In his new book, Mike Holmes is on a mission. The star of the incredibly popular Holmes Inspection program, Mike shows you how to spot problems that could be expensive or even catastrophic, giving you the information you need to judge a house wisely. From the mechanicals (furnace, electrical and plumbing) to the "envelope" (floors, walls, doors and windows) to issues of location and siting, this book includes real case studies, "red flag" sidebars and hundreds of photographs, and alerts you to the ugly realities behind the "lipstick and mascara" that many vendors use to cover up problems when selling their homes.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Mike Holmes is the star of the incredibly popular Holmes on Homes program, where, in every episode, he and his trusty renovation crew fix renovation disasters. Mike has more than two decades of construction experience and was schooled by his father, a master plumber, in all aspects of construction and renovation. With a passion for doing things the right way the first time and a deep-seated respect for construction professionals, Mike has worked on hundreds of home and commercial renovation projects, earning a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship and a willingness to stand behind his work.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover-spiral|Amazon Verified Purchase
I preface my review by saying several months ago American HGTV began carrying Mike Holmes rebroadcasted Canadian HGTV show "Make it Right". Mr. Holmes is an experienced & honest Canadian Contractor who selects one from homeowners pleas,who have hired contractors for a renovation or purchased a new home and find they have real problems that are supposedly unsolvable. Each chosen one has Mike come for a "house call" to assess the situation. Homeowners have sunk huge sums of money into their home, only to find 1) the contractor walks leaving job unfinished and/or 2) the new home construction has hidden below-code problems, 3) not just shoddy work, but dangerous electrical, plumbing, structural issues abound 4) plus a whole lot more. Then he & his crew "Make it Right" by filming the project as they go along, showing the shoddy work & repairing it correctly.
His theme is BEFORE you embark on a renovation or purchase a home (or plan to sell), educate yourself thoroughly and both of his books are valuable reference/tools to do just that! They are not duplicates of one another.
On to "The Holmes Inspection" book! First off he strongly states home inspections are extremely important. He also says all home inspectors are not created equal & explains it thoroughly . Mike dedicates a chapter as to why we need home inspections followed up by chapters on exteriors, interiors (including basements) & gives solid case studies.... Read more ›
His theme is BEFORE you embark on a renovation or purchase a home (or plan to sell), educate yourself thoroughly and both of his books are valuable reference/tools to do just that! They are not duplicates of one another.
On to "The Holmes Inspection" book! First off he strongly states home inspections are extremely important. He also says all home inspectors are not created equal & explains it thoroughly . Mike dedicates a chapter as to why we need home inspections followed up by chapters on exteriors, interiors (including basements) & gives solid case studies.... Read more ›
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Moovin' on
Format:Hardcover-spiral|Amazon Verified Purchase
I can't quite give this a 5 Star rating. As a fan of Mr. Holmes and his commitment to excellence and "completely finishing the job", there are a couple of minor items bring it off of the 5 star rating. But if you are looking for an Excellent home inspection book, this is it. BUY THIS BOOK.
First, I am not a home inspector, but I have purchased many homes. Here are all the positives of this book: The book is well indexed. The paper quality is excellent (almost card stock). The pictures are excellent. I like the binder style of the book, as opposed to back bound. There is a "Case Studies" section in the book which brings out more of Mr. Holmes' personality and commitment to excellence. The "Checklist" section in the back of the book, summarizes the points of the book which have been covered prior to this section. Finally, the book is written in a "bullet-point" type context, and many of the sections are just that, bullet-points. I can't find an aspect of home inspection that this book doesn't cover.
Regarding the few minor points: If you are looking for the "in your face" personality of Mr. Holmes in this book. Most often it isn't there, except in the "Case Studies" section. I would have liked a few more case studies. There are four in the section. One or two more would be great. If you are interested in this book because you're buying your first home, the comprehensiveness of this book may over-whelm you. Basically, this book covers a lot of information in a little over 200 pages. Finally, the binder rings need to be larger. I find myself flipping back and forth between section. The pages bind and it won't be long before they break loose from the book cover.... Read more ›
First, I am not a home inspector, but I have purchased many homes. Here are all the positives of this book: The book is well indexed. The paper quality is excellent (almost card stock). The pictures are excellent. I like the binder style of the book, as opposed to back bound. There is a "Case Studies" section in the book which brings out more of Mr. Holmes' personality and commitment to excellence. The "Checklist" section in the back of the book, summarizes the points of the book which have been covered prior to this section. Finally, the book is written in a "bullet-point" type context, and many of the sections are just that, bullet-points. I can't find an aspect of home inspection that this book doesn't cover.
Regarding the few minor points: If you are looking for the "in your face" personality of Mr. Holmes in this book. Most often it isn't there, except in the "Case Studies" section. I would have liked a few more case studies. There are four in the section. One or two more would be great. If you are interested in this book because you're buying your first home, the comprehensiveness of this book may over-whelm you. Basically, this book covers a lot of information in a little over 200 pages. Finally, the binder rings need to be larger. I find myself flipping back and forth between section. The pages bind and it won't be long before they break loose from the book cover.... Read more ›
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
We are in the process of purchasing our first home. A couple of months into our house hunting, after having a very bad realtor push properties on us that required major renovation or had illegal renovations done, I bought this book.
What an education!
Mike Holmes' list of what characteristics buyers' agents should embody includes UNDIVIDED LOYALTY. Well, let me say that our first realtor failed in that to the nth degree. It might seem like a no-brainer but when you're stressed from the prospect of everything entailed in purchasing your first home, you go into the process with the attitude that you would trust your agent. Only as time goes by, the notion that the agent may not be YOUR agent may tickle at the back of your mind but only becomes a slap you upside the head when you realize your agent is more interested in selling you something to get a commission than what are your needs/requirements. Stick to your guns and don't let your realtor talk you into homes you can't afford, in locations you don't want to be in, or that need renovations. S/he'll be gone and the headaches and heart aches will be all yours.
Our first realtor tended to show us homes with illegal conversions or constantly suggested we do massive renovation on homes that didn't fulfill our requirements - "picture this: blow out the exterior wall of the house, extend the second floor over the sun porch and you can have a master bath!" She also kept steering us towards areas where she liked and not where we wanted or could practicably afford. We found our second realtor only after she basically blew us off because we weren't buying into anything she showed us.
Our second realtor embodied everything Holmes recommends. Holmes' list is a really good one. He was fantastic.... Read more ›
What an education!
Mike Holmes' list of what characteristics buyers' agents should embody includes UNDIVIDED LOYALTY. Well, let me say that our first realtor failed in that to the nth degree. It might seem like a no-brainer but when you're stressed from the prospect of everything entailed in purchasing your first home, you go into the process with the attitude that you would trust your agent. Only as time goes by, the notion that the agent may not be YOUR agent may tickle at the back of your mind but only becomes a slap you upside the head when you realize your agent is more interested in selling you something to get a commission than what are your needs/requirements. Stick to your guns and don't let your realtor talk you into homes you can't afford, in locations you don't want to be in, or that need renovations. S/he'll be gone and the headaches and heart aches will be all yours.
Our first realtor tended to show us homes with illegal conversions or constantly suggested we do massive renovation on homes that didn't fulfill our requirements - "picture this: blow out the exterior wall of the house, extend the second floor over the sun porch and you can have a master bath!" She also kept steering us towards areas where she liked and not where we wanted or could practicably afford. We found our second realtor only after she basically blew us off because we weren't buying into anything she showed us.
Our second realtor embodied everything Holmes recommends. Holmes' list is a really good one. He was fantastic.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource, but irritating typos
Overall this book is an excellent source of information, and I highly recommend it. I really like the 4 case studies at the end. If anything, it would have been nice to have more. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really Good
It is a know all basic book for someone that doesn't have a clue where to start. If you are in the market to buy a house and have never bought one, I highly recommend this book. Read more
Published 17 days ago by TommyD
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great content great quality
If you haven't watched Holmes' show yet, I urge you to check it out. This book reflects his values and is very informative so that you can protect your largest investments.
Published 28 days ago by foxcroft
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mike Holmes is the best
Anyone planning to renovate a structure should read this book first. Mike explains not only how to do things, but also why to do them. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Placid Lane Farmer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty basic information
This book is not bad and perhaps my expectations were not realistic. I had hoped for some more detailed and specific information about assessing the condition of a property. Read more
Published 1 month ago by gtbking
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Guide
I purchased this book as buyer. The book addressed all of the issues I encountered in my home searches and I appreciated the short section on HOA's and Condos because I eventually... Read more
Published 1 month ago by JO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very useful in looking for a house
My husband read this when we first started looking for a house. It gives a good idea of what to look for as red flags and what should make you rule out houses in the search. Read more
Published 1 month ago by hollmarkristo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Great Information
Great information for home buyers, homeowners, and do it yourselvers. Good product information that can be used when making purchases.
Published 2 months ago by Jet
4.0 out of 5 stars
First time homebuyers guide...
My wife and I are looking at buying our first home. Like many people who reviewed this book, I wanted to get an idea of what I how I should evaluate a potential home. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Jangula
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good overview for homeowners
This book has some good information and explains systems in houses, like how plumbing functions and why basement walls get wet. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stacey
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