Rehabber · Niantic, CT · Member since 2012 · 443 posts · 150 votes
I know this has been touched on in the past, but things change year-by-year and I thought I'd bring it up again.
I'm looking for ideas on holiday thank-you gifts for contractors - what kind of gift do you purchase, at about what price point, and how far down the line of subcontractors do you go (if you go down the line at all)? fyi, I use a general contractor but have gotten to know some of the subcontractors fairly well.
I've heard Home Depot gift cards or restaurant gift cards in the past and I like those ideas. Anything else?
Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
12y
We buy them a full hour but if we buy several certificates she gives us a discount on the o/all cost. A couple can split it between them & the now slightly envious wife gets her 30mins.
In fact one of the wives is now a steady client because of her migraines, apparently the little masseuse has magic hands.
We are also doing this for older family members instead of the proverbial good bottle of wine etc.
Rental Property Investor · Northville, MI · Member since 2013 · 263 posts · 183 votes
11y
This year I'm giving $50 dinner gift cards each to:
- my main handyman, who has helped renovate 8 units this year, plus bailed me out when a tenant's fridge went out when I was on vacation and the spare new fridge was in a storage unit.
- the HVAC guy, who I count on to fix my tenants' furnaces and A/C the day they go out, and has very reasonable pricing
- my plumber, who has unclogged many a drain, changed hot water heaters post haste, and changed garbage disposals and faucets when needed, so I don't have to.
- my painter/drywall guy/cleaner husband/wife team, who charge me the same whether it takes 1, 2, or 3 coats of paint to cover the nasty colors a former landlord allowed
- the floor refinishing guy, who has done a good job on 8 or 9 floors this year. I'm not a big client, but he fits me in when I need the work done.
As a small-scale landlord, I don't have full-time staff, but count on these people to keep 20 units running smoothly, and consider $50 reasonable to help keep me on their list of customers to prioritize.
Lexington, MI · Member since 2014 · 92 posts · 29 votes
11y
I'm the son of a contractor. Give them food they wouldn't normally buy but stuff they know. Fancy meat, fancy cheese and nice plates to put it on. Stuff you eat on the couch watching TV. That's what I'd get my dad and he's a contractor. Good food and good people go a long way. Just show up and give a gift in honest humility for the work the person does. It will be appreciated.
All said I'm giving my dad ground venison, ground top serloin, local raised pork chops and a bag of peanut butter cups for Christmas.
Wholesaler · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2012 · 259 posts · 147 votes
11y
Great thread, @Karin Crompton . I have a GC who runs a crew of 4 primary guys who are at the job-site daily. The GC gets nothing and I told him as much since he is the boss. I'm getting $25 Best Buy GCs to the rest of the crew (electrician, plumber, carpenter and finisher). My feeling is that they can get something for themselves there or use it to help offset the cost of their kid's presents. Nothing too fancy, but enough to let them know I appreciate their work.