How Elk Grove Property Management Companies Keep Maintenance Costs in Check
One of the biggest costs to owning an investment property is maintenance. Unlike your mortgage payment each month, maintenance can be unexpected and can range in price. The unknown is what causes concern for new investment property owners. While the unknown in any aspect of life creates worry, the top Elk Grove property management company, RPM Select, has created the perfect recipe to put property owner’s minds at ease when it comes to expected and unexpected maintenance.
Set Aside a Maintenance Budget
Follow the Scout Motto: Be Prepared. Select advises its clients to set aside one to two month’s rent amount per year to account for maintenance. Another way to plan for maintenance costs is to save one percent of the value of home, per year, for maintenance costs. If your home is worth $400,000 in Elk Grove, property management companies recommend you should have a maintenance savings account of $4,000 to cover maintenance on the home. Keep in mind that older homes may require a larger maintenance budget than new homes, but the one percent rule is an accurate guideline to follow.
Plan for Annual Maintenance
Like the car you drive needs gas, oil changes, and tire rotations, a house needs regular and annual maintenance to keep it performing in tip top shape. This regular maintenance can be performed by a landlord, but is best if hired out to a professional who has liability insurance. As springtime approaches, homeowners and landlords of rental properties should follow this routine checklist:
- Inspect and turn on sprinklers
- Care for your landscaping—clean up dead shrubs and trees and prune overgrown branches
- Consider fertilizing the lawn and call your landscaper to plant fresh flowers
- Tune up the air conditioning unit and clean out the furnace
- Inspect outside faucets
- Check the safety of the concrete to make sure there are no major cracks or tripping hazards
- Spruce up the woodwork on the deck or put on a fresh coat of stain to prevent splinters from cracked and unsealed wood
- Inspect the basement and attic for any signs of leaks, mold, or mildew growth
- Always inspect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change the batteries as needed
The Elk Grove property management team at Select also has an annual fall maintenance checklist to protect homeowners:
- Clean gutters and downspouts—remove any debris that could cause the gutters to overflow, causing a leak into your roof
- Inspect roof shingles for any repairs or areas that could allow water into the attic
- Check that windows and doors close tightly and lock
- Tune up your furnace and replace the air filter
- Make sure that your water pipes are well insulated
- Inspect the safety and security of handrails on staircases to make sure they are tightly fastened to the wall
- Always inspect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change the batteries as needed
Property management teams in Elk Grove also budget for maintenance ahead of time by carefully thinking about the age of the appliances in the home and which ones might be in need of replacement during the coming calendar year. As a general rule of thumb, a refrigerator lasts about seven years, dishwashers and garbage disposals are good for about twelve years, microwaves last about eight years, stoves and cooking ranges for about sixteen, and washing machines and dryers should last for twelve to fourteen years. For a full list of appliances in your home and their expected lifespan, click here.
Care for Your Property
Just as you perform regular maintenance and your vehicle, perform routine maintenance on your house in Elk Grove. Property management experts know that when you care for and show respect for your property, your tenants are more likely to care for the property too. Respond quickly to maintenance requests. This shows that you not only care about keeping your property in good working order, but also that you care about and value your tenants. And remember, happy tenants stay. Keeping your tenants happy is not the only reason you should respond quickly to maintenance. A quick response time generally cuts down on the amount of damage done by the item that is broken. For example, if a tenant reports a bubble under the paint on the wall, that could be a sign of a leaking hot water pipe. Time is of the essence when it comes to a leaking pipe, especially a hot water one. Finding a solution and acting on that solution quickly will save property owners money and will prevent further damage.
How the Elk Grove Property Management Team at Select Can Save You Money
When investment property owners join the clientele of Select, they immediately get access to our preferred member pricing. We have tried and true maintenance technicians and companies that we hire on a regular basis that give our property owners discounts on service. They are licensed and insured for your protection. Our professional leasing teams have also been trained to follow routine property inspections to catch any signs of maintenance problems early. Finding a potential problem before it turns into a maintenance emergency has saved our clients thousands of dollars. Let the professionals at Elk Grove property management team, Select protect your investment property. Call us today.