It was a lucky day for San Carlos when Don Brame sailed into the San Carlos Marina seven years ago. He wrapped up a lengthy sailing trip and moored his boat in San Carlos for several months with a plan to return the following year. When he returned it confirmed his initial hunch that he wanted to make San Carlos his home. After working many years in the San Francisco Bay Area in the high tech field and then owning his own construction company in Idaho, he was ready to enjoy the expat lifestyle in Mexico.
However, over time, Don learned what many others have discovered upon retiring which is retirement does not mean inactivity. In fact; oftentimes it is quite the opposite. As a homeowner in San Carlos he became aware of the fact that there were no home inspectors and that was a niche he filled with his company, San Carlos Inspections. Most Canadians and Americans are familiar with home inspections however; this was a very new business model here in Mexico.
Some of the items on the Home Inspection Checklist include: termite inspection, electrical, plumbing, roof, propane connections, appliance checks, locate shut offs for all systems, proper drainage for the roof, drainage around the perimeter of the home itself, hose bib locations, and electrical breaker locations. On a recent home inspection Don was able to point out to the buyers that there were only two roof drains and those were undersized. With our flat roof styles and the summer Monsoons those are items that a buyer would want to address sooner rather than later.
I encouraged one of my recent buyers to hire Don for a home inspection prior to signing the Purchase Contract. Homes in Mexico are sold “as is” so the inspection is very helpful for gathering information regarding the property and potential repairs that might need to be addressed.
Don will provide a quote based on the square footage of your home and once he has completed the lengthy inspection prepares a typed summary of his findings with recommendations for repair work that will be required now or in the future. He does not provide referrals for companies or people to perform the actual work. He prefers to focus on his specialty which is to provide information about the home as it exists in operation, condition, and functionality. Don’s pricing is based on .10 cents per square foot which makes this a very cost reasonable service with big value for the home buyer.
For those people that have decided to build a home Don will provide a New Home Survey that is conducted prior to the final payment to the building contractor. This is a very detailed inspection and covers items such as: propane connections and leaks, running the water system to check pipe drainage and the tinacos (water storage tanks) to see if they function properly, checking all electrical outlets and verifying the number of circuits on each outlet, making sure junction boxes are covered, checking all cabinets, doors, and windows and a myriad of other items. With this information the home owner can make sure that all items are completed and that all systems are operating correctly and efficiently prior to signing off with their contractor.
When Don doesn’t have an inspection scheduled it is almost a guarantee that you will find him at the Marina. Even though he is somewhat land locked these days he doesn’t let his sailboat get too far from sight!
