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The Hazards of a DIY Handyman

Local Plumber Fixing the Sink at a Ramsey County Rental PropertyWhen you’re a Ramsey County rental property investor who happens to have a few handyman skills, there’s a good chance that you execute a lot of your property maintenance tasks yourself. While quite a few property maintenance and repairs are relatively low-risk for the DIY landlord, some carry higher stakes. When it comes to electrical and plumbing work, a lack of expertise could cause you to accidentally injure yourself or even result in the problem getting worse. For this reason, even do-it-yourself rental property owners should understand how to handle the numerous hazards of electrical and plumbing work – and when to call the professionals.

There are several reasons why property owners want to handle their property maintenance and repairs personally. Some do it to save money by solving small issues. Others feel fulfilled knowing that they have done the job themselves. And even others just might enjoy doing the job. But for plumbing and electrical tasks, it is important to know which repairs you can safely do yourself and when it’s smarter to hire a licensed professional.

As far as electricity, the more you know, the safer you are. Simple maintenance tasks like replacing light bulbs, outlets, and breakers can often be completed quickly and safely. You can reduce the risk of injuries if you take proper precautions by shutting off electricity before starting the job.

Still, any repair or maintenance tasks involving electricity carries inherent risks. Even if you think that you have turned the power off, you might have overlooked it. And if you’re not confident about your wiring job, you could damage light fixtures, appliances, and more. Even small mistakes can result in electrocuting yourself or causing an electrical fire. Either way, instead of saving some money, you’ve now created new, more costly, and time-consuming issues – and you might have put your tenants in danger, too. These are all good reasons to consider hiring a licensed electrician to perform even basic electrical repairs and maintenance.

The same is true for plumbing repairs. Simple fixes such as replacing a toilet stopper or installing a new shower head are things that most do-it-yourselfers can handle safely. Mostly when it’s more of a maintenance task than an urgent repair, basic plumbing fixes shouldn’t take too much time or expertise.

Though, if it’s a more serious circumstance, you’ll be better off calling a professional. If your tenant calls you in a hurry over a broken pipe, a backed-up drain, or malfunctioning garbage disposal, this is not the time to try and figure out how to fix it yourself. The longer water is flowing unchecked into your rental home, the more damage it will cause. As a property owner, you have to address urgent plumbing repairs in the most efficient way and as quickly as possible. And most of the time, that means having a plumber who can provide high-quality service.

However, even if you are not dealing with an urgent issue, sometimes contacting an electrician or plumber is still the best solution. While the price is a little higher than if you did the job yourself, it’s essential to keep in mind that hiring a professional contains valuable benefits. Professionals typically carry proper insurance, have professional tools and equipment for each task, and can accomplish the work quickly and professionally. All things considered, it might be best to hire someone to handle all of the electrical and plumbing work your rental property needs.

To avoid the trouble of finding a maintenance team, contact the Ramsey County property management professionals at Real Property Management Viking and don’t hesitate to inquire about our services.

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