Response to Mike Holmes Home Inspection Show

[TomZentra]

The main problem with any of these shows -- Holmes On Homes, Holmes Inspection, This New Old House, etc -- is the average homeowner does not have the budget as shown on TV. This is no different from watching Martha Stewart recommend $5,000 patio furniture. Few people can actually spend such an amount. The bottom line is that the show provides entertainment you can learn from and quality work to admire. Just don't expect perfection.

[HomeSweeetHome]

I like mike and think he's a decent guy, but people act like he's superman. Any decent contractor can build just as good of a house....as long as there's someone willing to pay for it. People want a "quality" home within reason, and Mike does go overboard. Not that there's anything wrong with what he does, but it's not really practical for most people...even if they do have the money, usually the added benifit just isn't worth the huge marginal cost, and their dollars are best spent elsewhere.

[TeriTreeHugger]

To Safe Homes...re the asbesthos; One of Holmes' principles is that the homeowner deserves the best. He also believes in the doing-it-right (the first time) so why not get rid of the asbesthos when you find it? By wrapping and hiding it...you only leave the problem for the next guy...which is THE problem with industry attitude towards workmanship and customers. That is why we trust him...regardless of theatrics. It's about a shift in attitude. I am grateful for it.

[dfapetrie]

As a home remodeler and owner of a fixer house, I am very familiar with the needs v. wants debate. I like the Holmes on Homes show but is not very realistic. I can't even count how many homeowners choose the cheap way out when given an estimate outside their ability to pay even if they really want the Holmes style fix. One day I will find a money tree and this won't be as big an issue as it is now. Until then I will temper my wants with my need to see my son in a good college.

[kerry1053]

i have noticed mr holmes makes things a lot more theatrical..than it needs to be..but it brings him viewers and money money

[wiz1997]

The home inspection industry is not perfect, but it does work. I see many people complain about their home inspectors. Should we believe that most home inspectors have no clue what their doing or is it that most buyers have false expectations which is solidified by watching a Mike Homes entertainment show?

[HomeEnergyNow]

God I hope holmes fans (morons) watch this! That guy is just a home depot, lowes tool that sells overkill and diy confidence. He is a good salesman and showman, but he is the dumbest carpenter I have ever seen.

[ATTACKaMAC]

big Mike Holmes fan here ... and of his shows are "Good Television" which of course means slickly produced, flashy, fast-paced , with exaggerated scenes & actions. That's what makes "entertainment" - shots of 1 house burning down - not the 100,000,000 that did NOT ... BUT he's got a good point -- spend $20,000 fixing something ("the best") and increase your homes value by maybe $100 or use caulk/patching good for 20+ years - again, $ 20K's a 'better' fix - but is it PRACTICAL? invest the $20k

[davidmbrindisi]

I saw the Holmes Inspection episode in question, and I have to say that this guy is right about the old concrete slab under the deck. The slab didn't have to be removed, all they had to do is reposition the down spout and extend it a little bit so that the water would flow into the back yard. Mike Holmes goes overboard sometimes just for the theater of the show.

[ToughWithAKeyboard]

Agreed - Holmes Inspection and Holmes on Homes are great shows and I love them, but it's TV and only *based* on truth. In reality, what sets Mike Holmes aside from other contractors is his invincible budget; HGTV foots most of the bill for everything he does. Remember, as a homeowner, if you were to hire Mike Holmes in real life, you're paying for all the crap he's doing. And then you realize that slippers are about $10-$20 and maybe it's OK if your floor's a little chilly.

[reinharv]

When I bought a 6 month old home still under warranty, my toilets always clogged if you use toilet paper. I called an inspector who said the main pipe going out to the sewer had to go uphill, hence the problem. The home was inspected initially due to a new construction and they missed that. The bathrooms didn't have the proper drywall in the shower portions, hence they collected moisture and we had leaks - that too was "inspected." The electricity is another problem--all "inspected."

[SafeHomesCanada]

@reinharv Unfortunately, we hear stories like yours far too often and it gives our industry a bad name. The message we're trying to get out there is that not all home inspectors are equal. Yes, many are just not qualified to do this job properly, but that happens in any industry. Done right, home inspections are an essential service for those buying real estate and we take great pride in not only finding those issues that many others miss, but recommending reasonable solutions without any bias.

[ferretluv9]

The world of home inspection is a crock. I would never hire this guy or his company with the comments that he has made. If he is trying to say that people need to spend as little money as possible, is not what I want to know when purchasing a house. I need to know what is wrong with the house and what I expect that to spend as this is the most expensive item that you will ever purchase and you want as few surprises as possible.

This guy obviously doesn't care much about the buyer.

[SafeHomesCanada]

@ferretluv9 I think you've missed the point entirely. We don't tell our clients they need to spend as little money as possible, we recommend reasonable solutions that fix the problem without spending more than is necessary. Contractors will often try to sell you far more work than is actually needed, and most people don't have big TV budgets to pay for the ultimate gold standard in repairs. In the real world, you can safely address many building problems without breaking the bank.

[virbricky]

This just in TV shows do the extravagant repairs. This is in response to other comenters. I enjoyed your video and you're quite right it is overdone but that's how this industry is. I work in this industry and we make shows for these networks and 99% of it is just that "show". Mike Holmes I think is a great guy, but just as This Old House is filled with high expense fixes and jobs all of Holmes shows are.

[nvccpuller]

remember that handy cap ramp he did in theearly days I would bet it's rotton now . he buried wood. any fool can make it look good if you throw a bundle of cash at it. just tape 100$ dollar bills to it and it looks grerat. in the real world the home owner's first question is how much will it cost. I loved the one with the old lady and a rotton washroom he redid her whole apartment bookcases and all. well I digress. he are should i say the guys he call's in do a good job.

[superrockperson]

i don't want to live with asbestos even its stable

[SinistaN]

he brings up a few good points, sure you don't have to a complete gut job every single time. but on the other hand, there are customers that have the money and willing to spend it to have peace of mind, including removing asbestos and lead paint. also there are plenty of old school contractors who aren't engineers or licensed inspectors either, but have plenty of knowledge aquired on the job over years, probably even more. It sounds like this guy is just pissy b/c he doesn't have a show.

[powershop1903]

I made the mistake of buying a old house. However the home inspector from CASTLE ROCK HOME INSPECTIONS in NIAGARA, ONTARIO was horrible. I paid this guy $330.00 and he could not see rotted out floor joists in the crawl space? I would rather trust a tradesman like Mr. Holmes than some engineer who posts a crappy video on youtube!!!!! Don't tell us; show us what you can do. 

[SafeHomesCanada]

@powershop1903 We'd love the opportunity to do so. Give us a call! :) 1-888-270-7275

[Shartasticly]

It's a show. He goes overkill to prove a point. Get over it. Who wants to watch someone do a normal inspection? It's TV. Live with it.

[ColZander]

Itss nooooo secret that most "home inspectors " can not point out any problems if they want to have any buisness thus keeping there jobs as slaves to the realestate agency they work for . They are about as honest as a car salesmen now days and are a disgrace to what used to be an honerable occupation.

[SafeHomesCanada]

@ColZander I run an independent business and we have a long list of Realtors who won't refer their clients to us because we tell it straight. Fortunately, there are still many Realtors who care about their clients and understand the value of how we do inspections: thoroughly and without any bias.

[Mr20122112]

I've watched the show Holmes on Holmes, there is alot of nasty construction contractors out there, Where were the inspectors than, home inspectors have gained popularity for the show, paying for insurances, making people aware even if it's the basics. making the industry and government listen to what's going on, and changing for better!

[jonholland3]

Tune in next week when Mr. Christie tells a group of 6 year olds that Santa is fake, and the Easter Bunny is a scam.

[OWNKIND]

Well. I'm no expert myself. But he's most likely attempting to, dramatically, educate watchers, what a leek will look like (to those who don't know jack about a home) minus the fact that they live in one.

I know for a fact from home leek experiences, I would rather rip it out, and replace it, rather than cover it up (than quite possibly allowing it to spread/ get worse in the near future).

To add, nit-pick-nit-pick. I've worked with no knee pads. Tools are available yes, but not everyone cares..

[BlackAdam08]

Trying to pitch your own show, are you? If you had watched mike's show in the early days, he performed the fixes that you advocated....simple, no frills....and uninteresting to the viewer. Watching a worker apply caulking is not exactly riveting TV. What Mike is trying to do is point out where the cause of most problems are and fix them - POINTE FINALE! Not to "try this" and "try that" and hope for the best. When he fixes an issue, it stays fixed. It doesn't come back to bite you later on.

[NDCompuGeek]

Like it was said earlier, Holmes = TV; Christie = Reality. I still like watching Holmes just to see how far he has to go before he finds "acceptable" situations. Kind of like another TV "reality" show Extreme Home Makeover.

HGTV = good comedy!!

[deathtakes666]

I liked your first argument, chalking fixes everything right?

I agree mike DOES overkill. But he admittedly overkills everything. The show pays for the renovations and he basically goes as far as he does to do it right to "maximum code" and to promote new products that could change the minds of bullheaded architects, engineers, general contractors and the industry for the better.

[itsmeagain0008]

I can't decide if he is trying to be funny or is just full of himself. The show gives homeowners an opportunity to get a complete fix at a steeply discounted rate, there is no wondering about why the 100% fix is done. There is no question they do quality work, but the show is not a guide to home inspection nor anything else. It's an entertainment show, call a spade a spade.

[daocitup]

Don't be jealous Andrew. You are jealous because Holmes is making a killing and you and your boyfriend there want to be important. Get a real website if you are going to talk those big fancy words dumb nut.

[TheFlyingDutchman39]

If Mike Holmes did everything you say; then the show would only last 5 minutes and no one would watch. Did you know that pro wrestling is fake?

[jamescj32]

Let's get something straight...all of you people that are throwing out Mike Holmes is more into TV than homebuilding are obviously confused. First of all, he puts people back into their homes safely, with very little cost, and finishes what other people fail to. The common person is very uneducated in home construction, etc., they rely on industry trade leaders for advice and pay them to fix things they want fixed. Anyone can talk, Mike DOES! I would love to see any of you work 1 day with him...

[menthelius]

Right ON Andrew! I like Holmes' show for the entertainment mostly, you are right about many of his "fixes" being "holmesmade", most likely for the dollars he makes off the projects. As I said, I enjoy his show but would never hire him due to the expenses!

[MrJoferna]

Mike should check his facts before he starts glossing over his doings to please the customer. for example he says " I have given you a high efficiency water heater etc" when he had simply replaced a naturally draft vented water heater with a power vented water heater which has the same efficiency power vented water heater does not need a chimney to exhaust. It shows he does not know what he is talking about and he is not always right . Most times to me he is stating the obvious

[1986Redvette]

Thank You Andrew!!

Mike Holmes' objective is clearly to sell his entertainment rather than educate. The most important point he forgets instantly is the "objective" nature of an inspection...not a childish tantrum jumping up and down condeming every inspector and trade. If I was not able to put the real-lfe issues into perspective for my clients, I would be doing them a dis-service for not presenting reality ie "options". Sometimes, a property's price point is DUE to the issues...?

[BassBuffett]

A friend of mine punched out his employee 'Shawn' at home depot when he tried to barge into line ahead of him and told him he was too important to wait his turn.

Wasn't too important after that.

[just4you2see2009]

Thank you for this video! You said what many experts have long been thinking.

Mike Holmes does TV, not reality.

[jamuss77]

Mike never once has said he is doing a home inspection, he does a HOLMES inspection. Yes some of the issues on his shows are probably fixable without going through all the work and money but, his motto is "if your gonna do it, do it right the first time!" So he tears it down to the point where he can have it done right, from square one. Mike knows what he is talking about even though he is not an engineer or have a degree.

[y1ddles]

Mike's new show is all about fixing stuff that was supposedly missed by a home inspector, so to say he's doing a "Holmes Inspection" and not a "home inspection" is splitting hairs. And it's interesting to note that this show coincides with the launch of his own branded home inspection business. :P

[y1ddles]

If you read this company's website you'd see that Andy is as critical of other home inspectors as he is of Mike Holmes. There's a lot of bad information being handed out to homeowners/buyers. Hearing an unbiased perspective from someone trying to save real people some money is a welcome change.

[POISEDME]

I would never hire this Inspector. My son bought a home and I spent $15,000 fixing the problems that the inspector missed. open junction boxes and undersized ceiling joist. I am a big fan of Mike Holmes

[no4go2]

so why wouldn't you hire this inspector? was it him or his company? He does not like mikes aproach and gave his reasons. as much as I enjoyed mikes earlier stuff his later shows went overbord, lost touch with the average guy who an't afford 60,000 for a kitchen. not trashing mikes abilities but this guy has some valid points.

[lotrhpnmask]

@POISEDME i agree!~ mike holmes is a pro!

[daveunionsquare]

@POISEDME

Go Mike go, he is a good person for sure.

[CommentClown]

@POISEDME

Did you read the scope that the inspector was responsible for?