Thorough, prompt and excellent. Michael from Value Guard spent 4 hours with us inspecting the home (pre-closing) and giving extremely useful information and insight. He answered every question thoughtfully and respectfully. Their response to our additional questions after the site visit was swift and very helpful. read more

Our inspection was thorough and clear. Todd did a great job walking us through everything and answering all of our questions, and the inspection report he put together was extremely straightforward and comprehensive. Highly recommend Todd and ValueGuard for your home inspection! read more

We had Steve come out to perform a general home inspection on a property we are planning to buy. He was very thorough and detailed in examining every corner of the house, both inside and out. He didn't hesitate to crawl into a cramped crawl space, getting dusty in the process. He identified several health-related concerns, which he documented in a comprehensive 93-page report. We also ordered a radon test, and it was worth every penny. read more

Michael Kelley was an outstanding home inspector. Super thorough, knowledgeable and insightful. His inspection report was clearly structured, 50+ pages with with detailed notes in clear simple non-jargony English and tons of clear, helpful photos - we still reference it to this day and truly feel like we know our home inside and out now. Michael encouraged us to follow him around during the inspection, and we asked questions the entire time which he answered with patience and clarity. We also had Tyler Gilger handle our termite and radon inspections, and he was fantastic- efficient, knowledgeable, and just as easy to work with. Highly recommend both Michael and Tyler to anyone looking for a comprehensive, clear understanding of their home. read more

Can't recommend these guys enough! Mike helped with the inspection - was thorough, patient and helped to explain things he was seeing and things to eventually fix, why they were or would be issues. He passed along his number after the inspection and answered promptly any additional questions I had. They also had a great price. Fair, about what you'll pay for most other places, but the quality and number of services towards the inspection you get for it is double. read more

As a first time buyer, I was pretty limited on experiences with home inspections (read: this was my first home inspection experience). My specific situation required a very last minute inspection and I feared I would not be able to find someone within my time frame. I called on a Tuesday with the hopes of an inspection on Wednesday or Thursday. My realtor recommended Michael Bluestein of Valueguard so we called to see if he was available. Luckily, he had a cancellation for Wednesday and we snagged the spot before anyone else could. An email was sent my way to sign and submit payment. Once we got the green light from the seller's side, I signed what was necessary and paid. The fee was cheaper than the two other companies I had considered so that was a huge plus. In addition, I was told that Michael is by-the-book and thorough. I can report back that he is in fact both! When I arrived for my inspection, Michael had already arrived and started working. After sharing with him that this was a first for me, he filled me in on what to expect. We walked through the property and found what we needed to find. Michael answered all my questions and explained potential fixes and costs. It's now Thursday morning and I have already received my inspection report. After reading through, there were no surprises as Michael walked me through everything while we were together in-person. He even prepared me for the lengthy document I'd be receiving and encouraged me to call him with any questions at all. While this was my first and only home inspection experience to date, it was a pleasure. I think that the value was way beyond what I paid. When the time comes that I need an inspection in the future, or a friend is in need, I would highly recommend Michael Bluestein of Valueguard. read more

Had Stever out today for a home inspection. He did an amazing job! He answered all our questions, explained what he was doing and explained his findings. Highly recommend! read more

Joe (and Tyler) came out for my home inspection which included termite and radon testing. Tyler came earlier (so I didn't get to meet him, but he was early!) Joe was amazing! He met me outside, explained the plan of action and walked us around the house and then in it, floor by floor explaining red, yellow and green flags. He let me know different ways to mitigate issues from least expensive to top of the line and from his experience how much time I have on the current things in the house. We talked layout, construction, housing markets, renovations, and just about anything. Joe is knowledgeable, friendly and make the process a breeze, especially for a first-time home buying. I will be a returning customer for sure! Thanks again! read more

Excellent work by Robert Reilly. We had the experience of utilizing him twice for 2 inspections in quick succession. the first one we credit him with finding mould in the basement as well as many issues with water that led to us not purchasing the house. Robert was very thorough and was very patient explaining everything that he saw. He explained everything he was looking for in each area. he is very knowledgeable and provided great insight into the house and the inner workings of it. Would definitely utilize him again! read more

Horrible service. My usual home inspector was not available. We used valueguard in their place. A week after closing my client has major issues with their basement and a basement professional is wondering how the inspector did not catch this sooner. read more

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Mike was amazing, very knowledgeable, informative and helpful. He made me feel confident with the choice I made with this company. At first, I didn't think I received my inspection report the next day as promised but realized it went to my spam inbox. I legit have no negative feedback. The reviews were spot on and the service was exceptional. Thank you! read more

Stop looking and book this company! Steven was a dream! He was BEYOND detailed and knowledgeable kept us up to date throughout the entire process. My agent told me after 30+ years in the biz he was the best she has ever worked with. The perfectly organized report was ready the next am and I was confident each and every part of the home was properly inspected and his information helped us make a final decision on the house read more

My dad got home inspection done recently by Mike Baltrush. He did an excellent job, thorough and detail oriented report. After the inspection report, he explained everything and clarified on the report. I will use him again for future inspections when needed. We need inspectors like that to get the full picture of a home read more

Highly recommend Steve Haslam who did our recent home inspection. He did an excellent job, was patient and detail oriented. He started by explaining the work he planned to do, how he would do it, and then also made sure to get our input and ask us what our priorities were for the inspection. We were in person for the inspection and as he completed each area he walked us through his findings which all were then thoroughly and consistently documented in his inspection report. Steve made sure that all our priorities were covered, including even coming back to inspect an item that could not be accessed at the time of the inspection and appropriately updating final report. His findings and report helped ensure we came to the best decision on our home buying process. We definitely recommend Steve and would use him again ourselves. read more

Pete was my instructor for a home I'm buying. He did a great job and will definitely be using again. Very knowledgeable and takes the time to explain everything in details. Highly recommended! read more

I have used this companies for two inspections, with both Michael's. If you want through, detailed inspections- BOOK WITH THEM!!! Super satisfied with the level of detail and exploration of findings my inspector Michael Baltrush provided me. It's an overwhelming process, especially if you walk through it with the inspector, so it took me a day or two to let the information set in. Then having such a thorough report to defer back to, to jog my memory about the specifics is clutch. read more

Tyler was our inspector and I truly feel so blessed to have had him to our potential new home. He took the time to show my husband and I all that he found, how things worked, and was very knowledgeable. We feel very confident going into buying our home! We are selling our rather large home and downsizing to a quarter of what we used to live in. The buyers for our home had an inspector there for an hour. Tyler was there 4 hours, he was just that meticulous! Also, I ask a ton of questions, he was polite and kind in answering them all. Sometimes he had to repeat himself from me to my husband, he had no problems doing so. If I buy another home in the area I will be using Tyler again too as should you! read more

Valueguard Home Inspections - Drone shot of our potential new house, very cool technology he used! - Home Inspectors Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Don't look anywhere else for your home inspection! Michael Kelley was outstanding, not once but TWICE as he helped us first decide NOT to move forward on one home because of his expert analysis and detailed examination... then gave us confidence to say YES to the second home we decided to buy. Beginning with the very timely and professional response for a quote and scheduling via Yelp, the ValueGuard made the process very efficient and informative for us being first time home-buyers. Then, we got the pleasure in having Michael Kelley arrive (early!) and he was the pure definition of professional and thorough. You could tell he takes great pride in his job and is also very good at explaining details uncovering all aspects (good and bad) about the home. We looked at two homes, one in the city and in the suburbs so Michael's expertise is apparent in both. Lastly, we were provided a great inspection report with pictures, timeline, unofficial estimates and recommendations when a contractor should look further into potential issues which needed further examination. On-site Michael walked us through every aspect of the home and we learned so much because of him. He was on roofs, in crawl spaces, attics, EVERYWHERE. HIGHLY recommend ValueGuard and if you're fortunate to have Michael Kelley you are in great hands. read more

Great service and great response time. I'm a first time buyer with absolutely no experience and they were very helpful and explained everything to me. Time will tell how good the inspection actually was but I'd have to say 5 stars on service and reliability read more

We worked with Michael Kelley from ValueGuard and the experience could not have been better. We got a full inspection that took about 4.5 hours in total and the time was extremely well spent. From explaining every detail of the outside and inside from top to bottom, to taking the time to teach and explain all of the ins and outs of the home that we would have never seen or known of ourselves, we could not have been more comfortable to make a decision on the home because of Michael's expertise. I highly recommend their services. From the comments, it looks like all of their home inspectors are top notch, but we will be requesting Michael again for any future needs. read more

ValueGaurd came recommended to us and we couldn't be happier with the service and expertise we were provided from Mike. Mike was so thorough and took the time to explain not only watch outs but just general information a home owner should know about their home. I even got excited about a GFCI outlet... didn't even know what they were prior to inspection. Mike was punctual and professional, taking photos of everything and walking me through the entire process and what to expect. This is my second time buying a home and first time with a newer home. Inspections can really make or break your investment-they're critical to the home buying process and ValueGaurd provided the expertise I needed to be confident with my decision. Couldn't recommend ValueGaurd enough! read more

Who knew an inspection could actually be educational and (somewhat) fun?? Mike Pistor was fabulous, explained every step of the way, and had our inspection report to us after a short wait. He also was available for a follow up questions. Greatly appreciated his time and expertise! read more

Steve Haslam was AMAZING. He was incredibly thorough and patient, looked at every detail and then spent time walking me thru each point and process, highlighting the key concerns and what is typical/atypical for this area. The report was well laid out and even included estimated price ranges for each suggested fix. I found that extremely helpful as a buyer looking to purchase a condo. read more

I reached out to them to see if they could do a pre-drywall inspection for the home I'm building in NJ. They politely informed me that they don't service NJ, and shared a resource where I could find other inspectors. I appreciated their prompt response and professionalism, which makes me think they'd be great inspectors! read more

Quick response. professional and clean work. inspector is responsive and knowldegable. definite recommend the service

My wife and I booked Adam Smith to inspect a recently renovated home before buying and we were blown away by his thoroughness and professionalism. He showed up a few minutes early and got straight to work inspecting the roof and exterior of the house. The entire process was about as pain free as I could have hoped for and I really appreciate how Adam took the time to make sure my wife and I understood how significant each issue he found was. I will definitely be recommending Adam to anyone who asks if I know a good home inspector. read more

A very nice office but definitely not detail oriented, which is what you want in an inspection. Because of large ticket items that the inspector missed, - obvious mold patches on a wall and ceiling that turned out to be black mold-we basically lost time and a home. Go elsewhere. Adding insult to injury, when we requested a discount on a second inspection to give them a second chance since they were so nice and they basically offered their current internet price. So....definitely go elsewhere. read more

Our realtor Michael Garden at the Michael Garden Group recommended that we use ValueGuard Home Inspections for our South Philadelphia home purchase. Robert Reilly, our inspector, not only did a quick turnaround on our report, presented a thorough written report noting items that required immediate attention, that were a safety concern or something to be evaluate/be aware of. His report include photos and a detailed descriptors. The part I feel that set him above the rest was that he took my call at 5:30pm on December 23, the day before Christmas Eve and spent 28 minutes on the phone answering my questions. We also got into a friendly conversation about our favorite cheesesteak locations around town. I would recommend Robert Reilly and ValuGuard Home Inspections for your real estate purchase. Many thanks Robert! read more

As a first time home buyer I have been come to appreciate every single person who helps me throughout this process. I don't know the first thing about an inspection, but Valueugard really did take away my stress and anxiety. Adam Smith inspected my property. He did a thorough job and the Inspection Report was sent to me (via email) in less than 48 hours. The inspection itself took about 2 hours. Adam walked me through each room/area step by step. He would first tell me exactly what he was about to check, check it, then tell me his thoughts/opinions on the matter. He took photos of everything and answered any and all of my questions. I had a piece of paper and pen with me and I jotted down notes while he worked. His report mirrored exactly what we spoke about during the entire inspection. Speaking about the report, the report itself was very detailed! It listed all the concerns and what type of professional I should hire in order to monitor/remedy the problem. thank you so much Valueguard and your great staff. You really did put me at ease and I will recommend you to all of my friends. read more

I had a fantastic experience with ValueGuard! My inspector, Pete, was incredibly thorough - he took over 4 hours with the inspection of my 1,100 sq ft home. He was kind, patient, and not at all condescending towards me as a young, single, woman buying her first home. Along the way, Pete pointed out little repairs that I could do myself and gave me tips on how-tos and materials, and explained in detail what I needed to look out for to make sure necessary repairs were done properly. I took a lot of notes! I would absolutely recommend ValueGuard and especially Pete. Thanks, Pete! read more

Had a great Home Inspection experience and a wonderful inspector, Adam Smith. Very throughout, put all terms in layman (I am not fluent in home construction), projections of cost for work were accurate, provided great photos and Adam was very timely. Paperwork was completed very quickly and was very clear. Highly recommend! read more

I had my inspection over the weekend and here is Monday and the report arrived. We had Mike to inspect a home we want to buy and I have to say I am really impressed. Few years back we had to go through the same procedure in Arizona and the inspection was a joke back then. So I expected something similar again, but man was I wrong. I inspected the house the day before with a contractor and few things popped but we couldn't put a finger on them. Mike had all answers we needed. Strongly recommend! read more

As a second-time homebuyer, I can tell the difference between how much more effort into the inspection. Dave was fantastic and answered my questions as we went through the home for about 3 hours. I saw another reviewer (sell side) complain about their nitpickiness, but to me, that is a strong asset from the buy side, as you want to know about all the problems, big and small, and then decide what you wish to do. They can bring the termite and radon people as well. The 3 tests together cost us $870, so it's not cheap, but I think quality is worth a price. One thing is they won't climb up and inspect slate roofs, so if you have one of those, you might want to call around to see who will, or else you'll shell out extra $ for a separate roof inspection like I had to. read more

My inspector was Michael Kelley. He took enormous pride in his work, and performed an incredibly thorough inspection. We went into the negotiation process confident that we had a good handle on all possible issues. The inspection took a long time (5.5 hours for a 4 bedroom home), so plan accordingly. read more

I can't recommend the services by Valueguard enough. I am a first time home buyer and worked with Adam Smith on inspecting 3 properties I was looking at. Valueguard was very easy to schedule with and gave me a small discount for each repeat inspection. Adam was highly professional, knowledgeable, detailed, thorough and easy to work with. He took the time to explain everything he was inspecting, his observations and concerns as he was working. His detailed report arrived shortly after the physical inspections and really helped me in determining whether or not to move forward with a property. The inspections revealed issues that would not have been apparent to me otherwise and gave me insight on home buying in general. His reports not only outlined major concerns that would need to be addressed immediately but also minor ones that should be taken care of over time. I learned about proper maintenance for the major home systems and much more. I will definitely recommend Valueguard and Adam to friends and acquaintances! read more

We had our home to be inspected by Steven and he was really wonderful. Friendly, polite, courteous, and really nice about explaining exactly what he was looking for and what he was seeing. It really helped set me at ease while we were walking through, and as a first time home owner, I can't express how much that meant. He was incredibly thorough and honest, looking through every nook and then explaining what his findings meant and, more importantly, how much anything might cost. I also appreciate them working to a deadline. We signed for our offer right before Memorial Day weekend (I know,) and they still had everything done before our ten days' deadline. I'm hoping I don't have to move again for a long time, but I would absolutely recommend them to anyone else. read more

I have used this company multiple times for home and radon inspections over the years. On the last visit I found out it is family owned, which is great when it comes to supporting local businesses. The provider was professional and courteous during the service call. I would recommend this company to any first time home buyers as I have had positive experiences. read more

Mike B was my home inspector, and I really think he gets the mindset of a first time home buyer in the Philly proper. He arrived before I did, and started the roof inspection right away. He later explained that it was because "the buyer always wants to use my ladder to go on the roof, but it's a liability." Touche Mike, that was exactly what I was going to ask! He sensed that my wife and I were both nervous, and he made very effort to explain and re-explain everything including cost estimates that worked in our favor, lifespan of different parts of the home, the quality of work, and *wink wink* suggesting that I read between the lines at some points as he is not officially allowed to give opinions on certain things if they cannot be seen and verified. Specifics: He spent at least an hour in the basement of a 100 year old row home. Gross AF, but totally necessary. He check the hot water heat, boiler, washer/dryer, walls, joists, wiring, breaker panel (even removed the cover), plumbing, and crawlspace--yes, he actually got on his belly and crawled in there, which will be funnier to imagine if you meet him. He discovered a five foot crack in a waste drain, and another crack in the street plumbing line that was "encased" in concrete. Home inspectors are not really supposed to touch or move things, but he "suggested" that if I were to tap on the concrete over the street line, it would probably come off. Surprise surprise! The concrete disintegrated, and exposed a huge hole leaking sewer gas. Mike looked at me, smiling, and shouted "woops!" He was really knowledgeable about these old homes, and has definitely seen all sorts of problems and half assed solutions. There was no fooling him. He checked everything upstairs as well: the windows, doors, facade, flooring, plumbing, appliances, everything. He definitely proved himself to be invaluable when he (along with another inspector) discovered active termite damage and extensive water damage along one entire side of the home. I didn't even notice this, and I'm glad he found it. I mean, who wants to buy a home with termites and crazy water damage? Am I right? In addition, Mike had two colleagues conduct pest inspections and radon inspections. They were both nice guys, and they worked in concert together. Input for others: If you're suggesting that the inspector didn't do enough, it's probably because you aren't "reading between the lines." They are not allowed to give official opinions and estimates if they can't see and verify the problem. Pay close attention to the language they use, and how much time they spend on a specific point of inspection. They want you to know as much as possible before purchasing. They're already paid and have no vested interest in you buying or not. They can't catch everything, but they will imply things based on what they see. YOU need to infer things, pay close attention, and piece the puzzles together yourself. Thanks again, Mike! read more

I was very pleased with ValueGuard. I have been embroiled in an extremely ugly dispute (standoff) with a roofing contractor who I believe had done shoddy work, and I needed an inspection of certain areas of my roof. I called on a Wednesday, and was able to have an inspector on site on Friday, which was great. As it had been 20 years since our home was last inspected, and I wanted a new clear picture of the conditions of our home - from top to bottom - I decided to have the whole home inspected (including high-res pics of the roof). Our inspector, Cory, seemed extremely knowledgeable and was very professional in encouraging me to follow him along (i.e., breath down his neck) as he went methodically through his inspection. He pointed out things I didn't want to see, some which I already knew about, some which I didn't unfortunately. He noted several important things to address such as what looked to him like fresh termite activity, and also our 70+ year old electrical box. I could go on, but suffice it to say that I was happy with the final report which I think I may have gotten the same day. It served my purposes well, and was fully documented with good pictures. Cory also "immediately" followed up a call I made to him the next day concerning my report. And then good-naturedly spent an unhurried amount of time on the phone with me going over some things I had questions about. He emailed me several extra photos which I hadn't seen in the report, while we were on the phone discussing my concerns (about our home, not about the report!). All in all an exemplary experience! read more

This company provides overly alarmist and nitpicky home inspections and I would not want to use them as a homebuyer, unless you have the understanding of basic home construction/upkeep and the ability to discern what is important and what is not. Valueguard inspected a home I am selling and it should be noted that I lived in this (fully renovated) house for 3 years with no issue. The first-time homebuyer I was under contract with was so scared by the number of recommended repairs, that they backed out of the deal. The problem with this is that it's unrealistic and, as I said, alarmist. The inspector noted every single imperfection in a 100-year-old house as though each thing needed to be repaired or replaced to brand-new standards. In fact that is completely irrational and anyone familiar with the Philadelphia market should approach this with skepticism. For wiring and plumbing, yes, absolutely things should be up-to-date. But recommending that old stairs be replaced with modern, more spacious stairs or that "temperature stratification" in a home where temperatures are cooler on the first floor than on the second requires inspection by an HVAC professional, is absolute B.S. Additionally, the estimated repair cost for each line item was grossly overestimated, with all of them coming in over $100 even for minutiae. Certainly as a homebuyer, this company will catch things. But be prepared to wade through a sea of meaningless observations and take recommendations with a big grain of salt. As a home seller, I'm appalled and admittedly angry that this level of anal retentiveness cost me a workable deal on a completely workable house. Valueguard should be embarrassed. read more