Every Monday we shine a little spotlight on one of our Chamber Members. This week’s Member Feature is HouseMaster! Read the Q&A with Director Jocelyn Cilik below to learn more about HouseMaster and the inspections and services they provide.
Please provide a short description of your business and what you do.
HouseMaster has been providing services to home buyers and homeowners for over 30 years in South Western PA. HouseMaster provides Home Inspections, along with several ancillary services such as Termite inspections, Radon testing, Well Flow inspections, Septic Dye test, Water testing, Mold testing, Water Intrusion Inspections, and Eifs/Stucco inspections and now Sewer Camera Inspections.
The services HouseMaster provides are typically scheduled by a buyer that is purchasing a new home or a seller getting ready to list their home for sale.
What is the story behind your business?
My husband Ivan and I purchased the franchise TEN years ago after looking at different franchise options for several years. We knew HouseMaster had outstanding reviews and customer service and we were fortunate that the local franchise in Cranberry Township was selling their business. It was a perfect match!
What is the service that you provide that customers use the most?
The service that we provide the most is Home Inspections, Termite Inspections and Radon testing for home buyers before they purchase their new home.
When is your busiest time?
Our busiest time of year is March through August. Most buyers like to buy a home in Spring/Summer and be in the house for the start of the new school year or Fall.
What is something people would be surprised to know about your business?
Our lead inspector, Scott Brown, has been inspecting for over 20 years at HouseMaster and our Office Manage, Michele Detwiler, has been there for over 20 years also.
I think people would be surprised at how much Training our Home Inspectors go through to be a home inspector. Below are a few bullets of what they must do to be an inspector for HouseMaster;
- Belong to a national organization ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors)
- Inspector in training must go on 100 (one hundred) inspections with a certified ASHI inspector to train.
- They are not fully certified ASHI inspector until 100 inspections on their own
- They must complete 20 hours of continuing education a year
- Pass the STATE PA Home Inspector Exam
- Attend NIBI (national institute of building inspector) 2-week training
- Take the NIBI recertification test each year
- Radon Training and pass a test for Radon certification
- Termite Training and pass a test for Termite inspection
- Mold course and pass a test for Mold certification
Can you tell us about a memorable or favorite customer experience?
The most memorable inspections experiences would be the inspector’s story to tell, but the best feelings we have are when clients call us after 5-10 years and say I used you for my last house and I want to use you again and ask for the same inspector.
Another great feeling are the reviews we get out of the blue from a realtor or client on Facebook, we got this last week on our page….
“My clients love HouseMaster. Inspectors are great! Very thorough and the reports are quick and detailed! Scheduling is easy and accommodating. Great People!”
How has COVID-19 affected your business?
Our business was shut down by Governor’s order on Friday March 20, 2020. We had to lay off our office manager and 5 home inspectors. It was very difficult because that was the start of our busy season. But we knew that we would come back strong and our services would be needed for all those buyers who wanted to find new homes this year. So, we stayed in communication with real estate agents on our plan to reopen. When we reopened in May, we sent out a generous coupon and just started strong out of the gate. Life is all about how you respond to situations. We knew everyone was hit hard so we just wanted to stay as positive as possible!
At HouseMaster, our home inspectors have followed CDC and industry guidelines for safely conducting home inspections (maintaining distance, wearing masks, gloves and booties). We also have our inspectors send in well checks each morning.
How can the community support you now and going forward?
The community can just support us by continuing to move forward and think of us for any home seller or buyer that would need a possible home inspection.
Comments are closed