Whisperer was once a derogatory term for someone who gossips back in the mid-1500s; it became more popular in the 1800s, by a guy affectionately called Daniel the Horse-Whisperer Sullivan, who had an uncanny ability to deal with traumatized horses. Then, in 1998, the novel and screenplay starring Robert Redford (RIP) made The Horse Whisperer a household name. My favorite line is “I help horses with people problems.”

Many other whisperers followed, including the Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan and the Baby Whisperer, on and on. On the streets of Oakland, California, back in the late 70s, every EMT earned a street name from a patient. That honor was given to me by a patient in the middle of the night. He was a mountain of a man who was being restrained by 4 police officers after throwing a large cement garbage receptacle into the roadway. Once he and I were alone in the back of the ambulance, he began to get agitated again, so I turned on the lights for a moment to calm and reassure him. That was a mistake I regret to this day. He screamed at me and named me MMF (for short). A long list of threats and curses came rolling out of his mouth.

What I Stepped Into

Fast forward a few decades, and another profession change, and lo and behold, a client named me “Joe The House Whisperer Levitch.” It fits. I love building science, solving problems, and I have learned how houses were built back in the day. There is little that gets by me and my seemingly infinite resources. It holds me to a higher standard, much like the exclamation point we put on the Library! does for those who work there. Just the other day, a client asked me, ” Why is my house so dusty? We can hardly keep up with it.” Good question….let’s figure it out.

How It Works For My Clients

As a paid consultant, I get to put on my tool belt and do my thing. Like a physician practicing medicine, I do a focused past home history and then perform a detailed physical head-to-toe exam. Next, I perform tests to help rule in or rule out likely causes for the symptoms. Tests, you say,,,, Yes, I have all sorts of testing equipment to document existing conditions. Those objective findings, in conjunction with the subjective things that the client has shared, help to come up with a working diagnosis. From there, we rule in or rule out likely causes of the problem and present our findings along with some options. Remodeling is often an attempt to fix the root cause of signs and symptoms.

Until They Make A House MRI

Huge MRI

In some cases, we choose to do a destructive inspection, call it exploratory surgery if you will. When the extent of the problem is not known. We use this technique to discover what needs to be done because your home may hold its secrets so tightly that even I can’t sort it out without direct visualization. The only way to get our arms around a concealed problem is to dig in. The small surface defect could be hiding a serious problem that lies beneath.

Much like a bed sore, we could be opening up a can of worms. The idea is that we have a pretty good idea of what is wrong; we just need to see the edges of it to price the project properly. Going into the unknown using a cost-plus would be irresponsible.

Gun For Hire

Levco is available to investigate your situation, no matter the issue, no matter the age of your home, or how minor the symptom may seem. Heck, we even chased away a trapped ghost one time. We are here for you. After all, I have developed a passion for my work, a long list of satisfied clients, and a name to live up to.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, click here to email me directly, or call 208-947-7261

If you or someone you know is considering remodeling or would like to speak with a passionate and trustworthy remodeling contractor, please contact us. You’ll be glad you did.