There is a natural law that operates in the physical environment, and most of us are totally unaware. Even though we see the proof of its existence and operation, we mostly fail to acknowledge it.
That is the Law of Atrophy, and it simply says that everything around us is aging, decaying, or wearing out. It means that your car engine will corrode, and your smartphone will deteriorate, even if you don’t use them.
Atrophy presents a problem for anyone who owns any physical items. But for homeowners or landlords, its effect can be maddening. From the moment you install any component or system in your home, the law starts to act on it, and the countdown to its eventual breakdown starts.
That is why water pipes in your home may appear to be entirely okay today, only to burst tomorrow. And why a water heater in your rental property develops a leak on a Sunday morning.
The law of atrophy is why things often go wrong in the home without any apparent cause. But what can you do about it? How can you prevent the eventual breakdown of the structures and components of your home or rental?
The answer is simple; the only antidote to the law of atrophy is regular and adequate maintenance. Since we cannot stop things from breaking down, the only thing we can do is slow the process.
As a homeowner or rental property operator, you must find ways to keep your property one step ahead of decay and damage. We advise you to deploy an effective maintenance routine. One that will help you stay abreast of the condition of items and avoid nasty surprises.
The program should prevent unnecessary expenses by letting you know when replacing an item is a better option than repairing it. The program must have three distinct qualities:
Timeliness
It should help you detect faults before they become actual damage; it avoids problems by preventing them. Rather than being reactionary, you are proactive with your maintenance.
Professionalism
Perform repairs so effectively that you will not have to do it twice. Diagnose problems properly so that you don’t spend money on the wrong solutions.
Cost-effectiveness
Not only should you never have to spend twice to solve the same problem, but you should also only have to spend the exact amount of money needed to solve the problem.
How can landlords and homeowners create a maintenance program with these qualities? The truth is creating a maintenance schedule with these qualities is beyond the expertise of most landlords or homeowners.
And this is the reason why every homeowner and rental property owner needs a competent handyman to oversee the maintenance needs of their property, says Alltrade Management. Who is a handyman, and how can they help you make the most of your maintenance budget?
Who is a handyman?
A handyman is a licensed workman who has the training to handle a variety of home repair jobs. Although they receive formal training and are licensed just like specialists, handymen are not specialists.
While specialists focus on a specific field - electrical systems, HVAC, or plumbing - handymen are something of a jack of all trades. But this quality makes them suitable to handle most of the small repair jobs that tend to show up in homes. Handymen are ideal for repairs where a specialist is not needed.
Why you need a handyman
Efficiency
- Managing the physical maintenance of your home or rental can be overwhelming. Not only due to the sheer number of things to be done but also because of the diversity of the tasks. But managing these different issues is not a problem for a handyman.
- The handyman serves as a one-stop-shop for all the property’s maintenance needs. And if a problem is bad enough to need a specialist’s attention, the handyman often knows the best person to call and can help the person understand the problem.
Cost
- Specialists charge far more for their services than handymen do. And if you had to call a specialist for every small repair issue in the home, the cost would be astronomical. Apart from the cheaper rates, a handyman would usually solve the problem as the specialist.
- Moreover, you can also get the handyman to look at other issues while on your property. That is something you could never do with a specialist because they would probably not know what to do.
- Reliability
Especially during the winter, odd hours of the night, weekends, holidays, or if you own rental properties, you know the importance of having reliable help at a moment’s notice. Having a handyman with whom you have a standing agreement ensures that you will always have professional help when you need it. It means that during emergencies, you will not use less qualified persons or pay exorbitant fees to get hold of an experienced repairman.
