Who plugs in your lamps?

Question

Take this example: your cleaners tell you about a broken lamp. You order a new lamp online & ship it - now you just need someone to open the box & plug in the lamp.

Your handyman would do it if you can bundle it with a more beneficial (i.e., lucrative) task but he's not gonna come over just to plug in a lamp bc he's got other higher priority (i.e., lucrative) work.

Your cleaners don't live nearby & don't have any other nearby work in the next 2 days so they can't plug in the lamp.

Wondering how you guys handle this situation? Do you have neighbors in the area who will do little things like coming by to plug in a lamp & then you just Venmo them a little money here & there like $50/month or whatever.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

For something as small as a lamp, it can wait until the next cleaning.

Julie McCoy · Answer

@Mark Miles I have such things shipped to my housekeepers and they take care of it on the next turn.  (and if something had to happen during a guest stay, they're always in the area so that's not really an issue I have to worry about, but worst case if the guests want to use the replacement lamp they can unpack it and plug it in themselves!)

Mark F. · Answer

@Mark Miles *Disclaimer, I use Taskrabbit as a second job.

I'd hire someone off the app Taskrabbit to do it for less than $50 an hour.

Mark Miles · Answer

I’ve been able to solve this in either of 2 ways:

1) If you’re in an area that has neighbors nearby who live there full-time, try to find a neighbor who would like to earn some extra money for tasks like this

2) Or hire someone on taskrabbit / thumbtack / takl to literally sit in your house for a few hours. I’ve had luck using the Pet Sitting or Dog Walker categories to find people willing to do this (they’re used to being in other people’s homes & are typically trustworthy)

Reagen Natho · Answer

I have a similar question... Who do you have wait around to receive a new appliance delivery? I’m currently trying to have a new washer and dryer delivered to my cabin in Sevierville purchased from Lowe’s and being delivered by a 3rd party company. Long story, but basically I was told I could email authorization for the delivery and installation with no one there and apparently that is now not the case. My housekeeper is obviously not going to be able to wait around for it. I don’t want to have to ask a guest to do that either. I tried letting the delivery company know the hour timeframe that the housekeeper would be there and they basically told me that was too short of a window. Should I just hire someone on TAKL to wait around on my next turnover day???

Paul Sandhu · Answer

Once your properties get into the double digits, start buying spare appliances.  I go to estate auctions when I'm not hunting on Saturdays.  If the price is right, I'll buy a washer, dryer, fridge, stove, hot water heater, furniture, whatever.  I have a 20x60 storage unit that I keep all the spare appliances.  If something breaks or is malfunctioning, I just swap the item out.  I'll take the broken item to my garage and fix it there, then take it back to the storage building.  The last house I bought was on a whim.  I already had all the appliances and most of the furniture for the house in storage.  I had bought most of the things before I even considered buying the house.

Cliff H. · Answer

Valid question. I think this speaks to the importance of knowing your team.

Example: I've had a few different cleaners over time and what each person specializes in varies greatly. Just this week my cleaner noticed a leak under the sink that I already knew was the result of the disposal screws coming loose and the drain needing some additional plumber's putty. She called it out in the turnover, but did not want to touch the drain screws  due to fear of "getting zapped" by the disposal. That's perfectly reasonable concern if you're not familiar with how the systems work. Ultimately, yes she was able to tighten the screws and address most of the leak, but it speaks to the importance of having that rolodex of names/contacts for each area of potential repair on your place. I like to think of that as a list of mandatory skillsets I need for STRs versus trying to find someone who can do everything:

• Cleaner: rurnover/cleaning/staging
• Handyman: repair/replace/install of most items
• Plumber: water/kitchen/bath
• Electrician: HVAC/electrical systems
•

Those are my core four and the question of who handles my lamps and Rokus is basically trying my best to ensure everything is as simple as possible for any team member to address, with the complicated stuff (smart locks and Apple TV) as remotely managed as possible so that I (or someone else I hire directly) can fill that gap myself when/where needed.

As another example, I manage college rentals as well, which are traditionally all-utilities-included leases. The idea of bundling in Internet and providing value through a whole-house mesh WiFi infrastructure has come to mind in the past, but what else does that do? Create a huge skill dependency with a complicated setup requiring specialized skillset that's neither cheap nor readily available where this property is located.

Design your place to be as simple as possible, then stock a second of as many different items as possible so the turnover team can quickly swap them out without expending a large amount of mental cycles.

Ken Latchers · Answer

i don't believe in remote STRs. I have a handyman but live near.

Julie McCoy · Answer

@Mark Miles Tech stuff is admittedly harder!  One of my housekeepers is fairly tech savvy and can do those things (I'd be okay with him doing a Roku install, but for stuff like my smart thermostats and Ring cameras I DIY).  If I got in a jam I'd do like Mark Franks does - go to TaskRabbit or Takl and hire someone from there, if available in my area.  I'd also get on the local Facebook group for VR owners in my area and see if they have recommendations.

Who plugs in your lamps?

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