Home services companies should be making a fortune right now. But they're not because they don't show up. Sometimes, you have to take drastic measures when you need maintenance for your small farm, Homestead, or state.
Are You Ready for Repairs and Maintainance To Keep Your Rental Properties in Good Repair?
If you have a small farm, homestead, or estate, you know how to get work done. It is hard at times. When vendors don't show up, this is what you've got to do if you want to get things done.
I'm painting a rental property, taking a break to share a few tips about real estate investments, and getting work done. A lack of suppliers is a massive problem today. When you are making ready a property for tenants, you can least afford delays.
What Experienced Landlords (and Homeowners) Know About Hiring Home Services
Here's how to deal with vendor issues. Even if you hire staff directly problems will arise with home services vendors. The key is to mitigate know risks rather than fear them. Start here:
- Hire in pairs. When it comes to home services providers “one is none, two is one.” Especially with a rental property scheduling is critical. If one vendor cannot make it, then you must have a second ready to call.
- Seek value over price. There is always someone who can do work cheaper. And most of those you'll have to have the work done again. Hire the best and most appropriate level of quality you can afford. Work done right the first time.
- Plan work in sequence. Know which work must be done first, second, and third. For example, the house needs cleaning before and after painting. The first cleaning is top-down to prepare walls, and the second is a move-in clean.
- Include the cost of hiring in rent. Even if you do the work yourself, it is critical to build on the costs of doing work. Time is money, you cannot afford to do work on a house and not be reimbursed by a past or present tenant.
- Stack activity to create workdays. If you're going to be at a property, they have a large punch list ready to clear. It is a time suck to show up for one or two items. Plan your maintenance to get a lot done each visit.
Hiring household staff or home services is necessary for owning a property. As a landlord, it is a critical part of growing your wealth and the prosperity of your homestead. Managing your properties is a great income stream.
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These insights apply to any home services vendor, domestic staff, or household vendors. As a homeowner or landlord, work needs to be done on time to maintain home values. It gets expensive quickly when all the work falls back on you.
SIDEBAR: Justin records the video in this article inside the Martinsville Eco-House, which he manages as a rental investment property. It's an example of how to get more from your land. Write with your questions about household or property management. — Robert
If you want to get more from your small farm, homestead, or estate, … Justin Hitt is a Permaculture Design Consultant with more than two decades of experience with organic gardening. He teaches the practical application of critical thinking, entrepreneurial ecology, and homestead management. Practical insights for practitioners, estate owners, and homesteaders. To see if his insights are right for you, join our free newsletter.