How to get good Tradespersons

You could find out who the PM would be using… but they might not be using someone who is reliable or inexpensive. Living in Sydney like yourself, I noticed that the next door rental had new guttering put in via the real estate agent’s tradepeople. The tradepeople didn’t put a downpipe in! The agent didn’t check the job and get them to fix it. Months later the owner came by and noticed the problem.

Another example – my aunt lives in a block of townhouses and the body corporate had to get some work done. They got a quote from their usual tradespeople, and the bill was huge. My Aunt got some independent quotes, and was able to get someone to do it for a third of the price. Often tradespeople charge what they can get away with, so if they’re ‘in’ with the agent they know there’s no competition.

Generally if you need significant work done, you get three quotes for the job. By meeting the people and seeing what they charge (how they break their costs down) etc you should get a good feel for them. However, if you’re just getting someone in for a small job on an occasional as-needs basis, this obviously isn’t practical.

http://www.bangitup.com.au might be of use – you post details of the job, and it gets sent to tradesmen on the database. They respond if they’re interested, and then you can interrogate them . Maybe ask for a couple of recent clients who you can call to see if they were happy with the work.

I don’t know about the situation in WA, but in most of Australia there is a general shortage of tradesmen. This means that they’re often booked up in advance, so if you have an emergency situation or you want priority then expect to pay a premium (to jump the queue). If you have many properties then you may be able to negotiate a deal on the basis that they’ll get a lot of work from you, so they should prioritise you, but if it’s just one IP you have buckleys.

Hey Candy,

My only concern with managing this part yourself is that, because you are a fair distance away, you are reliant on tenants to honestly report on maintenance issues and what needs to be done. You are also reliant on the trades people that supply quotes to only fix what is necessary. I am assuming that you will not be able to travel to WA on a regular basis to check on these things.

I am a strong advocate of not spending money if you can do it yourself but how are you go to manage the tyranny of distance?

Candy,

i too live in Syd and have IPs in WA. Theres is simply no way I will do this without a PM. They charge more than over here – up to 8.5% plus GST but negotiable if you have a few IPs. I have built a good relationship with mine and she gets on top of problems ASAP. Especially with this storm they just had. Also helped out in organising the pre-work and finishes for project homes we’re building. She is truly gold. And if there are any contractors/tradies out there who would like a change of lifestyle or looking for work – head over to WA. Especially the SW – they have work there lined up for the next 18mths. Awesome beaches and magnificent wines. Can’t beat that. Unfortunately I have a desk job