Here we answer questions about getting a home or commercial property inspection, give tips on home maintenance, and share our knowledge about common home and commercial property issues. We are here to help you. If you can’t find an answer to your questions here, you can always contact us via our contact page.
Not all renovations are created with the same goal in mind, and during inspections, that difference shows up quickly. Buyers often use the word “renovated” as if it automatically means improved, but who did the renovation and why matters far more than how new something looks. At Upchurch Inspection, we
Buyers often describe homes as either “builder homes” or “custom homes,” and there’s usually an assumption baked into that language. Tract homes are seen as generic but safe. Custom homes are seen as higher quality and better built. From an inspection standpoint, neither label tells the full story. Both tract
“Affordable” is one of the most misleading words in real estate. Buyers usually mean it in terms of purchase price. Lower monthly payment. Lower upfront cost. A number that fits comfortably within a lender’s approval range. On paper, the home makes sense. During inspections, though, we’re often looking at affordability
One of the questions we hear most often during inspections sounds simple on the surface: “How long do you think this will last?” Buyers ask it about roofs, HVAC systems, water heaters, and almost everything in between. It’s a fair question. People want timelines. They want to plan. They want
It’s common for buyers to open an inspection report and feel a moment of panic. Page after page of issues. Photos with arrows. Language that feels serious. Even when the house felt solid during the walkthrough, the report can read like a catalog of problems. We hear it all the
One of the first things buyers notice when reading an inspection report is the language. It can feel cautious. Sometimes repetitive. Occasionally frustratingly noncommittal. “This may indicate…”“This could lead to…”“Recommend further evaluation…” To someone who isn’t used to inspection reports, that wording can sound evasive. Like the inspector is hedging
This one surprises people. They flip the hood on, hear the fan spin up, feel a little air move, and assume the job’s getting done.It usually isn’t. A lot of kitchen exhaust fans don’t actually exhaust anything. They just move air in a circle and call it a day. What
Attics aren’t dangerous because they’re spooky.They’re dangerous because people treat them like storage closets with insulation. Every inspection, I see the same thing: a scuttle hole shoved in a corner, a pull-down ladder blocked by boxes, or a narrow catwalk that disappears five feet in. And then someone says, “The
Drywall cracks are one of those things everyone notices — and almost no one understands. Some are nothing.Some are everything.Most live somewhere in between. The mistake is treating them all the same. Not All Cracks Are Created Equal Houses move. Always have. Always will. Materials expand. Wood dries. Temperatures swing.
This is one of those things people don’t notice until someone points it out. That door between the house and the garage? It’s not just a door. It’s a fire barrier. And in a lot of homes, it’s not doing its job anymore. What That Door Is Supposed to Do
If I’m walking through an older basement and my eyes drop to the floor, I already know what I’m measuring in my head. Nine inches by nine inches. Those little squares show up a lot in older Mid-South homes, especially basements that were “finished” decades after the house was built.
Fogged windows are one of the most misunderstood inspection findings I write up. A lot of people shrug them off and say, “It’s just cosmetic.”It’s not. When a window loses its thermal seal, it’s telling you something important about performance, efficiency, and long-term durability. What Causes Windows to Fog Most
