A Stitch In Time Saves Nine Is True For Your Rental Home by Kenny Doucette

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A Stitch In Time Saves Nine Is True For Your Rental Home
by Kenny Doucette

Prevention is often the best cure and that holds true for preventative maintenance. By fixing as well as rectifying small fixes before they transform into huge headaches leads to a reduction in maintenance expenses and this is what preventative maintenance is all about. The act of cleaning furnaces, replacing defective fire/smoke detectors as well as frayed electrical cords, all fall under this category.

The testimony to this fact is YOU. Whenever you see a new home, can you tell if it was well maintained? Most of you would answer yes. And believe me, perception plays a major role in the valuation of homes in the US. The market is slow right now, thanks to the subprime mortgage lending crisis and the signs for the future are in red as well. A bargain that looked good even 12 months ago may not work today. If you want your investment in a home to be profitable, start with prevention. It takes discipline and habit. But it can be done if you follow just a few simple rules around the house.

1. Small fixes are big issues: One may be bound to play down the issue of small fixes, thinking that it is but a small crack. But even a small crack can be an indication of something bigger yet to come. Preventative maintenance ensures the safety of the building concerned, the quality of the structure and a reduced maintenance expense.

2. Make trips to your property: Making scheduled visits to your property you can identify the potential problems way before they become something else altogether. Whether it is your every day residence or a vacation structure, it is essential to make preventative maintenance a part of your normal routine.

3. Get professional help: It may not be possible to do all the checks by yourself so delegate the job to a professional. The professional can visit your property at set times or after certain events to carry out an inspection of your property so as to ensure that everything is fine. He or she can identify the problem areas and inform you of the same right away. A preventative maintenance checklist should help you in keeping tabs on the problem areas. An inspection must be done at least once in 12 months for regular rental homes. For vacation homes, an inspection every 3-6 months is recommended.

4. Do it often: Fixing a few things every quarter is much easier and cost effective than doing major repairs and a dozen changes every couple of years.

The information gathered should be used for getting all the problem areas checked out and the requisite repairs carried out as soon as possible. Not later, right then and there. By doing so, the value of your property is bound to increase and your maintenance expenses should come down. Adopting preventative maintenance as a part of your property management strategy, you are improving the health of your building as a whole. As an experienced vacation home veteran, I can say this from experience. Simple fixes and upgrades can sustain and increase the value of your property. There is no one formula.

Author's Biography:

Kenny Doucette has written for several travel publications and operates http://www.VacationRentalHotSpots.com. Visit his blog at http://blog.VacationRentalHotSpots.com to know more about renting vacation homes and condos.

Posted on: June 3,2008

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