Have you been wondering whether you can handle some aspects of property management on your own? Saving money on minor expenses is a priority for most homeowners and property owners. In many cases, a property owner may have the skillset or the free time available to take on some aspects of maintaining the house themselves.
Take a look at these key areas to see if you could handle some of the simpler matters on your own.
Improve aesthetics.
If your property is in between tenants but doesn’t quite command top dollar, you may want to spruce the place up a bit. Property managers could offer suggestions on interior design changes and then hire contractors to complete the work. However, many homes could benefit from just a few simple touches that make them feel cozier and more inhabitable.
For example, your baseboards may need a thorough scrubbing and some glossy white paint. That gray paint in the living room may not be the best color choice for your home anymore. Minor changes that require little more than a few hours and dollars can often be completed by property owners for a much lower cost.
If you tend to rent out your property fully furnished, purchasing a new living room set may even go a long way. All of the small touches that make a house into a home can be done on your own without professional assistance.
Improve the landscaping.
If your home is having a difficult time drawing in new tenants, it may be time to increase the curb appeal. A few well-trimmed shrubs, vibrant flower beds, and a nicely maintained lawn can go a long way towards making your property more attractive to prospective renters. The outside appearance of your home is just as important as the inside.
Instead of hiring a landscaper to handle weekly yard work while your property is vacant, homeowners may want to consider doing it themselves. Most individuals likely have all the equipment they need already.
While you’re out there doing a little manual labor, you may even feel inspired to redo the backyard. Pressure washing the patio, adding new outdoor furniture, or making repairs to the fence line can all be simple ways to start handling some property management on your own.
Update the nuts and bolts of your home.
Have you ever noticed that the smallest details have the biggest impact on your home? They’re functional necessities that you often take for granted until you have to use them on a daily basis. Consider the basic nuts and bolts of your home: light switches, outlet covers, light fixtures, and door knobs. All of these simple items could use to be updated on a fairly regular basis.
Over time, light switches that used to be pristine become grimy and discolored. The same goes for outlet covers. Especially if your previous tenants were smokers, you may have more discolored items than you otherwise would expect. Doorknobs and light fixtures can get rusty and rattle over time, so replacing them can increase the functionality of a space.
Organize your own paperwork.
Did the dishwasher break again but you can’t remember who you hired to fix it last time? Organizing your own paperwork allows you to have easy access to all of the pertinent details regarding your property’s maintenance. You can find the length of time between repairs, the name of the company you hired, and even the cost.
This is also a valuable resource when it comes to evaluating whether it’s time to replace major items within the home or continue to repair them. By reviewing the records you have on hand, you can identify just how much money you’re sinking into repair costs. It might become clear quickly whether or not the appliance really needs to be repaired or if it should just be replaced. Making the right call can often save you money in the long run.
Advertise for new tenants.
While you definitely want your property management company to screen your tenants, you can certainly do some advertising on your own. Maybe you can put the word out on social media, hang some flyers with information on a local bulletin board, or place an ad in the newspaper. You can be proactive in bringing in potential renters all on your own.
The house may be sitting vacant but taking some steps towards filling it can make you feel more productive. Not only that, but it requires a very small time investment to arrange for advertising. From there, your property management company can take over all of the necessary screening items to ensure that applicants are creditworthy and trustworthy tenants.
Conduct your own drive-by inspections.
Most tenants aren’t going to be okay with the property owner demanding in-home inspections on a whim. However, you can get a general sense of the state of affairs simply by driving past the outside of the home on a regular basis. Is the tenant responsible for the yard work but the grass is knee-high? Maybe you can see cracked window panes or large oil stains on the driveway.
A property owner may want to consider doing their own drive-by inspections to make sure their home is being maintained. If any problems catch your attention during one of these casual check-ins, bring it to the attention of your property manager. They can handle contacting the tenant and investigating your concern further without involving you in the conflict.
There are some definite perks to using a property management service, but that doesn’t mean you need to abandon all responsibility. Concerned and active property owners should think about taking the time to improve the homes they own using their own elbow grease on occasion.
The more involved you are in the process of upkeep on your property, the more likely it is that your home will stay in tip-top shape for years to come. You can potentially save some money on the monthly costs of your property management in San Antonio or repair bills while gaining peace of mind for yourself.