Bermudians in the market for a home are being promised a new kind of "peace of mind" by engineer Philip Mason.

Mr. Mason, who recently returned home after living in the US, is offering home inspections for everything from the roof to the tank through his company Mason and Associates Ltd. Home inspections, though standard practice in many places, are less common in Bermuda – something Mr. Mason is hoping to change.

"Sellers and home owners are starting to see the advantages of being proactive and ordering a pre-listing inspection of their homes," he said.

"In this buyer's market a pre-listing home inspection report may help sellers stand above the crowd and sell their homes faster."

Mr. Mason is a reregistered structural engineer and is certified as a home inspector. Structural investigation can comprise anything from cracked retaining walls and pools to floor loading analysis for offices.

He says that, after a career in real estate investment in the US, he was surprised to find that so few buyers here "bother to get an independent, unbiased assessment of a home's condition".

Mr. Mason conducts each inspection personally (for both residential and commercial clients) and promises a full report within 48 hours.

More information and a sample report can be found at www.mason.bm