Juliet Goodman, who prefers to be called by her first name or the nickname “Jewels,” is the owner and certified professional home inspector (CPI) of GEM Home Inspections and Construction Services LLC, which went live in January 2017. GEM Home Inspections was spurred from a large desire and passion that Juliet harbored to help homeowners have a successful experience in understanding and operating their new homes.
“When you’re building a house, you’re growing a home from the ground up,” said Juliet. “You put all the parts together, and you get a home that someone gets to make lasting memories in. That’s what connects me to it.”
After working for some of the most prominent home builders in the area, including David Weekley, Juliet was inspired by the prospect of helping families learn about their own homes and how to use them, while also being a part of the building process. She recognized her ability to identify deficiencies or issues that needed to be addressed, explain them in a clear manner, and help with recommendations for repairs. “It was kind of like an ‘a-ha’ moment,” said Juliet.
Now, with GEM, Juliet feels that she can give each customer and their home the kind of quality attention that they deserve, which is something that she could not do before as a builder. Each house is thoroughly inspected, with comprehensive reports and active discussion with the homeowner being something Juliet focuses on. She takes this time to discuss any problems she found during the inspection as well as to review basic home maintenance procedures and orienting the client with the home; she also is an active reference when homeowners have questions or need a support system. Juliet has also come across instances where she has been able to help newer builders in the process of inspecting a home.
GEM has a record of ensuring that each home is carefully inspected to maintain integrity and structural quality throughout the home before buyers move in and potentially have a 30-year contract without knowing the ins and outs of their home. Every inspection Juliet performs includes a detailed check of all the major systems & components of the home, inside and out, using the State of Florida Standards of Practice for Certified Home Inspectors as her guide. “I do my best to ‘live’ the home, to find issues before closing,” said Juliet. If there are any problems found, the report can be shared with the builder so that repairs can be made before the home closes, and in the event of a resale home, the seller might be willing to adjust the price depending on what items need to be fixed.
This full list of areas that GEM inspects comes directly from the GEM website:
-Roofing system (including gutters and downspouts)
-Structural components
-Foundation and crawl space
-Exterior (siding, doors, windows, soffits, fascias)
-Driveway
-Attached garage
-Deck and patio
-Interior (doors, windows, walls, floors, ceilings, stairs)
-Attic, ventilation, and insulation
-Plumbing system
-Electrical system
-Heating and cooling systems
-Built-in appliances
One of Juliet’s favorite parts of her job is not only inspecting the new homes but also the older homes that she inspects for resale. She gets to experience some of the older trends when it comes to home building and examine things that worked and did not work as the home has aged. “Seeing all the different architecture, all the different ways things can be done,” Juliet explained, “because there are a hundred different ways to do something, and each builder in each era did it a little differently.”
Juliet’s final words of advice remind home buyers and sellers to be conscious of their purchases and remember to ask questions and get in touch with those that have the right skills and education to help make their home into the best place it can be.
To get in touch with Juliet, you can visit the GEM website at https://gemorlandohomeinspections.com/ or email info@geminspect.com.
