Property preservation work can yield a solid revenue stream for service providers who understand how to navigate it. But because property preservation profit margins tend to be thin, finding success and longevity in this line of work requires mastering a few key best practices. Here are six essentials for growing your handyman services business and increasing your returns on property preservation work.
Extra trips and time spent returning to properties can significantly cut into a property preservation vendor’s profitability, so you want to avoid repeat visits whenever possible. This requires being thorough in your work, from ensuring you have the basic materials for the job to confirming you’ve completed all checklists and taken all of the required photos. The best place to start is by thoroughly reviewing the work order and ensuring you understand all the requirements before your mortgage services work ever begins and creating a project plan at the outset.
Buying commonly used materials in bulk can help ensure you’re well-equipped to complete your work order. Taking advantage of starter packages and sales online before you need them for a job is a great way to accomplish this. Here are a few of the materials, tools and pieces of equipment you’ll want to consider having on hand to maximize your efficiency as a property preservation vendor.
| MATERIALS | QUANTITY |
| Keys | 4 (1 of each keycode) |
| Locksets | 4 (1 of each keycode) |
| Knob locks | 4 (1 of each keycode) |
| Deadbolts | 4 (1 of each keycode) |
| Padlocks | 5 |
| Hasps | 5 |
| Lockboxes | 5 |
| Plywood | 1 sheet |
| 2x4s, 16 ft. | 1-2 |
| Carriage bolts | 2 packs |
| DRYLOK (mildew-resistant waterproofer | 1 gallon |
| DampRid, 11 oz. bucket | 2-3 |
| Dryer caps | 25-pack |
| Waterline caps, 1/2" and 3/4" | 10-pack |
| Electrical caps | 24-pack |
| Smoke detectors (battery-operated) | 5 |
| CO2 detectors (battery-operated) | 5 |
| TOOLS & EQUIPMENT | QUANTITY |
| Drill/drill bits (12- to 20-volt, battery operated) | 1 |
| Spotlight flashlight (LED, 700-lumen, 3 modes) | 1 |
| Standard toolset (screwdrivers, wrenches, hammer, utility knife, etc.) | 1 of each |
| Lawnmower (push) | 1 |
| Lawnmower (rider/zero-turn) | 1 |
| Weed eater/edger | 1 |
| Hedge trimmer | 1 |
| Air compressor (150 psi) | 1 |
| Shop-Vac (9-gallon) | 1 |
| Vacuum (battery-operated) | 1 |
| Cleaning supplies (all-purpose, bathroom and kitchen) | 1 of each type |
| Toilet brush | 2 |
| Antifreeze (non-toxic, 1 gallon) | 3 |
| Pest spray (hornets and bees) | 1 |
| Snow shovel | 1 |
| Salt (40-lb. bag) | 1 |
| Portable generator (4,000-watt, optional) | 1 |
You’ll also want to have the appropriate property postings required by the client, so make sure you have the necessary materials for your job.
Working on jobs at a property repeatedly can expose you to other mortgage services work and opportunities to bid on work. For example, if you’re working at a house every two weeks, you’re more likely to see something that has changed or needs to be repaired or maintained, so keep your eyes open for potential jobs you could work on there as well such as landscaping maintenance or repairs following a storm.
To take advantage of those potential jobs, you’ll want to zero in on the tasks that are listed as allowables in the work order—for both ICC (in conveyance condition) and general preservation work orders. This will increase your odds of getting your bid accepted and reduce time wasted bidding on items (like aesthetic upgrades, for example) that are unlikely to be approved. For example, when you’re doing a grass cut, check the growth on bushes up against the house and confirm whether it’s an allowable in your work order.
Efficiently routing your work can save you time, gas and resources and is critically important to your success as a property preservation vendor. Various software options are available to help you devise the most efficient routes before you even get in your truck. But even more critical is confirming property addresses up front to ensure no time is wasted.
Another way to maximize your route and boost your profits is to complement your property preservation work with other work you can pick up along your route. Picking up additional jobs in your geographic territory allows you to work your territory more strategically. You may not always have the volume you’re hoping for in property preservation, but you can still increase your overall volume with additional clients both in property preservation and other clients you find.
If you’re aiming to build your portfolio in property preservation, consider partnering with MCS to enjoy the benefits our property preservation network can provide.