Mike Holmes on ASHI

by David Tamny October 1, 2010

I had the opportunity to travel to Toronto and meet with Mike Holmes. Mike Holmes, for those who don’t know him, is the star of “Holmes on Homes,” which airs on HGTV. Most recently, a new series called “Holmes on Home Inspections,” airing on HGTV in Canada, is exposing home inspections gone wrong. Mike is a Canadian professional contractor who rescues homeowners from renovations gone bad. He is known for tearing into walls and exposing faulty workmanship. By his own admission, people either love him or they hate him.

Good workmanship exceeds codes

Holmes’ motto is “Make It Right,” and he advocates that building codes are minimum standards and good workmanship exceeds codes. As home inspectors, I believe we would agree that, unfortunately, much of the home improvement work that we see does not meet even minimum standards. After meeting Holmes, I would say that what you see is what you get. He certainly has a passion for excellence and is genuinely concerned about protecting consumers from contractors who don’t necessarily have their best interests at heart.

Holmes is both a philanthropist and a visionary. He has done work in New Orleans, and he created the Holmes Foundation to assist those who would like to enter the building trades, as well as those who have been the victims of bad renovations. Also, Holmes is developing Wind Walk, the first Holmes Community, which is an eco-friendly sustainable community being constructed in Alberta. This project is intended to be innovative and is LEED Platinum.

Raising the bar

His many other endeavors include books and magazines devoted to increasing consumer awareness. These are top-quality publications, written to help homeowners understand the remodeling process. An educated consumer is the key to raising the bar of the industry. He also has written “Holmes Inspection – Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Your Home.”

Share commitment to excellence

In 2009, Mike Holmes started Mike Holmes Inspections, which is a home inspection company doing inspections in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. He has been a featured speaker at CAHPI events and is interested in ASHI. In my conversation with him and his team, it is clear that we share a common commitment to excellence.


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