Buying or selling a home is stressful enough without having to worry about radon testing, bacterial water and more. For that reason, AmeriSpec Home Inspections has a branch serving Lycoming, Snyder, Northumberland, Union, Columbia and Clinton counties.
Travis and Andrea Hammond purchased AmeriSpec Home Inspections, P.O. Box 311, Montoursville, in Aug. 2011 from its previous owners, yet they started learning the trade before that.
"We wanted to be in business for ourselves," Andrea said.
Travis, who started working for the previous owners in March 2011, had 10 years of experience in construction. That experience helped him know what to look for when conducting inspections.
"It appealed to him and we decided to give it a try," Andrea said.
The business, a franchise of the national AmeriSpec Home Inspections, which was founded in 1987, offers services including radon testing and pest, water, well, and septic inspections.
The inspections are popular for people looking to sell or buy their homes.
Pre-sale inspections are done by owners trying to sell their homes because it makes the sale process easier since those buying the home know it is safe.
Since the couple took over the business, Andrea said their franchise has been really good as it has been growing.
The growth in business is in part thanks to building relationships with real estate agencies.
Now they seek to build relationships with financial institutions to grow their business in a new way, by offering their services to banks and other similar markets.
As the colder months approach, business has slowed because, as Andrea explained, most people want to already be in their homes by winter time.
By spring and summer, she expects business to pick again so much so that they might take on some part-time help in the warmer months.
If the business grows enough, Andrea said she would like to expand out of their home where they currently have their office located.
By having the office in the home, Andrea, who takes care of the phone calls, can answer the phone even after the end of the business day. Their typical hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Depending on the job being done, length of time to complete the inspections varies. So people can get results faster, reports are sent via email. Previously, results were sent through the mail, which could take a few extra days.
For more information, call 368-0400 or email amerispec1211@comcast.net.
