Clarksville, TN – James Vanderlinde and Tashina Richardson, a recently engaged couple, are the owners/operators of Journey Home Inspection Services.
“I was stationed here in 2014 and retired as a Staff Sergeant in 2020,” Vanderlinde said. “I didn’t want to go back to Illinois, where I’m from, and within a year or two of arriving at Fort Campbell, I was like, I absolutely love this place. I knew that no matter where I went after this duty station, I had already decided that this is where I wanted to retire.”
Vanderlinde says it’s the weather, the people, really, everything. “I don’t like how humid it gets in the summer, but you can’t have everything. I’m an outdoorsman. The area is beautiful, the people are beautiful, just everything.”
The couple started working together about a year ago. “We each have our own role, and we don’t step over those lines,” Richardson said. “I grew up on a farm, had my own bakery for a few years, and then did accounting at a construction company. That’s where we met. Now we’re here.”
Journey Home Inspections began in February of 2021. “We do everything involved in home inspections,” Vanderlinde said. “We’re a one-stop shop for value and convenience. Agents can come to us for a standard inspection and get termites mold, air quality, radon, and lead-based paint. Really, any of the inspection services they need, they can get with Journey.
“Inspections are still optional, but most people get them. It’s usually uneducated buyers who assume that since it’s new construction, they don’t need an inspection. But, we recommend them for new construction and older homes. You’d be surprised at how often we find issues in a new-construction home.”
Vanderlinde says that builders subcontract just about everything, and human error is a real thing. “The foreman can’t have eyes on everyone at the same time. So, there are gaps and things that get missed. Yes, you have a warranty, but existing issues that don’t come to light until after the warranty expires can be a big and costly problem.
“We did a new town-home in Kentucky (Journey HIS is certified in Tennessee and Kentucky) recently. We run the water, turn on all the lights, run the HVAC. Basically, we put stress on all the systems to see what happens. We got in there, and water was dripping out of the ceiling. There was a pipe that never got connected. Just a lack of oversight.”
Journey’s pricing is competitive with others in the area. “Our base price may be higher than some other’s base price, but our price includes everything you need,” Vanderlinde said. “Others offer a variety of add-ons and packages. When you itemize it out, we’re probably cheaper than most.”
The buyer usually pays for the inspection, but who actually pays for the service really depends on the deal they have with the seller. Many times, the buyer gets reimbursed for the cost.
Journey HIS works with everyone in town. “We’re doing more than fifty inspections a month,” Vanderlinde said. “We have a team of five and another person, a female inspector, currently in training.
“We also offer a re-inspection. After your initial inspection, when you’re about to close on the house, we come out and make sure that all the issues we found have been corrected. It’s affordable and quick. We take a lot of pictures and take copious notes at the first inspection. The follow-up report is quick and simple. We just make sure everything was done correctly, as listed.”
Journey HIS also offers an “11-month” warranty inspection for new construction. “Before your warranty runs out, we come back out and make sure those items about to go out of warranty are still functioning properly,” Vanderlinde said.
“It’s best to know now than after the warranty has expired. It’s called 11 months in the industry, but 10 months is the best time to get it. You just want to ensure you don’t end up in a costly situation.”
Journey Home Inspection Services can be reached at 931.237.5278 or by email at tashina@journeyhis.com. You can also book your inspection online at www.journeyhis.com.
