How much should i fix on a rental property

Question

I'm planning to buy a new house to live in and rent out my current house. My current house is in pretty good shape but does need some stuff repaired and i'm wondering what needs to be fixed before i rent and what can wait until later.

Here's a list of some of the stuff i'm thinking needs to be fixed before i rent but i'd like the forums opinion.

-Windows. Currently most of the windows in the house are ok but 2 windows are rotted and wont open. The windows are in two different bedrooms, one in each bedroom, and each bedroom still has a window that opens.

-Circuit breaker box. When we remodeled our kitchen the placement of the breaker box put it on the side of where the fridge goes, so whenever we blow a breaker we have to pull the fridge out get to the box. The box needs to be flipped so it would be on the other side of the wall.

-Small crack in tub liner. I dont know if i need a new tub liner or if i cut just use epoxy to fix the crack.

-Gutter. We have pvc gutters that are horrible and clog all the time so they over flow. Can i have the tenant clean them regularly or would it be better to just get gutter guards or new gutters?

I know it's not a huge list and there's probably a bunch of small stuff i could add but these are the main things. I'm pretty sure i have to move the breaker box but can the other stuff wait or should it all be fixed first?

Kelly N. · Answer

Hello,

I would fix all but maybe the gutter.  If fixing the gutter is expensive, I would plan on cleaning it out myself periodically or hiring it out- asking the tenant to do it is a liability.  They either won't do it or they could fall and sue.

Where we have properties, all windows must be functioning, but it's good that you have other windows in the bedrooms, so you might be able to delay this as long as the functioning windows meet egress requirements.

Moving the circuit breaker box sounds like a must to me, I wouldn't want to wrestle a fridge in order to flip a breaker in the dark ;)

The tub liner sounds like a cheap fix, so just fix it.

Just my 2c!

Kelly

Roy Gutierrez · Answer

I would try to fix as much as your budget allows. I'm of the belief that if u put more into the property u will have better pool of tenants to choose from and a higher rent (if the house is not in a good area that's another story)

I'm actually in the same situation as u, my problem now is picking the right person, everyone that came here liked the place, I kind of splurged and hated to see my money bleeding while doing different fixes BUT it feels good to have people love your house and agree to your asking price!

James Wilcox · Answer

• Windows: fix and patch but probably not worth a full replacement. Also depends on rules for your state. 
• Circuit box: not worth moving but seems you got an issue that needs to be addressed. Fix the problem. They should not be tripping. 
• Tub liner: not sure how well the epoxy stuff works. Might be worth replacing / might not with the fix. 
• gutters: get a gutter guard or hire someone to clean them. I vote guard. Definitely do not have the tenants clean the gutters.

My two cents based on information given.

Mike Hurney · Answer

@Jon Swift

-Circuit breaker box. When we remodeled our kitchen the placement of the  breaker box put it on the side of where the fridge goes, so whenever we  blow a breaker we have to pull the fridge out get to the box. The box  needs to be flipped so it would be on the other side of the wall.

I'm more interested in why the breakers are tripping? Maybe get an electrician to run or separate a couple of circuits?

Jon Swift · Answer

Since money will be tight would i be able to rent the house in its current condition and just tell the tenant when i plan to fix everything. Like the windows will be fixed in 3 months and the breaker box in 6 months?

Stephen E. · Answer

Tub liners can be a problem. I had one that repeatedly cracked and the vendor tried but failed to fix it. The whole bath needed replacing. In my experience small cracks in tub liners only get worse as they come under stresses when people use the tub to shower or bathe. I for one am never getting a tub liner installed again; the one we had was installed by the previous owner. If we ever have bath problems we are taking the bath out and installing a basic steel model.

Sergio Garcia · Answer

Defintely fix the rotten windows, if the hole in the tub small enough I would use epoxy to repair it. The breaker is fine were its at unless you got a problem with the breakers tripping then it needs to be address. Unless you're selling it do the cosmetics and rent it out.

Matthew Paul · Answer

i would not worry about the breaker box .  Or you could move the refrigerator.   Fix everything , its called maintenance . More problems will pop up , its a house . Stay on top of maintence before they become problems

Dawn Anastasi · Answer

Here is what I would do:

1) I would definitely replace the rotting windows.  You don't want rot in any part of your house.

2) The circuit breaker box should be fine where it is.  So you have to pull out the fridge -- if your breakers are blowing that often, then there's something else to investigate, not the placement of the box. Besides, now the fridge hides the ugly box.

3) Small crack in the tub liner - you don't have a picture posted on here, so I would say to fix it with epoxy unless its such that it's just going to keep happening and cause you more issues down the road.

4) Gutters - I don't want tenants getting up on ladders cleaning gutters.  That said, I would invest in some gutter guards if you've got a lot of trees around.

Jon Swift · Answer

The house has central air and we just replaced the A/C unit last summer. So cooling the rooms in the summer isnt a problem.

I probably didn't describe the circuit breaker box well enough but its in a divider wall in the middle of the kitchen. The wall comes out as deep as the fridge and separates the kitchen from a small dinning area. Flipping the box to the other side of the wall would make it easier to access. I plan to do it eventually because i dont want to worry about tenants pulling the fridge out whenever a break blows.

How much should i fix on a rental property

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