Home Inspections: Not Just For Buyers Anymore

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
A LEAKING PIPE, BAD DRAINAGE, A CRACK IN THE FOUNDATION, THESE ARE
JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS HOMEOWNERS MAY ENCOUNTER. BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THE PROBLEM REALLY NEEDS A PRICEY FIX? WELL, THERE'S A WAY YOU CAN FIND OUT BEFORE YOU CALL A CONTRACTOR. HERE'S ____ WITH A NEW TREND ON WHERE TO GET SOME HELP FOR YOUR HOUSE.

TRACK ONE Length: 06
Client Note: Joan asked us not to use her last name.
WHEN HOMEOWNER JOAN NOTICED PEELING PAINT CRACKS, AND WATER AROUND THE WINDOWS, SHE BEGAN TO WORRY…

SOT
KEY @ : 07 Joan, Homeowner
"We are very concerned about mold growth and also rotting wood."

TRACK TWO Length: 07
SO JOAN CALLED IN A PRO TO TELL HER JUST HOW MUCH DAMAGE SHE HAD… NOPE… NOT A REPAIRMAN… A HOME INSPECTOR.

SOT
KEY @ : 21 Joan, Homeowner
"To look it over, to try to get some assessment done before we called the contractor in."

SOT
KEY @ :24 Frank Lesh, American Society of Home Inspectors
"It is a growing trend to call home inspectors other than for an initial inspection."

TRACK THREE Length:12
THAT'S RIGHT…HOME INSPECTORS AREN'T JUST FOR HOME BUYERS. FRANK LESH… PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HOME INSPECTORS… SAYS MORE AND MORE HOMEOWNERS ARE HIRING INSPECTORS TO LOOK AT PROBLEMS ON THEIR PROPERTY.

SOT
KEY @ : 43 Frank Lesh, American Society of Home Inspectors
"A lot of times, people are unaware of what's going on in their homes. They know
something is wrong, but they don't know what."

TRACK FOUR Length:13
TAKE JOAN- SHE DIDN'T KNOW IF THE FIX FOR HER WINDOWS WAS AS SIMPLE AS RE-CAULKING OR AS BIG AS REPLACING EVERYTHING… LESH SAYS AN INSPECTOR CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE THESE BEFORE YOU CALL A CONTRACTOR AND THAT CAN SAVE YOU BIG BUCKS.

SOT
Key @: 1:03 Frank Lesh, American Society of Home Inspectors
"If there is not a problem, the home inspector can just say, 'you know what this is normal, this is normal wear and tear it really doesn't need an expensive fix.'"

TRACK FIVE Length: 05
BUT WHEN REPAIRS ARE A MUST- LIKE IN JOAN'S CASE- YOU KNOW TO FIX THEM BEFORE THINGS GET WORSE.

SOT
Key @: 1:16 Joan, Homeowner
"If we had let it go longer, I'm sure it would end up being more costly, so I think the inspection was well worth the money."

TRACK SIX Length:13
Source: American Society of Home Inspectors
THE AVERAGE COST FOR A TOTAL HOME CHECK-UP IS ABOUT $350, BUT IT'S LESS
IF AN INSPECTOR IS ONLY LOOKING AT ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM. BEFORE HIRING, MAKE SURE YOUR INSPECTOR IS FAMILIAR WITH YOUR STYLE OF HOME AND…

SOT
KEY @ : 1:33 Frank Lesh, American Society of Home Inspectors
"It's really important to look at his qualifications."

TRACK SEVEN Length: 06
JOAN'S NOW ARMED WITH ALL THE INFORMATION SHE NEEDS TO CALL A CONTRACTOR. AND NEXT TIME THERE'S A PROBLEM….

SOT
NO KEY
"I think we would again rely on a home inspector."

ANCHOR TAG:
TO FIND A LIST OF CERTIFIED INSPECTORS IN YOUR AREA, LOG ONTO A-S-H-I DOT ORG. YOU CAN ALSO CHECK THE INSPECTORS' QUALIFICATIONS AND FIND OUT THEIR AREAS OF SPECIALTY ON THE SITE.

SOURCE LIST
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Frank Lesh
President
American Society of Home Inspectors

Frank Lesh is the President of the American Society of Home Inspectors and a home inspector outside of Chicago, IL. He has been in a home inspector for about 17 years. For more information on their organization or to find a home inspector, please go to www.ashi.org.

ADDITIONAL SOURCE INFORMATION
FOR CLIENT-STATION USE ONLY
The additional information provided below is for client-station use only. This private contact information cannot be given to viewers nor posted on your Website. It is for internal station use only. It is provided to help you obtain answers to any additional questions you may have and to help you localize a story. Thank you.

Frank Lesh
PR Contact:
Lisa Gunggoll, Vice President
Manning Selvage & Lee
Phone: 312.861.5210
Email: lisa.gunggoll@mslpr.com