The Holmes Inspection: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Your Home

Very, Very, Very well written. Mike Holmes has done an amazing job with packing this book with important information. This has got to be hands down the most comprehensive guide for a homebuyer or seller. He explains things very thoroughly, and in layman's terms. There are no meaningless tangents within the book. All information and scenarios in the book have relevance towards your understanding the things that are considered when you want to sell or purchase a home. I would imagine the book is written so it seems as thought Mr. Holmes is right next to you explaining every possible detail of a house during a home inspection. I will certainly be reading more of this man's books!

I've watched Mike Holmes' TV shows since the beginning. While he tends to be "pushy", I have learned so much from him that I highly recommend this book. We included many of his safety and construction suggestions while remodeling our home several years ago and are very glad we did. For example, our area in WI has been prone to power issues during storms, so the the whole-house surge protection that Mike advocates saved our furnace, washer/dryer, stove, fridge and A/C - the expense could have been staggering!

It's truly amazing on how little time people spend on informing themselves about buying a home considering the fact that for most it's the single largest purchase they will make in their lifetime. This book is not a replacement for a good qualified home inspection but rather an excellent primer on how to assess the condition, and value of a new or older house. So after carefully scouting out the neighborhood houses, checking the zoning, nearby commercial areas, public buildings, traffic flow, possible flooding areas last but not least is the design, structure, and working mechanical systems of the house itself. Problems in any of these areas can be calamitous at worse potentially time consuming, and costly to remediate at least. This book is sensibly organized, on quality paper with lots of good color photos, diagrams, and checklists. I too cannot think of any area that this book does not cover concerning the inspection of a property. His thoughtful glossary and checklists are icing on the cake. Having recently hired a qualified home inspector myself he summed up these thoughts by saying that most homes fall into a one to eight range, he has rarely ever seen a nine, and never a ten. Although my costly property fell into the seven to eight ranges (thanks to this book) the seller refused to lower their price after our inspector found at least 18K in hidden needed repairs, and we also landed up with an insurance problem due to our properties location near the water, it was a few hundred dollars well spent. Always remember that in any real estate deal the only thing you can trust is your own instincts, gathered knowledge, and real estate lawyer. And always remember that it's not what THEY want to sell you the house for, but what YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY. Good job Mike Holmes thanks for your thoughtful book.

The Holmes Inspection book authored by Mike Holmes is truly "The Essential Guide For Every Homeowner, Buyer and Seller". It details every aspect of how to buy and sell a home. Most importantly Mr. Holmes instructs you on how to select the "Right" "Home Inspector", the questions to ask your "Home Inspector" and how to properly interpret the "Property Inspection Report" when completed. Mr. Holmes property "Tips and Strategies" when implemented will save you thousands of dollars by buying the "Right Home" at the "Right Price" or by avoiding buying the "Wrong Property" thus avoiding a "Property" that could become a "Money Pit". I highly recommend with "Five (5) ***** Stars" Mike Holmes "The Holmes Inspection". It will be one of the best investments you will have ever made.

We purchased this book in preparation for buying our first home. Mr. Holmes gives three interesting real-life case studies showing how things can be done the right way or the wrong way, but the best thing about this volume is the general wealth of knowledge on anything one could think of related to a house, presented in a well-organized and easily accessible manner.Reading through it educated us tremendously on how houses work, and armed us with the tools we needed to: choose a good inspector and realtor, make an educated buying choice, know what to watch out for, and know what to expect for maintenance of a variety of materials and systems. I expect it will be referenced many times over the course of the years.This book would also be extremely helpful for any homeowner looking to make repairs or upgrades, and gives useful tables showing approximate costs involved with those activities, as well excellent information on choosing contractors, etc.Can't really say enough good things about this book. My husband wishes we could hire Mr. Holmes to build us a house, hahah. His integrity and insistence that a job be done the right way shine through, and I wish all the contractors and builders out there would take notes!In summary, don't buy, sell, or remodel a home without reading this book, protect your investment! So glad I found it.

While not totally appropriate to the UK Mkike Holmes certainly opens your eyes and buildings and their problems. Very Interesting.

I like watching this guy on TV as he likes to do things right the first time. Do it right first time and you only have to do it once. Great motto.The book obviously has a Canadian slant to it, but there are still lots of useful hints and tips in it that are relevant to UK homeowners.

More of a binder than a book, but it is well-formatted, clear and covers the major points of concern/focus.If you are looking at purchasing a new home and are not very familiar with construction/proper home maintenance then this binder is a fantastic companion to help you understand what you are purchasing. While this is not a substitution for a real home inspector it is a wonderful resource to help ensure that your home inspection was done properly and major items were not missed in the report.Pros:+ Clean layout, good use of imagery+ Avoided use of confusing terminology, written for a general audience+ Binder format helped greatly in being able to remove pages/reorganize pages as needed+ Fairly comprehensive overview of main house inspection itemsCons:- Few section where depth of knowledge delivery could have been enhanced or additional imagery utilized to demonstrate concepts

If you are new to building in North America then this is an excellent primer to get you going and to be aware of things to look for, both in terms of structure and services, but also to engage with your local house inspector. I just wish Holmes had people here on Vancouver Island to do inspections. As an ex-engineer I am slightly appalled at the quality of construction, and I am less than impressed by the massive waiver one is expected to give inspectors when they work for you. Basically all care and no responsibility...

Great book. I wish I could remember everything in it, or knew all this stuff cold. I have learned a lot about home buying through reading it. Mike Holmes is the kind of guy who inspires confidence. The book reads very much like he speaks on TV.