At that point, there was a further wait for essential utilities (electricity and water) and I was not able to move into the unit until November 18th.

For example, my niche is vacant property so I always bring a flashlight because 99% of the the time the electricity is not on.

But I have hired people for plumbing/electrical/handyman/paint before and haven’t had too many issues. 

Perhaps....Sell on better QUALITY at a comparable price point.Some of the bigger guys (right now) are lipstick on a pig as far as quality goes--low end electrical sockets, gaps in the framing, cheap cement slumps etc...

Usually properties are wired with individual electric meters so the tenants handle their own electricity.

Review new listings, figure out desirable neighborhoods etc, etc, basically be the expert in your neighborhood so you know a good value when you see it.Expect to do all the work yourself, besides the obvious, (electrical), not to save money but to learn.Tap into existing local resources(others on this site, etc) and ask for contacts(team members) to start building your network.Don't loose money!

@Kje Franks first I would take the electric out of your name and tell them they must switch it by x date.

We fixed some major safety issues like replacing the electrical panel and upgrading the railings on the deck.

Get in there and fix some frozen pipes, start with a hair dryer and graduate to a space heater, or (like I did) take your wife's favorite 'fancy' electric fireplace and drag it into the crawl space dirt to thaw the main floor P trap under their tub because you have no options and nothing is draining4.

Go to the basement and look at the electric wiring, look at the plumbing, and HBAC.