Leaky sinks, broken appliances, overgrown plants, flickering light bulbs, it can seem like the home maintenance to do list is endless. Whether it’s at your own home or at a rental property, there will always maintenance tasks to be attended to. It’s important to understand and accept that home maintenance is not something to be solved. It is an ongoing process and new problems will always pop up.
The important thing is how you approach this process. You can either hire a property manager to take care of maintenance for you or you can do it yourself. If you work with a property manager, it’s important to give them authority to spend money on your behalf. You can set a threshold amount up to which they don’t need to ask about spending. If the job costs more than the threshold, they can consult you and you can decide together how to move forward.
Giving the property manager discretion about whether something needs to be repaired and what the time frame is important for several reasons. As property managers, we encounter maintenance problems on a regular basis and are well equipped to handle them. We know the best course of action and how soon something needs to be fixed. For example, a malfunctioning water heater is something that needs to be addressed immediately to avoid mold and property damage. We have list of trusted repair people and companies to get parts from so we can move forward quickly. Also, it’s important to remember that you hired someone to manage your property for you so you wouldn’t have to do it yourself. Letting the property manager make the decisions removes the stress, concern, and attention that would have been paid to the problem.
If you manage the property yourself, it’s important to have a system to streamline the process. Click here to download our printable home maintenance checklist to help keep track of common maintenance tasks and how often they need to be performed.
We suggest providing videos or written instructions for tenants on simple fixes, like how to repair clogged drains in the tub or shower, or clogged toilets, dryer lint removal if it’s not in the front of the machine. Overview of tricky things around the property. Click here to read about commonly overlooked home maintenance task and here to read our article about common home care myths and better solutions. We also recommend getting 2-3 bids on expensive repairs or upgrades to make sure you’re paying the right amount.
In addition to aesthetic issues, not keeping up with home maintenance can causes structural damage and decrease the value of your property. Our priority as your property management team is to protect your investment. To learn more about our property management services, click here, call our office at (808) 593-9826 or email concierge@caronb.com.