) Thank you so much! read more

Buying a home is a huge endeavor, and you owe it to yourself to get as much information as you can on the home before you buy. I'm in the middle of moving into my new townhome, and Christi Malone at Domicile was an integral part of the process. She arrived early and was already surveying the property's exterior and roof. Seeing that is always a plus! Once we got settled, she was really thorough with the inspection and it did not feel rushed at all. I really appreciated how well she explained what she was looking at, why she was look at it, and all the implications around it. We eventually found mold in the roof, and she explained several aspects about it and how to approach getting the mold remedied. After the inspection, she sent me more info on the mold and information on other things that came up during the inspection including a PDF of a questionable flue vent assembly that the home had (which turned out to be legit). I really appreciated the level of communication Christi delivered during the whole process. When a person can make their client feel at ease, create a connection, and educate all at the same time, that's a level of professionalism that can't be beat! Domicile has another great member on their team, and I would have her again as my inspector in a heartbeat. Thanks, Christi!!! read more

Matt Hohmeier inspected the vintage condo (1919) near Andersonville I made an offer on. He spent four hours combing the property, found and documented issues that helped inform my continued negotiations with the sellers. Matt wasn't an alarmist. He pointed things out and discussed them with me in a mater of fact way. I appreciated Matt's professionalism and professional integrity. It is what lead me to pay another $695 for Domicile to come back and look at the next place I made an offer on. Given the combination of issues in the first property and the sellers resistance to negotiations I backed out. Matt wasn't available for the inspection for the latest property but the lady they sent was just as qualified and just as detail oriented. She inspected another vintage property I made an offer on in Andersonville. She had the same sort of temperament as Matt...professional, focused, laid back in the "I'm not trying to freak you out just letting you know what you're dealing with and your options" sort of way. I forgot to mention that both of them were early. I wasn't waiting around for them to show up. If you need an inspection call Domicile. You'll be glad you did. read more

Andrew Danner performed the inspection on a home we put a bid in on and he was VERY thorough. He caught almost everything. I understand some new homeowners may get worried about a thick inspection report, but we prefer to go into deals with our eyes wide open. The house looked beautiful, but we found many electrical issues and poor worksmanship by a hack contractor. The fixes would have been over 100k just to bring the house up to safe code. We were able to get out of the deal and get our earnest money back thanks to a very thorough job by Andrew. We just put another offer down on a house and if the offer is accepted, Andrew will be back on the job. I recommend Andrew and Domicile to anyone looking to purchase a new home. read more