5 Home Improvement Skills Every Property Owner Should Master

Having some light handyman skills will come in handy (pun intended) when you own and manage an investment property. While you don’t need to know everything about all aspects of construction and rehab, it is important to know a little bit about a lot of topics. When hiring a professional, not only will it cost a lot of money, but you will need to wait for when they have time for you in their schedule.

1. Know how to change a light fixture: This is really important because updating a light fixture can give a property an updated feel. The best part is these fixtures are inexpensive and easy to install. For the most part, all fixtures are installed the same way and most come with all the parts needed as well as instructions.
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3. Painting: Knowing how to paint is probably the most important skill you can have. A property needs to be completely repainted or touched up after each turn so this is something that needs to be done constantly. If you can do this yourself, it will save you lots of money in the long run. While you can paint everything the same color which will make it a lot easier for you, painting the trim a lighter color will add some character to your property. Take it from me and get good quality painting supplies and paint (I recommend Sherwin Williams).

1. Tiling: While you won’t need to replace tile very often, this is an easy task and can save you lots of money. The important thing is to make sure you have a good quality tile saw which can be rented from any rental supply company.

1. Basic Plumbing: Plumbers charge a lot of money (and they are worth it) but for simple issues like clogs/slow drains, leaking pipes under the sink, and dripping faucets these are simple tasks anyone can fix.
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3. Cleaning: While this isn’t exactly a rehabbing skill, it is absolutely a home improvement skill. Being able to clean your property in between turns will save you about $250. Renting a carpet cleaner will make a huge difference in how the property looks and smells. Also, make sure all appliances are cleaned out really well, and don’t forget the ceiling fan and windows.

Knowing a little bit about each of these 5 topics will really help you out in the long run by saving you time and money. If you don’t know anything about these topics don’t stress, these are easy topics to learn and there are lots of resources. When you have a specific issue that comes up, looking it up on YouTube will provide you with hundreds of short videos done by professionals in their industry. If you would rather talk to someone about your unique situation, try going to Ace Hardware. They have lots of people who are readily available to answer your questions.