UP Home Inspection, LLC

09/03/2026

"Wait, isn't the appraisal basically the inspection?"

We hear this one a lot. The short answer: nope. 👇

Here's the difference:

✔An appraisal protects your lender. It answers one question — is this home worth the loan amount? The appraiser does a quick walk-through and compares the place to recent sales. They're not checking whether the furnace runs or opening your electrical panel.

✔A home inspection protects you and your family. We spend hours testing the home's systems and crawling through the spaces most people never see, then hand you a detailed report on what we found.

Here's a real one:

Not long ago we inspected a 1950s cottage on an inland lake in Schoolcraft County. The appraisal might have flagged some foundation issues.

But down in the crawl space, the floor joists were soaking wet and covered in white rot. You could practically wring water out of the wood.

A living room full of people had been standing over it that afternoon (yikes!).

An appraisal never would've caught that.

If you're financing a home in the U.P., you'll probably need both. They're not the same tool for the same job.

08/31/2026

It wasn't the flowers that took our breath away when we drove up to this lakeside home in AuTrain (although they are very nice).

It was the impeccably maintained wood siding and trim.

We don't see that too often. We wish we did.

So...just wanted to give credit to the home sellers here. Kudos on a job well done! 👏👏👏

08/27/2026

Don't look now, but heating season is on the way!

Have you taken a peek at your attic lately? That's where a lot of your heating dollars end up. 🔥❄️💸

We check attic insulation depth on every inspection when we can safely access the space. This one's got a handy ruler right in the shot.

In our climate zone, the Department of Energy recommends at least R-49 in the attic. That's roughly 13 to 18 inches of insulation, and many experts push for R-60.

Here's the thing about older U.P. homes: insulation standards have changed a lot over the years.

Back in the day, folks just threw another log on the stove. Some older attics up here still have little or no insulation at all. Adding more is one of the most cost-effective upgrades a homeowner can make—and it pays you back every winter.

Buying a home this fall? We'll tell you what's up there before the cold sets in.

08/24/2026

Here's something most homebuyers never think about: your attached garage shares a wall with your living space. 🔥

That means it's storing the most flammable stuff in the house—gas, oil, paint, propane—right next to your kitchen. Faulty wiring is the #1 cause of garage fires, and if we had a dollar for every U.P. home where they updated the house electrical but forgot about the garage, we'd be on vacation right now. 😅

A few things we check in every garage:
🔥 Fire-rated drywall on shared walls (and no pet doors cut into that fire door!)
⚡ Grounded, properly sized wiring
🚗 A garage door that reverses when it should
🪜 Stairs with even risers and a solid handrail

None of it is meant to scare you—it's stuff worth knowing before you buy, and most of it is an easy fix.

08/20/2026

House hunting? Here's a little insider trick. 🕵️

You can vet just about any home inspector in about ten minutes—without ever picking up the phone. A good inspector's website, credentials, and Google reviews tell you almost everything you need to know.

A few things worth a look before you book:
✅ Are their certifications listed and easy to verify?
✅ Do they have a real construction or trades background?
✅ Do they inspect only—or also sell the repairs? (Someone who profits from finding problems has a built-in conflict.)
✅ Is their mold testing separate from remediation?
✅ Are the Google reviews recent, detailed, and consistent?

We put together a free 10-question checklist you can take to any inspector's website—ours or anyone else's. Do the homework once and book with confidence.

👉 https://www.uphomeinspection.com/2026/07/22/questions-to-ask-your-home-inspector/

The smartest questions to ask your home inspector come before you hire. Use our free checklist to vet any U.P. inspector online in minutes.

08/17/2026

Caught! 📸

Ona is normally behind the camera for our marketing, snagging pictures of Rich inspecting panels or flying the drone.

So it was only fair he turned it on Ona for once and caught her mid-wave all "decked" out for an inspection. 👋

Ona is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector and has been working in the field alongside Rich for two years now. On most of our inspections she handles the interiors, most exteriors, and crawl spaces when our crawler's got other plans.

With two inspectors tag-teaming it, we do the job faster and with more detail - and have more fun on the job!

08/13/2026

Rural markets like the U.P. have always had more "for sale by owner" deals than the average suburb. This year we've inspected more than ever.

If you're going the FSBO route, one thing stays exactly the same: you still want a thorough, independent inspection so everyone knows the true condition of the home.

What changes is the logistics—without agents handling scheduling, access, and communication, the buyer and seller take that on themselves.

A few things we remind FSBO buyers and sellers: keep utilities on for inspection day, make sure there's clear access to the attic and crawl space, and get any contingencies in writing before you schedule. We're always glad to walk you through what we find.

📍 Serving the central U.P.—Marquette, Alger, Delta, and beyond.

08/10/2026

See those arrows? That's a problem we found on an inspection this morning. 👀

Those are the fasteners holding a deck ledger to the house—basically the single most important connection on the whole deck. Trouble is, they're the wrong ones for the job. Nails and undersized fasteners can work loose over time, and a ledger that lets go is how decks come down with people on them.

The fix is straightforward with the right hardware, so we flagged it and recommended a qualified contractor make it right. No drama, no fear—just good information so the buyers know exactly what they're working with.

Bottom line: that beautiful deck is only as safe as how it's bolted to the house. If you're buying a home with one, get eyes on that ledger.

08/06/2026

Thanks, Matt, for the kind words and the five stars. You just described the standard we strive for on every inspection across the U.P. Glad we could be of help!

08/03/2026

We're heading into our busiest season—and if you're buying, that's something to plan around. 🍂

August is booking fast. We're often scheduling inspections a week or more out, so here's the best advice we can give a buyer right now:

📞 Call us the moment you have an accepted offer. The sooner you're on the calendar, the smoother your timeline.

😎 And a little insider tip: if you check our online scheduler and don't see a time that works, don't give up. The way our calendar works, we often have openings that don't show up online. Shoot us a text or give us a call at (906) 360-3879 and we'll do our best to fit you in.

Got an accepted offer? Reach out today—let's get you booked.