When buying a home, you want your inspector to be an expert at building envelope, MEP, but also review aesthetics. Mike excelled in each of those areas. I come from a construction background and I was extremely impressed with the final report we received from Mike Roche. Also, when I had questions during the inspection .... he had answers and explained them so it was simple for both me and my significant other to understand. After reviewing the report, I had some follow up questions and Mike was readily available for a conference call that lasted 15 minutes because he was able to answer any concerns confidently and quickly. Would 10/10 recommend. read more

I've been working with home inspectors for 20 years and these guys are truly the best, they were very knowledgeable, detailed oriented, and great at communicating, and explaining the report to us. Also, the turnaround time was excellent report was ready within 24 hours. I will definitely use them again. read more

Home Advantage Inspections is a team of true professional inspectors that leave no stone unturned during inspections. As a realtor, I trust them to guide my clients and take care of their home inspection needs. Chris Cole has taken great care of my clients for years! Home advantage is a one stop shop and has great referrals for various alternative inspections (Radon, sewer scope, well/septic, etc) and all of their partners are reputable. Highly recommend! read more

Chris Cole provided a detailed inspection report with great recommendations during our initial purchase. This report has been helpful even 5 years later. He's gone above and beyond, more than any home inspector I've ever worked with in the past. I highly recommend using Chris on your next home inspection. read more

Home Advantage Inspections did a outstanding job and had every detail covered. Chris Cole is very knowledgeable and helpful and got us through the home buying process with ease. I would use and recommend him to all my friends and family! Thanks again !!!! read more

From beginning to end our home inspection process was flawless thanks to Chris. His knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail are unmatched. Buying a house can be scary and stressful but Chris made us confident we were making the right decision. read more

Amazing experience with Julian as our inspector. Did a thorough job and provided recommendations on what to address first post-move in. After discovering from a HVAC technician that we might need to do duct work redesign due to one room not getting air/heat, Julian came back to take another look and advised we wouldn't need it and it was just an airflow issue. Saved us a few grand! read more

I used home advantage inspections (Mike Roche) in March 2021 for a condo and did not fully realize how truly AWFUL the quality of their inspections services were until earlier this week. I was a bit skeptical of him but my realtor at the time reassured me he was great. (June 3rd, 2022 - had an inspection with a different company for a potential 2nd property) I'll start first with how my inspection with home advantage (mike) went. He walked around doing his thing for two hours while hardly speaking to me. The last 10 minutes were spent quickly walking me through all the things wrong. (My realtor at the time told me this was how inspections typically are done but i have since learned this is actually not the case. She's not my realtor this time around) No roof inspection due to "no access" but many companies use drones as an alternative (something i didn't know at the time). No structure exterior inspection since it was a condo but I've since learned it comes down to the inspector and how thorough they want to be. The report was just a pdf full of bland general feedback "evaluation advised via pro contractors" and didn't make it easy for a buyer to understand what should be prioritized as far as repairs. Im sure this would have been clear if he had actually been speaking to me throughout the inspection and educating me as a prospective buyer. Now lets talk about my recent inspection (6/3/22) with a different company. The way this company operates is to inspect one area and then review findings before moving on to another area of the property. Prior to diving into findings, a quick crash course was given on things like (roof, brick maintenance , foundation, furnace, electrical, plumbing) to help me understand why certain things were going to be included on the report a certain way (THIS LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION IS HOW A HOME INSPECTION IS SUPPOSED TO BE) I was actually given time to process what was said, look at potential problem areas and ask the 100s of questions swirling in my head. The roof was also inaccessible for this property but they pulled out a drone. The inspection report was also much better in the sense that you could access it via a user friendly site that allowed you to browse one section at a time and it highlighted maintenance tips, recommended repairs and urgent repairs/safety hazards. Overall, I left the inspection that day feeling empowered with the knowledge i gained. If you want a half ass inspection, home advantage is right for you. If you want a reliable inspection, call around to other companies and ask what they include in their inspection and how they ensure all the big ticket items are inspected. If your realtor recommends home advantage inspections, you might want to run away from them as well! read more

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As a Realtor, I encounter dozens of different home inspectors throughout the year. I can CONFIDENTLY say Mike Ross from Home Advantage Inspections is simply the best. I am continuously impressed with his professionalism, expertise, and skill. Mike always starts off his inspections by talking to the buyers and describing his process. At that time, any initial concerns and questions are discussed so we all go into the home inspection with a clear picture and objective. During the home inspection, Mike always follows a strict format to ensure *every*square*inch* is covered and inspected. At the end, Mike goes over all major findings by either physically showing us the issue or showing us a picture of the issue if it's not accessible to everyone. All other minor findings are always detailed in his report. I've never seen a report so thorough. Mike's reports always provide helpful information such as the location of important shut-off values (electrical, gas, water), minor defects, and major defects. I believe what separates Mike from "the rest" is his experience. Previously, Mike was a contractor so he's clearly able to identify sloppy craftsmanship. As a trained and licensed home inspector, he has combined the skills and training from both professions to provide a set of skills and knowledge to properly advise everyone from first-time homebuyers to experienced real estate investors. ***He is simply invaluable and an absolute necessity when buying a home. *** read more

As a first time home buyer, I can say with confidence that buying a home is a scary thing. I knew that I wanted a home inspection and went to my trusty fellow Yelpers to find the best service. After getting a couple quotes Home Advantage Inspections was the best deal. I wasn't able to attend my home inspection, but after receiving the report that was sent on the same day that the inspection took place, I felt like I was there. I shared it with my dad, because he's way more experienced with these things than I am and he said it was the best home inspection report he'd ever seen. (Which translates in to "This is an amazingly thorough report!" in dad language.) He did have a couple questions and the inspector, Mike Ross, went through those with him. I am not a handy person at all, so this was a big relief for me. I'm so happy with my experience with Home Advantage Inspections. I'd definitely recommend them! read more

This was 100% without a doubt the worst possible service I could have asked for. PLEASE PLEASE do not use Home Advantage Inspections. As a first-time homebuyer, I wasn't prepared enough to shop around for a home inspector, so this was the one my agent had ready to go, and I'm really sorry that's the case. I don't know exactly what operating certifications are required of home inspectors in Chicago, but I now know you can become one merely by taking an online course and buying a domain name. BEWARE. This is an industry without standards of service. And this vendor totally screwed me and there's nothing I can do about it (other than warn you to keep looking). I'm writing this a few months after purchasing my home, and after realizing the mountain of cash I'll need to spend to fix the undisclosed damage -- damage that I would hope ANY reputable home inspector would catch. Should I have caught these things? Sure, but it was my very first time buying a home and what am I paying $499 for anyway? To find all this myself in the 10 minutes I get to tour the property with the previous owners still watching me? The first day I moved in, I realized the stove didn't even turn on. I had to replace it. $600. You can't even check the stove? Then, the first time I took a shower, the water heater was spewing scalding water by the gallon all over the utility closet. Turns out there needs to be a hose connecting the pressure relief valve to a drain that had been removed. $600 + damages. What a nice welcome home gift that was. THEN, the whole ceiling in the 1st floor is bowing down in several locations with clear evidence of water damage that had been recently painted over. The paint was barely dry! The tub leaks through the upstairs down into the kitchen. The kitchen light fixtures leak water each time it rains. There's standing water all around the house and cracks all in the foundation from water damage and sinking. I had to replace entire pipes that weren't even able to be switched off. My drainage pipes aren't even to code so the city could shut off my water at any time. How do I know all this about homes now?? I've been in the business zero minutes and I already can save thousands and thousands of dollars and all the nightmare by just telling you ... this guy has absolutely no clue. Stay FAR FAR away. He DOES NOT need to be inspecting homes. Don't make the same mistake I did. Do NOT use this person please! read more

Home Advantage Inspections is phenomenal. Both Leon Mann and my specific inspector, Jay Drumm are experts in their field. The technical competence of Jay and Leon is quite impressive. Jay is thorough, detail oriented and can articulate the specifics of every mechanical component in a home. The reports are easy to comprehend, issues are illustrated with pictures and recommendations are provided on needed actions. Their technical aptitude is perfectly complemented by their stellar customer service, commitment to their clients and a sense of urgency. Detailed reports are delivered quickly, ending with an executive summary of findings, recommendations, and an invitation to contact them with any questions or concerns. This is the second time I have contracted them for a home inspection and recommend that you do too! Home Advantage Inspections will simplify escrow and minimize your stress through the closing process. Good luck with your next home purchase and go with Leon and Jay at Home Advantage Inspections! You won't be disappointed! read more

Home Advantage Inspections and Leon are the example of an honest, beyond prompt, quality service. Called several companies and some asked for payment, some would take days to come, but Leon took my call and arranged his morning to come and ease our worries about possible mold in the house that would have cost us thousands. Do not hesitate and call Leon immediately if you are looking for a company you will use for the rest of your life, we have another issue at another property and are giving him a call right now. Thank you!! read more

My wife and I were looking for a home inspector to inspect the house that we are buying. We are first-time homebuyers and we want to make sure to hire the right inspector to do the job. We were choosing between two contractors and happy we picked Mike "Thorough" Ross from Home Advantage Inspections. Mike Ross used to build houses (carpenter) from ground up which makes him a good inspector. He is very thorough, as his nickname says, and knowledgeable to what he is doing. He is very professional and even got to the meeting place earlier than the call time. Also a very nice and approachable guy! He has upgraded tools to help him do his job better and efficient. Mike is very passionate about his work and really care about his clients; he ensures that we know the important things about the property that we are going to buy. Overall, we had no regrets choosing their service. We really recommend Mike Ross as a home inspector and would do it again if we ever had the chance! read more

Excellent service! As a transaction coordinator for a large brokerage I've seen hundreds of inspection reports. This is by far the most detailed and the most professional company I've worked with. From coordinating the inspection with Leon to completing the inspection with Julian this company went above and beyond inspection standards. My wife and I highly recommend home advantage inspections and we will recommend this company to all our colleagues back in Los Angeles looking to purchase in Chicago. read more

Home Advantage Inspections - Julian inspecting the roof. - Home Inspectors Near Me

This is the first time we hired a home inspector. Leon was helpful over the phone to answer my questions and later responded timely via texts. Their direct communication helps me ease some stress from the home inspection process. Mike was our home inspector. He arrived at the place earlier than we did and we showed up on time! When we arrived, Mike already started the inspection in the garage and found a crawl space that we did not notice during the house viewing. Mike also educated us to not freak out about the report as the report would be long but it did not necessarily mean the house had major issues. Mike gave us summaries after he finished the process, which took about over 2.5 hours. He also sent us the report the day of the inspection! Our agent did not know Mike beforehand, and complimented on Mike's work. read more

I rate Home Advantage Inspections 5 Stars. Leon was responsive and dispatched a fully trained and knowledgeable inspector Julian O. Julian was prompt as well. I explained to Leon and Julian the issues that I was having at another property and I needed a second inspection as soon as possible. I called Leon on a Sunday and he answered which was a shocker and he was able to get my inspection setup for the next day. While inspecting the property Julian showed me all areas of concern. My inspection report was ready the same day. I recommend Home Advantage Inspections to EVERYONE. read more

I spoke with Leon M. Through yelp messenger. He responds right away! He made it flawless for me to get the inspection. The person who did the inspection seemed thorough and we were happy with the overall process. The price was fair too! read more

5+ stars! Sometimes your house needs to go to the doctor for a regular check up, and that's exactly what we did for our home today. Mike from Home Advantage came out to our house to give it a full inspection. And I'm talking a thorough inspection...wow! We recently took over our home from a family member, and decided it was necessary to see where our 1938 home stands as far as it's health. We figured we'd be crying or high-fiving after the whole appointment was over, and happy to report our house rocks for the most part. Everything that needs a little TLC, is totally and completely manageable and nothing is seriously major at this point in time. We have our check list of to-dos to go! Mike used to be with the City of Barrington in their building code division, so he knows everything about codes (thankfully no violations on our end). I'm impressed with how brave he was to go into some of the spaces that freak me out, and I'm happy to know there was nothing majorly bad in those scary areas. He spent several hours checking out every crack and crevice, and he was so completely patient with me and my burning questions about concerns that keep me up at night. I can't wait to get the final report to go through the actual check list, but we have a great idea of the first and foremost tasks. You know what? Tonight I sleep soundly, knowing my home won't be falling into the ground any time soon. These guys are so professional, and like Marla M, I would recommend this company a thousand times over! Job well done. read more

Patrick hit it out of the ballpark again on another property! He is always so easy to work with and very knowledgable ! Will continue to use him for all home purchases! read more

This is one of the few Yelp listed companies with mostly 5 star reviews that actually deserve them. My inspector, Eric, looked young but was very thorough, knowledgeable and professional. He was not afraid to get dirty inspecting the basement mechanicals, climb on the roof in the winter cold or provide numerous pointers on the purchase and development of this multi-unit property. The follow-up is the most important detail many contractors and builders fail at. However, Eric very promptly sent my detailed 60 page inspection report full of color pictures, measurements and a summary of top issues that need addressed. read more

Very professional and extremely detailed in the services they provide! Very happy with them! Would highly recommend them if you are looking for home inspectors. read more

Hi! First thing to note about me is that I'm a worrywart, and a perfectionist, I know, not the most easy person to please, but Mike Roche blew away all my expectations!! Last year my husband and I bought our first house. We were so excited to find a house, but didn't realize how much work actually goes into the process. We were recommended to Home Advantage (but more specifically Mike Roche) by our wonderful realtor. When it came time for the inspection we went with Home Advantage and couldn't have been more pleased with the experience. Our inspector was Mike Roche who was early, and honestly so kind, he immediately put me at ease. Mike definitely did an exhaustive job. And I do mean exhaustive. As new home buyers we were concerned about the number of issues in the house (it's a 100 year old house after all) but Mike put our minds to ease when he walked us through and talked about his findings. He was very detailed but explained it in such a way that we understood how common the issues are and how easy they are to fix. You think "Oh no!" when you you hear about the electricity, but are then reassured when you hear it's just rewiring a plug, for example. He was very knowledgeable about the maintenance of our appliances and mechanicals. He also gave us the heads up, as new buyers, that the report is a long and technical document (and can seem very scary). Reminding us not to get overwhelmed and that we could call him anytime we had questions. That was CLUTCH. I actually have called him at least three times with questions (sorry Mike!!) and he was always so patient and kind to me and has given us such peace of mind. It truly is such a big step buying your first house, and we bought it when the market was hot and literally had one day to decide if we wanted this house or not. I am just so thankful for Home Advantage, but more specifically Mike Roche for all his wonderful work. Since then we've settled in wonderfully to our dream home. We absolutely love it and we were so lucky! I have recommended Mike to literally every person I know buying a house. If you are looking for a home inspection, I highly recommend you get Mike Roche and Home Advantage Inspections. read more

What can I say. We are extremely happy with the home inspection. The set up was easy, I requested a quote and had a phone call within minutes describing everything they could do for us. The pricing was GREAT! I was able to get an inspection, termite inspection and they even set up for Radon testing! They worked with my schedule to have an inspector at my conscience, not theirs. On the morning of the inspection, the inspector was early and got a jump up on the roof to start having a look. Mike Ross made a flawless inspection noting every little detail. The inspection lasted 5 hours, averaging 1 hour for every 1000 square feet. I was able to walk with him and discuss the findings, and just have really good conversation. They report was in hand a mere hours after the conclusion of the inspection. It was VERY thorough! 88 pages in length with hundreds of photos and tips for improving the overall general condition of the house! If you're looking for a home inspection look no further than Mike Ross at Home Advantage Inspections!! read more

Mike was our inspector and he was fantastic. We are fist time home buyers and he did a phenomenal job answering questions and taking us through the pertinent things explaining what realistically NEEDS to be addressed and what could be addressed within the next few years. He produced a comprehensive report with sufficient pictures and explanations which was emailed to us less than 24 hours after our inspection. Scheduling was very convenient as we needed this expedited for a quick closing. He came on a Sunday afternoon and was prompt and polite. We appreciated everything Mike did and would recommend him 100x over. read more

Spoke to Leon to schedule an inspection of the crawl space in our condo (never knew there was a crawl in a condo) that we are selling. We knew there was an issue because the floor was buckling. Leon got me an appointment right away. Patrick was our inspector, he found standing water and mud, neither of those should not be in a crawl. He conducted an air and swab test for mold. Thankfully we have the report so we can go back to the association to fix these issues so we can sell! Very grateful for their work. I highly recommend Home Advantage Inspection!! read more

Our inspector was Dan, and he did a phenomenal job! - Arrived on time - Meticulous and thorough, noticed every little detail - Produced a 92 (yes, ninty-two) page report that recorded every issue with clear explanations and pictures! - Produced the report in less than 2 hours Before the inspection, my agent was trying to convince me to go with some other company he has worked with before, but after meeting Dan and reading his report, my agent tells me he will recommend Home Advantage to all his future clients now. Really great work, can't recommend them enough! read more

Mike Ross work is fantastic! We hired him to inspect our home we recently purchased, and his thorough inspection and detailed report gave us the peace of mind we needed prior to buying a house. Mike's communication throughout the process was impeccable, and he was always personally available to answer our numerous questions and provide professional recommendations. Worth every penny and highly recommended for anyone who wants to know exactly what they are getting with the most important purchase of their lives! read more

Hello Everyone, I was trying to find a home inspection company for the first time, since I was looking to purchase my mother's home after she had passed away and buy out my brother and sister. I called a lot of companies to get a feel of the people and I hit the jackpot with Leon Mann and his crew! They came out on December 11, 2015 and they were there for 4-5 hours and provided me with a 112 page inspection report including color photos and an analysis of the air quality and any mold issues. I have been using their report to help guide me to remodel my mother's home the way it should have been. Highly recommended them and since I forgot to write this review back when it was done I am doing it now because they are coming out again to inspect my house due to flooding. read more

Super professional service provided. I recommend Home Advantage Inspections since our experience with Mike, Leon and their team has been outstanding. The inspection report is sent the day after, comprehensive and clearly detailed. You can pay online before the inspection. read more

Julian was the inspector for our duplex property and he was great! He was professional, extremely thorough in his details, timely and also followed up with a phone call regarding the findings during the inspection. He sent us the completed inspected report within 24 hours of conducting the inspection and it was very details. Home Advantage Inspections was recommended to us by real estate investors in Chicago and we can understand why! Their service was superb and overall they saved us from a headache property. I strongly recommend Home Advantage Inspections. read more

These guys are lifesavers. We are refinancing our mortgage with a VA loan and learned at the last minute -- days before our scheduled closing -- that a termite inspection was required by the VA. I scrambled and found Home Advantage Inspections here on Yelp. Leon replied to my urgent request almost immediately and was able to schedule someone to do the inspection the next day. I was amazed -- totally anticipating having to delay closing but Leon made it happen faster than I'd hoped! Our inspector, Mike, was right on time, super friendly (even loved our dog!) and very thorough. Within minutes of him wrapping up the inspection, we got the VA paperwork via email. I also appreciated the online invoicing system -- so the entire process was completed from start to finish in less than 24 hours! Big thanks to Leon and Mike for coming to our aid -- we highly recommend using these guys if you need a home inspection. read more

So impressed with Leon and the team at Home Advantage.. this is our second inspection for our home in Woodstock, Illinois. Completely thorough, didn't feel rushed as I always ask a ton of questions throughout. They explained any and all issues in complete detail. Felt completely taken care of which is of utmost importance to me and my Husband. Absolutely recommend!! read more

A huge thank you to Mike for being so professional and an absolute pleasure to work with during our first home buying process. Mike is thorough, detailed, and so well spoken in his explanation of the inspections he preforms. Everything is very clearly documented, pictures included. In addition to being early to each scheduled appointment, Mike provided us with our full report the same day of inspection. I say this as a client that has used his expertise more than once, I would never even consider hiring anyone else. If you as a buyer, or seller, would like an honest and meticulous inspection of your future or current home, I genuinely recommend Mike. A sincere thank you to him for his expertise. read more

I trust no one else with my clients than Home Advantage Inspection! I am a real estate agent and Leon and his team are beyond thorough, plus they guarantee their work. The customer service is beyond great and they provide white glove service to all regardless of the price point of the house and treat everyone equally and fairly. No one else provides a better home inspection service than home Advantage. read more

We recieved a home inspection with Leon from Home Advantage Inspections for our new townhome. From start to finish, our experience with Leon was hassle free and top notch. Leon was extremely punctual, professional, and personable. He arrived right on time with tools, computers, and all sorts of high tech home inspection gadgets. He went to work in our townhome and was able to find every little detail that could not be seen with the naked eye. As first time home buyers, Leon completely put my husband and I at ease. He was extremely thorough and did not leave a corner unturned. We recieved our home inspection document within a matter of hours through email. This document illustrated every imperfection found in our townhome along with pictures to support it. I would absolutely recommend Home Advantage Inspections to anyone who is looking for a superb and professional home inspector. read more

The buyer of my home hired this company to inspect my home. The inspector, Jay Drumm, was incompetent and unethical. He declared there was water in the crawl space. He never went down into the crawl to observe it. He declared there was water in the shed. Another lie. I have since hired a waterproofing company and had the home inspected. Both verified there's absolutely NO water in either location. Jay is also recorded on my Ring camera, telling the buyers agent not to purchase the house. Unethical. Stay away from this company. read more

Dan was excellent Just had just completed inspection Could not have gone better Highly recommend read more

Great experience with Mike. He was very personable and made sure that we realized that just because something is pointed out does not mean that it is dire. He was very informative and was able to answer all of the first time single family home buyers that my husband and I are. Never made us feel like what we were asking was below him and was very thorough with the inspection (4 hours!!) I feel good going into closing with the report that I have and we now have our list of our projects to start on this summer and our list that we can start working with a contractor this summer. read more

Best inspection group to deal with when selling/buying a home. Professional and efficient as you can ask for when stressed out. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Thank you for everything!! read more