Domicile Consulting

Without question, Domicile is the finest home inspection company that exists. Dan Cullen is a very skilled, experienced and honest person who will examine everything in your new home all while looking out for your best interest. I have used Domicile for multiple home purchases and every time they have uncovered some issue which likely could have been missed by someone else. After your inspection you will receive a rather long and potentially overwhelming report highlighting all the issues in the home. You have to remember that finding items wrong with your house before you own it is a good thing. It allows you the opportunity to prioritize what you want fixed by the seller or gives you a budget idea of what you will spend after you own the home. I really can’t say enough good things about Dan Cullen and Domicile. It pains me to see people comment about the cost associated with their inspections. Buying a home is the biggest purchase you make in your life and it is stressful, why not have the best people looking out for you.

I had the pleasure of working with Kelly and Christi on an inspection for a home. They were very knowledgeable and thorough. I received a detailed report that I was able to take back to the seller to have several issues corrected prior to closing on the home. I would absolutely use them again.

Isac was prompt and professional and spent a lot of time thoroughly examining the property. He even accomodated a rush on my report as we were approaching a deadline. The inspection report was one of the most detailed I have received and very helpful for our contract negotiations. Great job!

My wife and I worked with Kenny Whitelaw recently and must say that Kenny was FANTASTIC. We originally chose Domicile based on all the wonderful reviews, and after working with Kenny I will say these reviews do not even come close to scratching the surface on the level of detail and service these guys offer.
We originally had used Domicile for a townhouse we were purchasing in Lincoln Park. Kenny took the time the time to walk us through the property and issues. He was not an alarmist, but took a level approach to the inspection and provided insights on remediation of issues. We quickly received the report and Kenny was amazing at answering all our questions via phone and email extremely promptly. The townhouse ultimately fell through for a myriad of reasons.
When my wife and I were touring more properties again, we had some concerns about split faced block and use in construction. We had seen a place with obvious moisture in the garage that was downplayed by the listing agent. We reached out to Kenny via email on New Years Eve late in the afternoon to get his thoughts. Later that evening Kenny had responded with an extremely thorough email on his thoughts on this type of construction in our climate. We felt that Kenny had our backs and best interest in mind throughout our home buying process.
When we had an accepted offer on another townhouse and needed an inspection, we got in touch with Kenny right away again. My wife had scheduled an appointment with Domicile and had some confusion on Kenny’s availability, so ended up scheduling with a different inspector. Upon finding out that Kenny was free to do our inspection, the receptionist was very willing to switch the inspector back to Kenny the day before our appointment. The office was very easy to work with. Our second inspection was just as great as the first and Kenny was extremely thorough and effective in communicating his findings.
5 stars isn’t enough for Domicile and Kenny Whitelaw. They are true professionals that pride themselves on their extremely thorough inspections and customer service. I would (and have) recommend Domicile and Kenny to anyone needing a home inspection.
Many thanks to Domicile and Kenny!

I purchased a new townhouse in the Chicago suburbs, and initially thought I would not need an inspector, — the property was brand new right? My lawyer suggested otherwise, and I am glad he did. i engaged Domicile for a pre-​drywall inspection, and Andrew came out to inspect my property at the time I walked through. He did such a thorough inspection, from the roof to the garage, covering electrical, carpentry, plumbing, ductwork and more. He prepared a comprehensive report, well documented with excellent clear photos. As a result of that report, the builder made adjustments to my hone that were not made to other properties. When my home was finished, I decided it was worth the investment to have Andrew inspect the property again. Once more, this was worth every penny. Andrew found issues (floors need another coat of finish, oven not functioning properly, some electrical matters, missing insulation in the attic and under doors, and much more) that I would never have picked up on, and I would be surprised if many inspectors would have recognized them. My builder rep was clearly impressed (but maybe not too pleased) with the expertise behind each of the findings that Andrew cited right after his inspection. Having these issues so well documented really puts me in a position of strength in working with the builder to assure that my home meets my expectations. Andrew also provided me with advice on maintaining the property going forward. He spent about two hours for each inspection, and had his detailed report ready the following day. He is prompt, very efficient and thorough, and communicates professionally and with confidence. I read the Unilocal reviews here about other Domicile inspectors, who also sound terrific. But I just can’t imagine that anyone could be better than Andrew.

We recently moved to Chicago from Los Angeles, and used Domicile for our home inspection. We were very impressed with Morgan. He was very detail-​oriented, and efficient. He worked hard the entire time he was there, and was willing to answer all of our questions and review what he was finding. Our realtor and attorney were both impressed with the inspection. We highly recommend Morgan and this team for home inspection.

Morgan conducted our condo inspection today and he really exceeded my expectations. I really thought this would be a quick process since it was a small condo but Morgan was extremely thorough throughout the inspection. He found many underlying issues with the condo that I would have never known about and other less thorough inspectors may have overlooked. I was lost when I was looking for a good inspector because it seemed like everybody and their mother wanted to recommend somebody. My realtor also highly recommended somebody, but I decided to come to my trusted Unilocal and do some research to find a company and that is how I came across Domicile Consulting. I was very pleased with Morgans work and I’m glad I made the decision to go with this company.

Morgan did an outstanding job inspecting a home we are considering for purchase. He was very thorough. He explained items found during the inspection and did a nice wrap up at the end. His report was excellent with clear description of his findings along with photos to support. I’d use him again on any future home purchases.

I wanted to update my review after having Domicile do a second home inspection on a second home I wanted to purchase.
Let me start out by saying that everything said in my previous review is still 100% true. I requested Bill to do this second home inspection and as before, he was great. Very professional and on time.
The problem lies with the Radon test I had performed. While Bill was doing his thing, a car arrived. He didn’t identify him self as the person was performing the radon test, he just started asking questions about how the inspection was going. My realtor and I both thought he was an agent of the sellers. It wasn’t until he started talking about radon that it dawned on us who he was. He began setting up for the test, put a unit upstairs and went to the basement to set up. Bill had finished his inspection at this point, so I told my realtor I was going to get back to work. A day before the results of my test, I received an email from Kelly (the radon guy) who informed me I would be charged an extra $ 95 for a second unit that needed to be placed for the test that was required by law. I had no clue about this and it seemed and still seems fishy to me. He also said «you left before I had a chance to tell you this.» I have a phone and he could’ve called me at any time. I don’t mind paying the extra $ 95 but it would’ve been nice to know this. My realtor talked to him before he left and he said «he knows about the extra charge right?» So maybe they were supposed to tell me prior to the test being done? In any case, I probably would not have the radon test performed by Domicile next time as I was not pleased how the process went and the extra charge I had to pay out of the blue.

Matt Hohmeier inspected the vintage condo (1919) near Andersonville I made an offer on. He spent four hours combing the property, found and documented issues that helped inform my continued negotiations with the sellers. Matt wasn’t an alarmist. He pointed things out and discussed them with me in a mater of fact way.
I appreciated Matt’s professionalism and professional integrity. It is what lead me to pay another $ 695 for Domicile to come back and look at the next place I made an offer on. Given the combination of issues in the first property and the sellers resistance to negotiations I backed out.
Matt wasn’t available for the inspection for the latest property but the lady they sent was just as qualified and just as detail oriented. She inspected another vintage property I made an offer on in Andersonville. She had the same sort of temperament as Matt… professional, focused, laid back in the «I’m not trying to freak you out just letting you know what you’re dealing with and your options» sort of way.
I forgot to mention that both of them were early. I wasn’t waiting around for them to show up.
If you need an inspection call Domicile. You’ll be glad you did.

As you can see from the myriad reviews, Domicile is a top-​notch inspector, and I will share two specific shout-​outs.
We used Morgan, who was amazing. He has all of the qualities you would want in an inspector: he is (a) nice, personable and understanding with new buyers; (b) knowledgeable and experienced; and © practical and dollar-​focused in his advice. In addition to being a great inspector during our main walk-​through, Morgan talked to me about my questions in his ridiculously detailed 80-​page color report, and he even met me on a Saturday morning with very little notice to investigate an emergency issue that had arisen. Morgan is a great guy, and you should ask for him when using Domicile (though I am sure everyone is great).
We used Kelly for the radon test, who was also excellent. We had a big issue come up here, and Kelly educated me over the phone about the results, remediation potential and market practices. He acted like my advocate throughout the process and made himself available outside of «normal working hours.» Definitely spring for the extra radon test, as it is a real health concern, and you never know what kind of home will be affected.
I highly recommend this company and these two individuals.

Disclaimer: I did not use them to inspect my house; my problem was when I tried to cancel.
When you go under contract for a house, you only have so many days to line up an inspection. I put out a couple calls to get quotes and saw Domicile had only one appointment available for the date that I needed. Instead of waiting, I booked. After all, the website and the contract clearly stated I could cancel at any time as long as I gave 24-​hour notice. The following was my interaction with the snippy lady who answered the phone:
Her: Domicile Consulting, how may I help you?
Me: Hello, I’m sorry to do this, but I have to cancel a home inspection that I just made a few hours ago.
Her: May I ask while you are cancelling?
Me: My wife and I found another company that is going to do it for less.
Her: How much less, if you don’t mind me asking.
Me: They are about $ 100 less than what you’re asking.
(this is where the attitude came into play)
Her: Well, if $ 100 is all that matters to you.
(silence)
Me: In fairness, this other company is rated higher than you.
Her: Higher than us? Where?
Me: On Unilocal.
Her: They are higher rated than us on Unilocal?
Me: As of this morning, they were.
Her: And they have nearly 200 reviews?
Me: They have over 80.
Her: Well, if $ 100 is all that matters to you, good luck. (hangs up)
A little word of advice, you don’t know who I am and how many houses I plan on buying. For all you know, I could be a flipper who buys a new house every month. Or I could be in an age group where a lot of my friends are looking for advice on who they should go with when the time comes. The proper response should have been something along the lines of «We are sorry that you are choosing to go with someone other than us, but if for any reason you are not happy with the service you are going with, please don’t hesitate to call us back because we would love your business. I wish you nothing but the best of luck!» And then don’t hang up on me.
Needless to say, my inspection went great and I got a detailed 80-​page report delivered back to me within 24 hours using First Choice Inspectors. Even if it did go horribly — I would have called everyone BUT Domicile.

For almost buying a 100 year old home we knew we needed a great inspector. My brother recommended domicile and stuck to his guns that I went with them. Boy did it sure pay off.
The home we were interested in was inspected by Christi. She was extremely friendly from the start and was nice enough to explain every step of the way. And let me say they do NOT miss anything. You will leave feeling educated, ensured, and in my case, stressed beyond belief. But Christi did her job and most likely saved my fiancée and I over 200,000 dollars in the house and repairs. There were so many underlying problems you just don’t think of that these professionals find.
We are still searching for a home as we terminated our contract and can say with confidence we will use this company again. They are honest and professional people. They also saved us in the long run by avoiding investing in a property that was a huge money pit. Thank you Domicile!

I called up Domicile due to their excellent rating here on Unilocal and was very happy with the results. Though I was initially scheduled with Dan, he was unable to make it and sent Ross in his stead.
I found Ross to be a great guy, he was very professional, extremely knowledgeable and very easy to talk to and tag along behind. His inspection was very thorough and his inspection report great!
If you ever need an inspector, call these guys! They are truly the best!
*Edit — Apparently my review was never published but since my first experience with Domicile, I contacted them again for an inspection of work my mother had completed at her home. Or rather the work was incomplete. The job was a mess and when Dan came out he tore into it. His assistance was awesome, extraordinary and above and beyond. There is no way I could have gotten through this horrible experience without his great insight and incredibly detailed accounting of every cut corner and skipped step.
He inspected all of the work that was done, pointed out everything they missed, safety concerns, permit issues, the works. He walked me through what I should expect from an expert to a novice so that I knew how to deal with the crooks that delivered this horrendous job and even going above and beyond, dealt with them directly on my behalf to ensure that the information was delivered in the appropriate manner coming from someone in the industry.
Dan was a lifesaver and I’m truly grateful for his assistance. I can’t recommend Domicile enough! They’ve saved me a ton of money, pain, and frustration!

Our real estate agent recommended Ross Neag and we were very happy with the results. I grew up in a family of construction workers and my dad was an architect, so I know how many things can go wrong! Ross put us at ease and provided a very thorough inspection. He even came back to reinspect when the seller wasn’t ready with everything on time. Not only did he catch expensive details that the seller fixed, his report also gave us a roadmap for what to expect in terms of repairs over the next several years.
All the staff were helpful and organized. Ross was knowledgeable and very helpful. I’ll always go back to Domicile. Thanks Ross!

I picked them because of their reviews and I was *not* disappointed. The woman who first answered the phone was so friendly, and quickly explained that because it is the busy season for real estate (springtime), any good inspector firm SHOULD be booked up at least 4 – 5 days. I wanted to work with them so badly I got our attorney to request an extension on the inspection period for us. That was the right decision!
We got Christi Malone, an architect, as our inspector. She is so knowledgeable, patient, and thorough. She came on time, was friendly, efficient, and extremely helpful – let me follow her around and explained every step, what she was looking for and (by extension) what WE should be looking for when entertaining the prospect of buying a home. She went up on the roof and hung over the side to take pictures of everything – now we know about the cracks in the masonry on the side of the building, puddles on the roof, etc. She found corrosion on the underside of the kitchen drain that I wouldn’t have thought to look for, and she has an eagle eye for spotting cheap patched-​up jobs where someone just tried to put a band aid on a much bigger problem.
Christi’s report could not have been more straightforward and explicit; my husband and I are very impressed and thankful. Domicile Inspectors definitely lived up to their stellar reputation.

Given my positive experience with Domicile last time, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to hire them again for an inspection of my new condo.
Well, it seems the word has gotten out about the amazing work these guys do, because they were booked a week out based on the appointments online. If you’ve ever bought a home you know you usually need to get the inspection done within a certain amount of time, and my sales contract dictated that I needed an inspection done before they had any appointments available.
I decided to call to verify if what I was seeing online was accurate in both availability and if the inspector I used last time (Ross) was still there since he was still on the website but had zero appointments listed. The woman who answered the phone was SUPER salty with me. I hung up with that phone call so completely aggravated — I wasn’t even asking for anything unreasonable, just two simple questions.
Unfortunately the timing just didn’t work out with Domicile which isn’t their fault, but I have to be honest when I say that I will think twice before using them again or recommending them. That woman and her attitude problem left a bad taste in my mouth. I know it’s a busy time of year, but you can’t fault me for wanting to be a repeat customer.
Edit (5÷14÷15): For what it’s worth, Ross reached out to me personally the day after I posted this to apologize. The next day the girl who I had spoken to also called me to apologize, so perhaps I caught her on a bad day or off moment. Either way, I appreciate them trying to fix it.

We were very pleased with the home inspection provided by Morgan Hughes at 30 E Huron #3410. Morgan was professional, thorough and knowledgeable in executing the home inspection. He discovered several safety and hazardous issues and provided recommendations and suggestions to address the failure issues. The seller refused to fix the issues raised during Home Inspection and this determined us to void the buying contract.
We strongly recommend Morgan Hughes and Domicile Consulting since they can provide quality work for a home inspection that is per state and federal regulations.

These guys are the best in the business… If you have ever seen that Holmes inspector show on TV, that is a pretty good analogy of what to expect from Domicile
I work in real estate, and Domicile is always my go-​to when a client asks for a referral for a home inspector… But I’m also a client myself.
My building recently entered into a 60k contract for some needed repairs, and as the condo president with zero construction experience, I had no idea how to tell if these guys were doing a good job, or totally ripping me off. I decided at that point to call domicile as a consultant to review their work.
Ross came out both at the start of construction and also at the end of the project, and within 5 minutes of talking to him about the job I knew I made the right decision. He made note of all of the issues that I simply would have not have identified on my own, and not only did he provide me with a detailed report of the issues, but he also called the builder directly to explain what needed to be corrected… The builder knew immediately that he was dealing with a pro, and did not even try to skirt the issues at hand.
Bottom line, these guys are as good as it gets… I cannot recommend them enough.

Our realtor recommended Domicile Consulting for a gut rehab that we were buying. After reading some reviews we requested Morgan Hughes, knowing that we wanted someone who was extremely thorough and wouldn’t mind us following him around and asking questions the whole time.
Morgan exceeded all expectations. He took his time and spent not 2, not 3, but 4 hours inspecting every inch of our house. He had no problems answering questions and was great about showing us each issue and explaining what should be fixed so we knew how to confirm the fix was done later on.
He had no problem responding to the seller’s defensive remarks when he felt something should have been done better. Morgan is the type of inspector who doesn’t just run through a checklist and go about his day. He takes a vested interest in making sure every detail is not just completed, but completed to the highest quality.
Given that our home was essentially new construction, we still had a list from Morgan that was about 20 – 30 items long and our seller agreed to fix almost every item.
We were so impressed with Morgan’s initial inspection that we hired him to come out and confirm all the items were completed before we closed. He is professional, extremely knowledgeable, and makes it his job to personally protect the buyer. He’s not an inspector who is just trying to kill a deal, or squeeze money out of a seller. He’s an inspector who is truly looking out for the buyer’s best interests in a fair and thorough manner. We will gladly use Domicile again!