Paul Maida, and his associate Brennen, were excellent- I cannot recommend his services enough and will continue to use him, and pass his contact information to anyone who will listen, for as long as he is still in the home inspection business.
My wife and I were referred to Paul by my parents, who had previously used his services for their own home inspection. When we arrived at the home, Paul was already waiting for us in the driveway. He explained that he had already walked the property, been on the roof, and inspected the chimney. Paul was very friendly and honestly seemed excited about inspecting the home- you can tell that he is passionate about his work within the first 5 minutes of meeting him. He then walked the outside of the property with me, which took about 45 minutes, pointing out EVERYTHING about the roof, siding, windows, and even the slope of the ground near the foundation. He pointed out both the good and the bad, even if it was seemingly minor. That continued through the garage, living space, basement and attic (including crawl spaces)- this was not an hour-long once-over, it was a detailed in-depth examination. Not only does he point out the good and bad, but he will also give you general information that is extremely valuable as a 1st time home buyer, from general maintenance recommendations to upgrade possibilities. Additionally, he discusses how serious an issue is and whether it can be deferred long-term, mid-term, or needs to be taken care of soon (or right now!). Throughout the inspection, he and his assistant took numerous pictures of the issues he pointed out. He followed up within a day with the inspection report, which was an encyclopedia of information. He uses arrows in the pictures throughout the report to highlight issues and uses a 4-point scale to show an item's condition, with a detailed explanation of the issue and next steps to take underneath. The report was a fantastic tool to evaluate the house and, with a few outside estimates, the amount of money needed to get it where we want it. The report can be used for years into the future to plan upgrades and maintenance schedules. Also, it needs to be mentioned that Paul will continue to provide you support even after delivering the report by way of answering any follow up questions.
In summary, Paul Maida's services are well worth every cent for the value he provides. Between his friendly demeanor, obvious love of examining homes, his attention to detail and deep knowledge of home construction, he is your BEST FRIEND if you are considering buying a home (or preparing to sell)! I left the inspection feeling much more confident that I had a good grasp on the home's pros and cons, and that I knew the next steps to take in evaluating its value. While this was my first home inspection, I feel very confident in saying that Paul is a cut above the rest. read more