One of the things home inspectors run into a lot is homeowners who have attempted DIY repairs and renovations with limited success... or in some cases epic fails. This week's Upon Further Inspection is devoted to DIY Fails. While it doesn't take an expert to change an air filter, if we had a nickel for every time we see the wrong size air filter, we could buy a lifetime supply of correctly sized air filters. Seriously folks, if you buy the wrong size filter for your HVAC, tak

If you're buying a home in Texas this year, you do need a fair amount of luck to find the right house in the right neighborhood with all the features you're looking for. The real estate market is extremely competitive right now, and housing inventory is low. Demand is high for housing, and, depending on what you're looking for, you may have to compete against other buyers and/or move more quickly on making an offer than you might have expected. As with any stressful situatio

We are moving into Spring, and soon it will be time to turn on the sprinklers. If you have a sprinkler system at home, now is the time to test your system to make sure it's functioning properly. This is particularly important this year after the extreme temperatures we had in February. To test your system, first walk around your yard to look for broken heads. This is extremely common, and you can easily replace them yourself. Look inside the control valve covers in the yard t

A lot of homeowners have been dealing with different types of water damage caused by the extreme winter weather in February, so we're taking a look at some of the different kinds of water damage we see as home inspectors; i.e. some things home buyers will want to look for as they're shopping for homes this spring. Discolored flooring is a good indicator that you have water between the floor and the slab. This was likely caused by the negative drainage in the back of the home.