12/24/2017 How to find the best handymen on CraigslistCraigslist has a bit of a shady reputation when it comes to finding reliable handymen, but there’s no denying it can be an invaluable resource once you know how to screen out the junk. So, without further ado, here’s the tried and proven method we use to hone in on the cream of the Craigslist crop.
4.) The text of your ad is extremely important. It should convey professionalism (i.e. no typos) and provide specific instructions for prospects to follow. You want to hire someone who can read and follow instructions, so this serves as an effective pre-qualifying tool. The more information you ask for, and the more specific you are in your requests, the easier it is to eliminate time wasters and unqualified candidates. Here are a few suggestions for what to ask for:
5.) Set compensation to “Varies based on experience.” For contact information, enter your email address and check the box for CL mail relay. Do not provide a phone number—you want to force prospects to respond in writing (by email) to see if they follow the instructions you provided in your ad.
6.) If you’re going to use the responses to pre-qualify prospects, then it is important to think about what you consider acceptable responses to each of your requests. For some questions (e.g. name, email address, cell phone number) there’s no right or wrong answer—you’re just looking for complete information. For other questions, you should be prepared to disqualify the prospect based on the substance of the response (e.g. you may not want to hire someone who does not have a vehicle and tools). There are not necessarily right and wrong answers to things like labor rate and experience, but the information is useful for comparing candidates. Finally, do not hesitate to eliminate prospects for ignoring a question. 7.) For each response to your ad, run through your pre-qualification checklist and add the qualified leads to a follow up list. After a week or so, you should have a good number of promising candidates, and from there you can start interviewing and inviting vendors out to give estimates. Back in November, we picked up a 24 unit complex about 4 miles north of the center of Fort Lauderdale. The property consists of two 2-story buildings, each with 12 units. All the units are identical 2 bed/1 bath units, each just under 1,000 square feet. We liked this building for various reasons. It had been poorly managed for several years, so we knew we could add value just by improving the quality of management. Related, there was a lot of deferred maintenance. We saw this as an opportunity to improve resident satisfaction and increase the value of the building. The property also offered an opportunity to diversify into a lower income neighborhood where we could provide high quality housing to tenants receiving government assistance for their rent payments. Here are a few photos of the building before we acquired it: This is one of the more extensive renovation projects we’ve undertaken to date. In addition to floor-to-ceiling renovations throughout, we’ve been replacing 80 percent of the AC units, replacing the roof on one of the buildings, repainting the exterior, resealing and re-striping the parking lot, and increasing curb appeal with some new landscaping. At the same time, we’ve been working hard to get the tenant base in order—when we bought the building, almost half of the units were occupied by non-paying tenants. Despite the challenges, we managed to get the first renovated unit on the market last week. Not bad for a month’s work! We still have a long way to go, but overall we’re very happy with the way this one has turned out. One of the best parts of a project like this is the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve been getting from tenants as we work to improve their community. If all goes as planned, we’ll soon have nothing but happy tenants, happy investors, and another successful project under our belt. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the ongoing renovations: Well maintained properties reflect pride of ownership and demonstrate professionalism to your tenants and neighbors. Furthermore, if your tenants see you going the extra mile to keep their community in good shape, they're much more likely to reciprocate. There are any number of things you can do during a routine visit to keep your properties looking nice, so why not take a few minutes to show your tenants you care? Here’s a simple routine to get you started:
As you can see, none of these are grueling or time consuming tasks. Moreover, as you get into the habit of running through the checklist, you’ll start to see fewer things that need to be fixed or tidied each time you visit the property. It’s a really simple way to improve your value as a property manager, increase tenant satisfaction, and preserve the value of your property. So, next time you’re at your property, ask yourself, “What can I do right now to make my property look nicer?” |
AuthorChristopher Kennedy and Jonathan Kennedy. Archives
January 2018
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PO Box 222, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302
Phone: (855) 563-8273
PO Box 222, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302
Phone: (855) 563-8273