Craigslist

Kevin recently posted an interesting article about How to Find Good Contractors. I have to agree with him; networking with other landlords is the best way to find good contractors. Sometimes, these contractors think like investors. This can be helpful if you’re new to the game, like me.

We have already established that contracting cheap is not worth it for serious repairs: electrical, gas or plumbing.

My triplex needs a lot of miscellaneous work though. I need to repair the trim on doors, replace a cellar door, craft kitchen floor boards, and replace random pieces of exterior wood. This is in addition to the debris remaining from our carport demolition.

These repairs don’t require a lot of skill, but they do require time. So, it’s time for me to find some hired help. Where does a frugal, novice landlord turn?

Craigslist.

Looking for contractors on Craigslist can be efficient and cost-effective. Many people make their entire living off of Craigslist. I guarantee that you can find someone willing to do the work for the price you’re willing to pay. It’s not all flowers and sunshine though. There are just as many dishonest and unqualified people out there trying to make a dime. Here are a few rules to follow when using Craigslist to hire contractors.

1. Do not post your phone number, email address or property address on your Craigslist post. You’re trying to save time by hiring help. Don’t waste it away answering questions to no avail.
2. Itemize each repair requested in your post. Post pictures to reference repairs if you can. Transparency allows people to offer honest bids for the work.
3. Sign a name to your post, but only a first name. You don’t want them to be able to look your property up if they know it’s vacant, right? *Ladies, I don’t sign my name. I use my boyfriend, Eric’s. It makes me feel less vulnerable, and Eric will most likely be on-site directing them anyway.
4. Do not provide any information beyond what is needed. This is especially important when you’re issuing multiple posts. People who work off of Craigslist can easily piece together your information based on your signature or pictures. I posted once that I had recently purchased a truck. Someone responding to an unrelated post mentioned it. Watch out.
5. Provide people with specific instructions to follow when responding to your post. Ask that they itemize their bid for each repair requested. At a minimum, I ask that people respond with their first and last name, phone number, whether or not I can text them, and their itemized bids. If they don’t follow directions when responding, rule them out!
6. Call your Craigslist respondents. Ask them questions like what vehicle they drive and what tools they plan on bringing to the job. You may want to tell them you’ll call them back after speaking with the other potentials. Be discerning.
7. If they don’t arrive at the agreed upon time, cancel and start over again. Craigslist is less dependable than Kevin’s recommendations, but it can be worth it. I get better deals when people blind bid for the work.
8. After the work has been completed, pay the agreed upon price. Only pay your contractor for the work that has been finished. If you ask your respondents to itemize their bids, this step will be easy.

I rank my respondents based on their email professionalism and bid amounts. Good indicators are people who sell themselves a bit, people who respond with a business name and people who respond with a picture of their truck, trailer or tools. As Kevin said though, follow your gut. Be guarded with your personal information and property until you have developed a working relationship.

I will concede that buying, selling, and hiring help off of Craigslist takes time and patience. I’m a beginning investor though; all I have is time and patience.

I’m building a Rolodex from the ground up.