All Forum Posts by: Jassem A.

@Wesley W.

The quality of some brands is better than others and I think the type of pipe can make a difference. I've never had one that I installed fail but I've seen some existing ones fail on copper pipe.  My guess is some copper pipe exerts more pressure on the fitting when it freezes. My hope is that quality has improved since then because I am not about to do it the old fashioned way with copper.

I try not to worry too much about frozen pipes because most supply lines are pretty easy to fix with sharkbites. Amazon has couplings online by the 10-pack for a little over 20 bucks. Lowes sells a new type of sharkbite that is cheaper called evopex that works with pex but not copper or cpvc.  I usually use pex anyway because it has some flexibility to it which makes the work easier (and cheaper because elbows are not always needed). Connecting to very old supply lines can be done with cpvc compression couplings or hose clamps and reinforced vinyl tubing but it's better to double up on the hose clamps because they can work loose over time.

@Jake Sanders

I usually hire someone for day-to-day maintenance and then make myself available during turn over for the work that can grow very costly.

It could be very low if you do the work yourself or extremely high if you hire the company with the biggest ad in the yellow pages.  I don't really worry too much about a budget if I am doing most of the heavy lifting even if the home needs substantial work because I know it will probably not bankrupt me unless I start hiring a bunch of people who value their time more than me.

If I were to do it I'd get it just for HVAC and that would be after I realized the HVAC bills for that property were piling up year after year. I saw it offered for $10/mo through one company. Everything else can be purchased or fixed pretty inexpensively for the most part. If you're getting some expensive appliances it could be worth it. If it's a rental I would not supply expensive appliances in the first place. 

If it hasn't been listed for that long then I would continue to accept applications until February or March. They might work out and they might not. I would prefer a mostly sure thing especially in a newly renovated home in a good neighborhood.

The programmable locks are at least $40 but typically closer to $100 and I would think the tenant would still want the key in case the double A batteries dies. A regular deadbolt is about $10. I could see maybe using the programmable locks on something like an airbnb but then I would also want a way to change the code remotely.

If you're doing it yourself I think the tile is easier to work with rather than a big piece of plastic. Also looks better. Tile is also pretty cheap. When I do the "inserts" I  use the 4'x8' sheets of plastic and cut them to fit. They are $20 a sheet which is about the same price as cheap tile per square foot.  I am not sure if it's meant for surrounds or not but it seems easier to work with. I am pretty sure actual inserts costs more than these sheets and are probably harder to work with if your surround is a non-standard dimension. I've also used vinyl siding and corrugated panels for surrounds and it didn't look too bad but it requires marking the studs. If a few tiles fall off in the future, I found that regular caulk works pretty well to reattach them.

At 17 I'd focus on college so that you can be prepared for a career. If you take on a part-time work while in college then I would choose construction work so that you are prepared to own real estate in the future.

The less appliances the better however I usually at least supply a stove.  I prefer no central air because it can sometimes cost a lot to maintain. I think tenants are more attracted to price than amenities. If it's $100-200 less than the competition then they will oftentimes overlook the extra amenities or add them themselves.