Here we answer questions about getting a home or commercial 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.
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
Most homes have problems. That’s not a criticism — it’s reality. Homes are exposed to weather, moisture, movement, wear, and time. An inspection that doesn’t identify issues isn’t thorough. But there’s an important distinction that often gets overlooked: Finding problems is not the same as explaining risk. At Upchurch Inspection,
Every so often, usually near the end of an inspection or after a client has read through the report, someone will ask a version of the same question: “So… does this mean the house is good?”or“If something breaks later, is that covered?” Those questions aren’t unreasonable. Buying a home involves
One of the most common phrases we hear—usually early in the process—is: “Do homes pass or fail inspections?” It’s an understandable question. Most people are used to inspections in other areas of life that work exactly that way. Cars pass or fail. Government inspections pass or fail. Even some appraisals
Most people assume a good home inspection is one that “finds everything.” That sounds reasonable — until you’ve seen enough inspection reports to realize how misleading that idea can be. At Upchurch Inspection, we believe a good home inspection isn’t defined by how many items are listed, how alarming the
Buying a home in Central Kentucky comes with a risk most buyers from other states have never dealt with before: karst topography. In and around Elizabethtown, the ground beneath many homes isn’t solid soil sitting on uniform rock. It’s a landscape shaped by limestone bedrock that dissolves over time, creating
Not every home needs every specialized inspection. The goal of specialized inspections is not to add unnecessary services, but to target specific risks that are not fully evaluated during a standard home inspection. Knowing which specialized inspections make sense for a particular property helps homeowners and buyers focus their time,
Manufactured homes are built under a federal construction standard, but once they are placed on a property, their performance depends heavily on site conditions, installation quality, and ongoing maintenance. Because of these factors, manufactured homes require a different inspection approach than traditional site-built houses. Across the Mid-South, manufactured housing is
Open floor plans and remodeled interiors are common in many Mid-South homes, especially in older properties that have been updated over time. One of the most frequent structural questions that arises during an inspection is whether a wall is load-bearing—and whether it may have been altered improperly. While inspectors do
Not all building problems are visible to the naked eye. Moisture intrusion, insulation gaps, and electrical overheating can exist behind walls, ceilings, or finishes long before they cause obvious damage. Thermal imaging is a diagnostic tool that helps inspectors identify temperature anomalies that may indicate hidden issues—without cutting into the
Older brick homes are a defining feature of many Memphis neighborhoods. Areas like Midtown, Central Gardens, East Memphis, and portions of Whitehaven and Raleigh are filled with solid masonry homes that were built to last. While these houses often feel sturdy and well constructed, inspections regularly reveal patterns tied to
