I would highly recommend anyone requiring a home inspection to reach out to Chris at Haystack. His communication was excellent, reporting both incredibly thorough & swift, and his presence in the space was warm and conversational. His observations and report made me feel confident to move forward with the next steps on a purchase - as well as equipped me to think about the short and long term requirements for the space. read more

I hired Chris to do the inspection of a house we wanted to buy. I am really cautious when comes down to what I am purchasing, so I wanted a very good experienced professional who does not just look at things in a very high level like most of them inspectors do. And I have no regrets. Chris has really good yes and spotted very important things we needed to know. His report was very well detailed and informative and it's been really helpful for us and our contractor who is taking care of the deficiencies. And as a bonus, he is a pretty nice pleasant guy. Thanks a lot for the great work, Chris! read more

We have hired Chris to do home inspections for our brand new ( pre built) condo in 2017, and just recently to inspect our new house too. Obviously we hired him again because he is very professional, arrives on time, takes his time to thoroughly inspect every part of the property, Big and small. Well done prepared report both hard copy with color photos and pdf sent to your email. Highly recommended and would use his services again, Thanks again Chris! Lina and Mark read more

I found Haystack Home Inspection on Yelp and requested a quote for an inspection to a townhome in Vancouver that we had put an offer in for. Chris was quick to provide the quote and explained the procedure for the inspection. We checked out the Haystack website and found examples from home inspections they had done before and I found the photos and descriptions very useful and some had a bit of humour too. Chris met us at the property's few days later and after a quick chat got straight to work on surveying the inside and exterior of the building. He picked up on some very important items that we would not have had any idea about, even though I have worked in the buildings industry for a number of years. As well as the inside of the townhouse he also got some photos of the exterior roof and found a few issues that we were able to get the seller to fix. There was no access to the roof so I'm guessing he used a selfie stick or some gadget - very smart! The report was emailed the following morning in a layout that was detailed and easy to understand - will be useful to have for years to come as we have almost competed the purchase of the property. I'm sure Haystacks services saved us quite a bit of heartache that could have occurred further down the road after moving into the property and also has helped us put together a detailed deficiency list for the seller which has resulted in remedial works due to be carried out by the seller prior to our move in date and also holding back cash from seller until works are completed which adds some peace of mind for us. Overall excellent and worthwhile service and Chris is very easy to work with read more

Chris Thompson was amazing to work with. We are first-time home buyers and not very manually inclined, so feeling that we could trust his assessment and advice was priceless. Also, in the Vancouver market, where things move really fast, it was a relief to find out how responsive and flexible he was. Chris was very thorough in his inspection and saw many things I would not have noticed myself. I followed him through most of the inspection and asked many questions, and he never made me feel silly for doing so. His findings led us to get the previous owners to do some repairs before concluding the sale, saving us some money and a lot of time and sweat. We also know what's on our to-do list once we move into the unit; his report, which was provided less than 24 hours after the inspection, is going to be a great resource in that regard. He was also very generous with post-inspection support, answering many questions over the phone. Without the expert perspective he provided, I don't think we would have felt as confident making our final decision to purchase the unit. This guy loves his job and does it extremely well, providing excellent customer service throughout the process. I cannot recommend him enough. Don't skimp on inspection just because you're buying a condo! Having a professional take a thorough look at the building and unit is well worth the money. read more

We found Chris through reading his rave reviews on Google and Yelp. We are so glad that we hired him to be our home inspector. He was extremely knowledgeable, thorough and easy to communicate with. He noticed even the smallest of details and share additional insights on possible fixes with us. He let us tag along with him during the inspection and pointed out things to us and even suggested things to look out for. The report was easy to understand and included many photographs and clearly outlined what needs to be done and the urgency of each item. We would highly recommend Chris to our family and friends. read more

With a tight timeline, Chris was able to accommodate. The report was very thorough and the best part, he offers to be of assistance until after possession! Definitely recommend read more

I saw lots of great reviews about Chris online and decided to get his help to perform the inspection of a house that I have made an offer in Vancouver, and it was a right decision. Communicating with Chris is very easy from start to finish as he is very responsive . It started with me sending him an email with a brief description of the property that I need his help, and he gave me a quote and confirm the time. Pricing is very reasonable and he listed the fee schedule on his website clearly. My recommendation is to provide as much detail about the property as possible to Chris in advance. In return, he explained the process very clearly so you know what to expect. The actual inspection is very impressive. He went through everything inside and outside of the house with lots of pictures and notes (more about that later). I showed up towards the end of the inspection and he tried to spend as much time to give me his findings / observations. There are two aspects that set him apart: 1) he is really passionate about his job and truly wants to help his customers to make informed decision, and 2) he knows what he is doing as he has real life experience in constructions. When I was searching for an inspector, there are many choices out there and also many of them treat this as a side hustle (imagine someone who a realtor or insurance agent took a course and decides to be an inspector). I feel like he cares about me knowing the house more than other parties such as my realtor. He sent us his report the day after as promised and oh boy, it is very comprehensive. The report not only has lots of photos but they are well-organized into different chapters with lots of explanations: the type of inspection, location, condition, problem, and even the materials if applicable. His service doesn't just end there though as he would offer to answer any question I might have, which I had the day after I received the report and had my realtor to negotiate with the seller on some of the issues identified from his report. Another thing to mention is his reports are on point and fair. If there is a problem but not major, he would call that out but not exaggerate. I had hired inspectors before where they would love to make speculations when they did not know what else to say. Overall, I highly recommend Chris. Buying a property is a major decision and you need to hire the right person to inspect the home. read more

My boyfriend and I have had the pleasure of working with Chris. We are both first-time home buyers and Chris has given us a lot of knowledge on inspection points in a condo. When I had initially called to book the appointment, it just so happened that Chris was out of town. He had taken the time to give me a call back just to set up an appointment! We were very appreciative of that and he had arranged an inspection and made sure we would have gotten our inspection report before our subject removal date. Chris was very thorough to inspect the condo. He had tested everything in the condo including light switches, appliances, water pressure, faucets, etc... His inspection also includes inspection of the building as a whole and noted areas that we should be very cautious of as the cost of fixing could be costly. We are very happy first-time home buyers, and thanks to Chris' insight and knowledge, we were able to buy our condo comfortably. read more

I decided to go with Chris at Haystack Home Inspections after reading all of these great Yelp reviews, and I could not be more happy with that decision. Chris was extremely thorough with his inspection and the subsequent report. He even went above the call of duty to review some strata documentation I was sent after his report was complete! I would not hesitate to use Chris in the future and will definitely be recommending him to home-buying friends. read more

Glad I chose Chris at Haystack Home Inspections. He found and confirmed a few issues. With his findings, I was able to research further and to adjust my offer so that I could be comfortable with my decision. Thank you, Chris. If I don't get this home, there will be a next time. read more

Chris went out of his way to provide detailed feedback with regards to a possible structural deficiency in a potential home purchase. Chris provided feedback that was easy to comprehend based on his comprehensive experience. Additionally, Chris' communication was incredibly impressive and timely and he provided really friendly customer service. I will without doubt recommend Chris to friends and family as well as continue to use his services down the road. Thanks for going out of your way to provide your insight, Chris. Mathew read more

Chris did a very thorough home inspection on our home in Kits. He spent about 4 hours for a 1100 SqFt detached coach home. He started with an inspection of the exterior which included even the walkway, stairs and porch :-) Inside the home he tested everything; electrical including the panel, heating (he used an infrared thermometer to note start temp and how much temp went up in 15 min intervals). He heated water in the microwave and took the panel covers off everything including the gas fire place. Chris was able to detect a leaky hot water tank and a small leak in the elbow of the HE Boiler pressure release drain. The seller promptly fixed these based on the report and the pics. I highly recommend you hire Chris for you next home purchase! The report uncovered a small leak in the HE Boiler pressure release pipe elbow which was pr read more

As a first time home buyer I am still learning about the ins and outs making such a large and important purchase. I was hesitant to get a home inspection as I felt very comfortable with my decision to purchase, but decided to get one 'just in case'. I did some calling around and found Chris to be the most personable, friendly and accommodating as I wanted to have it done before my subject removal date which was coming up quickly. He gave me a very reasonable quote right on the phone and the email communication was seamless. On the day of inspection he was so thorough that the seller's Realtor even asked for a his card! After the inspection we had a long discussion regarding the condo I was already convinced I was going to buy. Chris made me aware of many of the features of the condo, and without bias, let me know the main features of the building, both positive and not so positive. He was unsure about some features of the condo that were unique and said he would follow up with people who were experts in that area so that he gave me the complete overview of the place. He said the report would be emailed to me within 24 hours and if I had any questions to call him. He called me later that same evening and updated me on some of the information that he had followed up on. I really appreciated that he took extra time because this was a big determining factor and something I hadn't really considered to be a problem before buying. He also advised me that he had finished the report early and sent it to my email. The report was beautiful and thorough with pictures and easy to read descriptions in regards to which areas were more problematic than others. After much deliberation and even extending my subject removal I decided not to buy. This was a very hard decision for me, but I am so glad that I did not walk into something that would have ended up costing me more money than I had to give - especially as a first time buyer. I will definitely, without question, be calling Chris when I find the next place that I am hoping to purchase. Investing in a home inspection is one of the most important aspects of buying a house, especially in regards to protection for the buyer. I will never overlook this step again! Highly Recommended!! read more

Chris provided service and advice that was genuinely superlative. The report produced was fact based, easy to understand, and provided all of the information I needed to make an informed decision. Chris showed up half an hour early to my townhouse inspection, carefully examining the site and common spaces for unusual wear and tear, poor workmanship, and design issues. He encouraged me to follow him throughout the site visit and made sure any questions I had were answered (even the dumb ones!). He inspected the mechanical room, electrical room, boilers, and all of the underground parking areas. Within the townhouse itself, he examined all of the plumbing, appliances, radiant heating and electrical systems (wiring and electrical box). He looked for safety issues around railings, garage door operations, smoke alarms and exit points. Any issues noted were brought to my attention and remediation advice was given immediately. He even reviewed the strata minutes and documents, and noted that a set of AGM minutes were missing (which ended up containing important information). But most off all - Chris provided an objective perspective and clear eyed advice. His goal was to provide me the most complete and accurate information that he could, so that I was comfortable with my decision on whether or not to purchase. As a CFO of a good sized software company, I was impressed that Chris was able to help frame the figures and potential costs that helped me understand the risks and rewards that I was stepping into with my purchase. At the end of the day, Chris made be feel like I conducted the best due diligence process that I could. Given the huge price tag with Vancouver real estate - I can honestly say that the fee I paid Chris was the best money I spent during the entire purchase process. Great work! read more

We used Haystack Homes for our home inspection when we were purchasing a new build last year. Chris was amazing, very knowledgeable, thorough, available and informative. He provides a very detailed inspection report with pictures. As a result of his inspection, we were able to have the developer fix a host of deficiencies before we closed. A year later, we had Chris come in to do some further inspections before our year long warranty is up. Again, he was super knowledgeable, thorough and informative. You can tell Chris really enjoys his job and this shows in spades through his attitude and attention to detail. read more

Chris is very detailed and professional for home inspections. His report is exhaustive and we went ahead with our condo purchase worry-free thanks to him! He sent us the report within a day as promised, he was punctual for the inspection and he gives totally unbiased results which helps you make a sound decision. He also followed up with us a couple of times to ensure we don't have any questions and all is well :) Highly recommend! read more

Chris at Haystack Home Inspections did a home inspection for me for a condo I was considering purchasing. All the way through the process Chris provided excellent communication, excellent service and a very comprehensive report about the 'health' of my prospective condo at the end. I am a first time home buyer and was looking at an older (1975) low rise condo building as I was wanting to avoid 'leaky condo' nightmares but was aware than an older building would likely have its own potential issues. Chris was very thorough - before doing the inspection he reviewed the strata minutes and plans. On the inspection day he arrived early so had already conducted a preliminary assessment of the exterior by the time I arrived. Chris went up on the roof and down into the basement, examined the car park and the utility rooms. In the suite (amongst many other things) he opened up the electrical panel , brought out his water meter, opened windows and ran the dishwasher. He took loads of pictures as I trailed after him and asked lots of questions. He easily answered all of my questions and asked me some of his own; what I was most concerned about and what was of less concern to me (ugly paint jobs lol). After the inspection Chris provided me with a detailed report with photos, indicating objectively what was good, what was satisfactory (and why) and what would need to be addressed immediately. He also invited me to call him if I had any questions and in fact followed up with me a day or so after issuing his report in the event I had any more questions. That report helped me make an informed decision as to whether or not to remove subjects and ultimately I did decide to purchase! Chris obviously loves doing home inspections and really cares about his clients. He provided great service to me and I happily recommend him to anyone who is looking for a home inspector. read more

As a purchaser of many properties over the years in different cities across Canada, Chris is the best home inspector we have come across. He is thorough, precise and has extensive knowledge and has a real gift of able to explain everything clearly to everyone involved in the whole process. Chris is personable and delivers exceptional customer service. We would have no hesitation in recommending him to every one that is even thinking of purchasing .His report was clear and precise. We will definitely be using him again if we purchase! read more