Looking for referrals in Columbus! (Contractors, PMs, Inspection Companies)

[Savannah Walbert]

Hello! My fiancé and I are starting our REI journey and have started to put in some offers on properties in Columbus OH. Just made an offer on a place in the North Hilltop neighborhood that has a high likelihood of being accepted and now we are transitioning from constantly crunching numbers on deals to really solidifying a great team. (We already have a realtor and lender we are comfortable with, but other pieces of the core 4 still need to be put in place)

1. Home inspection company - First thing that is going to come up is home inspection. We want to make sure we are getting an experienced inspector with a reputable company, but we also definitely do not want to be over-paying for inspection. What is a standard/fair price for inspection? Any specific adders we should request?

2. Contractor - The property we offered on will need cosmetic rehab, but most major capex items (roof, water heater, furnace, electrical) have been updated within the last 5-8 years. Our realtor has a couple of contractors he recommends, and we will definitely be getting their quotes and considering them. We do however want to consider some contractors that aren’t associated with the realtor we are working with, if for no other reason than verifying cost estimates and shopping around a bit. So any recommendations for contractors in Columbus who are good at working with OOS investors would be much appreciated. We would rather have someone who will work quickly and get the job done right over someone who is a bit cheaper but is going to do bad work.

3. Property management - In the same vain as the contractors, our realtor has some PM recs but we do want to shop around a bit on this as well. We know that this piece can absolutely make or break the investment and want to make sure we have a solid, honest PM company.


Thanks so much and looking forward to getting everyone’s recommendations!