How to Find Solid Maintenance Professionals

It is 8:00 at night and you get a notification from “that tenant”. As your eyes roll back into your head, you are wondering what it could possibly be this time. Finding someone to take care of a maintenance issue can seem like a daunting task. Especially when it needs to be done quickly and your usual person is not available. No matter if you need someone to clean a turned property, do some landscaping work or fix a running toilet, finding a quality person a good price to take care of these tasks can seem overwhelming. Here are a few tips on finding people to take care of those tasks.

• Keep a spreadsheet of people you might need when you come across them. I have a document with the company, person's name (if applicable), phone number, email address, how I heard of them, and if I have used them. Continuing to update this list will make sure you don’t have to stress when you are in a bind.

• If you need a small task completed and it isn’t necessarily a technical one (repairing a clog, garbage disposal, or replacing a faucet), take a look at TaskRabbit.com. There you will find a list of people who are skilled at taking care of any issue you might have. I have found an electrician to repair an open ground wire who was cheaper and faster than calling my usual go-to.

• Ask for recommendations. While you don’t want to ask a painter for another painter recommendation, you can ask a painter for a good drywall installer. Ask professionals who they like to work after. For example, a countertop installer will do their work on top of the cabinet installer, the drywall installer will do their work after the plumber/electrician. They will know the people who do the best work and who to avoid. If your usual person is booked up, ask them if they have a recommendation for someone to use just this time.

• Local Facebook Groups are a great way to connect and keep updated with local topics. I like to follow a few local investing groups just to keep tabs on what other people are experiencing in the area. You can post on there for recommendations and you will get lots of great responses. However, you can also search these groups for keywords and find recommendations instantly. My advice is to search a few different groups and see if there are a few people that get recommend more than others. From there you can research them more online or see who has the right availability and price. Note that it can take a few days to be accepted into these groups so best to plan ahead and be part of the groups ASAP.

• Ask an industry professional. People in “the industry” (whatever industry that might be) will have lots of contacts or contacts who know contacts. Develop a relationship with an industry professional and lean on them when you need to. I would recommend talking to real estate agents, lenders, general contractors, and other investors.

Keeping your property maintained to a high standard will make you and the property stand out when it matters most. While adding a new member to your team of people you work with can be nerve-racking, it is the only way to grow. If you ask for recommendations and do some research on the people, you will most likely have a good addition to your team. Just remember to inspect what you expect from everyone you work with.