Your A team property vendors list

by | Jul 8, 2016 | Landlord & Tenant, Property Management |

Your A team property vendors list

A large part of successful property management is that of your A team property vendors list.  This vendor’s list will be super handy when your tenant calls in the middle of the night with a burst geyser, putting pressure on you in keeping to your emergency time clause.  It is for this reason that it would be recommended that you start building your own A team property vendors list with your local professional services.

 

1. Who goes on the A team property vendors list?

  • Electrician
  • Plumber
  • Cleaning Service
  • Painter
  • General handyman
  • Garden/Pool Service
  • Lock Smith
  • Roofers
  • Pest Control
  • Property Lawyer
  • Electric Fencing
  • Alarm Company

Depending on your property and your location you might need to add a few more vendors, but these are the main vendors any property owner needs.

 

2. How to Select your property A team?

Many would say selecting your A team is the difficult task.  This I agree with, because finding a professional that is precise on their craft, reasonable with the prices and professional as a “professional”, can be harder to find than we like. You will have to go through a trial and error process in finding your desired professional.

Keep in mind the process you would go through with any vendor of any sorts, consider

 

  • The type and scope of their services

It is often more convenient to use one vendor that has a large scope of services, than using several smaller vendors. This way you have one bill to pay and one vendor invading your tenant’s privacy.

 

  • Their testimonials and Ratings

It is essential that you check out their testimonials and ratings.  Go through their social media and other rating sites. Peer to peer reviews are still the best method we have.

 

  • How fast they respond to inquiries

Waiting 48 hours for a response is far too long.  You have a 24h policy clause, your vendor should have had fixed the problem by now, not only made contact.  Quick responses are essential!

 

  • How reliable they are

Being on time is important, especially as your tenants will have to wait for the vendor.  Make sure your vendors keep to their times, as waiting is one sure way to an aggravated tenant.

 

  • What pricing structure do they use

“You get what you pay for”, this is absolutely true in the service industry.  Going for the cheapest vendor will not always yield happy results.

Select vendors that gives you good value for money, have an eye for precision and that doesn’t alienate your tenants.

 

  • What licenses and experience do they have

An experienced vendor is essential as they will save you money in the long run.  They tend to not be the cheapest, but they tend to find and fix your maintenance problems faster, better, and for not to much more than expected.

Consider actually checking their licenses, especially for your permanent vendors.

 

3. Keeping your vendors happy

Perfect vendors are worth their weight in Gold.  It is for this reason that you want to keep them as happy as you can.  Understandingly you need to be firm as you are still paying for a service, but there are several project management tools you can use to ensure a happy tenant and vendor.

 

  • Communicate, communicate, communicate

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to not communicate to your tenants and your vendors.  Make sure that all parties are included in what and when things are going to happen.  Your tenant needs to feel that they are included in the decision making, especially as the vendor will be invading their space (they are paying for it monthly after all:)

Give your tenants a check-up email after the repairs.  Asking them about the quality of work and the quality of the vendor (personality wise).

 

  • Pay on time

This is an easy one, just pay your vendors on time and in full.  They will be far more willing to do business with you if they know you will pay as agreed.

 

  • Make use of a property management company

This A team property vendors list is somewhat of a daunting task for most landlords.  Especially as this is not a once-off list, you will be adding and deleting from this list as long as you are a DIY landlord.  If this becomes too time consuming then I would suggest you give a property management company, such as Mafadi a call.  These property management companies are experienced with your property maintenance concerns, and they already have their own A team property vendors list:)

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Written by Lizl Brink, Lizl is copywriter and designer based in Johannesburg, she is also a frequent contributor to the Mafadi blog, and as an Urban investor and rejuvenation shares a passion for urban regeneration, go check out her personal portfolio here
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