DIY Property Maintenance VS Having A Professional Handle The Job: What Works Best?

As a landlord, your to-do list can become bloated in the extreme. The pace of life, especially in major cities on the West Coast, feels extreme. Making sure you keep all of your rental properties in check is not easy, right? That’s why, for many landlords, turning to DIY property maintenance feels like a no-brainer. Yet, for all of the virtues of doing things yourself, is there potentially more risk than reward?

At Utopia Property Management, since our formation in 1994, we have worked with many landlords who have relied on their self-skills to maintain their properties. While admirable, and for sure an easy way to develop new skills, learning on the job is often not what tenants want.

For most landlords, it pays to rely on a professional. DIY property management has its benefits, but what makes it easier to ensure rental income arrives on time?

When Is DIY Property Management The Right Decision?

Of course, there are times when, as a property manager, you might choose to deal with tasks on your own. Some typical examples include:

• Fixing small cosmetic issues, such as raised/broken floorboards
• Replacing everyday items, such as toilet seats or door handles
• Maintenance tasks, such as lubricating doors for easy opening
• Minor touch-up repairs and decoration, i.e., re-painting a solid wall
• Moving appliances and equipment into place

However, property owners are likely to find that it is usually better to rely on a professional. Most trades and works require a specialist level of knowledge; many even require accreditations and qualifications to carry out.

If you want to make sure you pass legal compliance, it is often better to eschew DIY property management.

When Should You Hire A Professional Maintenance Service?

Many more tasks exist that involve a professional touch than a DIY attempt. Your investment property will benefit from professionals in many avenues, including:

• Installing appliances that require professional installation, i.e., stoves, cookers, and ovens
• Professional maintenance tasks that involve any plumbing, electrical systems, and/or gas systems
• Decorative restorations that involve more than basic painting touch-up repairs
• Damage to key functions of the property, such as windows, doors, and appliances
• Structural re-designs of the property, i.e., pulling down walls, media units, etc.
• Emergency repairs of any kind

The vast majority of such tasks are better avoided if you are a non-professional. The safety risks are often too great, and the chance of having to hire a professional anyway remains higher than you might assume.

If you want to guarantee rental income, you need happy prospective tenants who will stick around. The best way to keep a tenant around is to deliver high-quality, safe living conditions.

Instead of DIY management of repairs and upgrades, hiring a professional makes far more sense.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Leaving Property Maintenance To Utopia’s Experts?

With thousands of properties managed across states such as California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, the team at Utopia knows a good job when we see one. We have been in charge of countless residential and commercial properties. Part of our success stems from our contacts in maintenance.

Our team of professional property managers understands the value of getting the job done correctly. Not only are we experts in tenant placement, but also in tenant retention.

With over 90% of our tenants sticking around thanks to comprehensive tenant screening, we find the right people almost every time.

Then, we make sure that we maintain repairs and property maintenance at a high enough standard to keep them. The DIY approach might save you money today, and it might make sense for minor issues.

What, though, do you get if you leave personal involvement to the wayside and trust the pros?

Accredited Solutions VS DIY Risks

When you lack the qualifications needed to do the job, you run the risk of leaving yourself with a legal compliance problem. Hire a professional, though, and they make sure that:

• The job is done correctly and is in full compliance with tenancy laws in your state/region.
• Your house, apartment, or building passes all safety regulations and compliance requirements.
• The professional can sign off on the work done, ensuring it meets insurance policy specifications.
• Work will last longer, resulting in better living conditions and lower vacancy rates long-term.

Accreditation is an essential part of making sure you get the job done properly. Your DIY management might not be enough to satisfy the requirements of lawyers and similar. Thus, the job might need to be done a second time.

Property owners can save money long-term by avoiding legal censure and tenant disputes by leaving the job to a fully accredited professional management service.

Remove The Risk

In the long run, DIY repairs tend to cost you more money than they save. Why?

• For one, a job can become far more complicated than it first appears – what do you do then?
• Professionals come with experience, meaning they know what kind of challenges could arise.
• If you lack the skills to correct the worst-case scenario, the problem could exist for longer.
• By ensuring the job is done properly, you make sure your repairs pass all legal regulations.

There are often many risks associated with DIY maintenance that you might not initially consider. That means you could soon run into problems that are beyond your capabilities. Usually, this means that you need to spend more money on supplies and tools, and then spend time educating yourself on how to resolve this unexpected issue. With a professional involved, they have the experience required to resolve matters.

Necessary Repairs Carried Out Correctly

Not every repair that you carry out is going to be decorative; often, they are essential. Your rental property might need something fixed immediately, such as:

• Damaged tiles and flooring could constitute a safety risk for all residents.
• Leaks, such as in a roof tile, could lead to the property being flooded later.
• Electrical faults could pose a serious risk to the health of all involved.
• Gas leaks need to be contained and suppressed as soon as possible.
• The development of mould or other potentially harmful growths in a property.

When these problems emerge, they need to be dealt with carefully and correctly. Trying to carry out DIY property management on these kinds of issues is likely to lead to some serious issues. Not only could you do the job wrong and make the problem worse, but you could also put your tenants at risk.

Reduce Further Property Damage

DIY landlords often find that they need to do the job more than once due to a lack of expertise. Professional maintenance means a job done correctly, adhering to requirements whilst setting a high bar for standards.

Your touch-up repairs might simply not be enough to prevent the issue from worsening. It might work as a temporary sticking plaster, but a professional can always get the job done to an efficient standard. That means better quality results, avoiding the need for double-dunt repairs on your rental property.

Long-Term Tenant Satisfaction

As a landlord, you want to keep vacancy rates low and tenant satisfaction levels high. Tenants are far more likely to feel satisfied by rental properties that are taken care of by a professional property management company.

If your tenants are under the impression that you always take the cheap option to fix the problems they face, they might be less likely to renew their tenancy with you in the future. That could leave you dealing with vacancies that harm your bottom line and even cost you money long-term.

Save Money In The Long Run

Finally, preventative maintenance carried out by a professional ensures you continue to collect rent. Why?

• The work is carried out to a professional standard, meeting tenant requirements and expectations.
• Tenants are far less likely to need to move out as professionals can work around their presence.
• Professional property maintenance staff use the best equipment and materials to fix the problem.
• Minor repairs are likely to fix the problem at the source, stopping the issue from worsening long-term.
• You save time; time is money, and wasting time on low-quality DIY repairs can waste your time.
• Less risk of tenants taking you to court or landlords receiving late payments due to repair delays.

DIY repairs might feel cheaper at first, but the costs can soon mount up, especially if an unexpected issue emerges. Professional property management services might cost more upfront, but you save valuable time, resources, repeat visits, and ensure the job is done correctly the first time.

Find Professional Property Managers You Can Trust for All Repairs

At Utopia Property Management, we are aware of the challenges that emerge in running your portfolio.

You want quality renters who pay rent on time and make sure your properties are respected. In return, though, tenants want high-quality living conditions. Finding the time to deal with such issues on your own is never easy, though, right?

Property management is a long-term challenge, and one that many landlords have a hard time fitting into their busy life schedules. With that in mind, have you considered hiring property management services? If you have, our team at Utopia could be the perfect long-term partner for you.

Why Should You Hire Utopia To Manage Your Rental Property?

The US is home to over 300,000 property management companies. Why, then, should you trust Utopia Management?

• With over thirty years of experience across four different states, our experience is invaluable.
• We are rated A+ on the Better Business Bureau and have thousands of five star  reviews.
• Utopia staff manage properties in some of the USA’s major cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, and many more.
• Not only can we keep your rental property in peak condition, but we also work hard to ensure it remains occupied full-time.
• We address tenant needs directly thanks to a 24/7 support service, saving you from getting involved.
• Our in-house maintenance team is an expert at repairing major and minor issues on your behalf.
• If we need specialist third-party support, we know contractors and professionals we can trust.
• With thousands of properties managed, our team always has the skills to get the job done.
• Our professional property management service adapts to any property type, residential or commercial.
• Professional managers remain available to landlords and tenants during our traditional business hours, with support staff available on nights and weekends.
• Cost-effective, high-value property management that delivers a much better ROI long-term.
• As your portfolio scales, we scale with it for the utmost impact long-term.

Regardless of the challenges you face as a property owner, we can resolve matters for you amicably. Trust us as your property manager, and the days of having to get your DIY tool belt out are over!

Instead, we have in-house and third-party experts to ensure you get a job well done every time. Contact Utopia today and speak with a specialist in rental property management; see for yourself the long-term value our presence brings to your rental portfolio!