Do It For Me

Last November I learned a lesson  about setting limitations to which rental property projects I do myself and which ones I hire out.  I have a fairly major repair project this weekend that someone is doing for me.

Here it is March 1st and I'm already spending money.  I don't like spending money on repairs.  But one of my townhouses has a cracked bathtub.  There is only one full bathroom in this unit and the tub is leaking into a utility closet on the first floor.  I applied a fiberglass patch a couple weeks ago, but the crack has grown since then and the patch is peeling off, too.  So much for temporary and cheap.

Yesterday I went to Lowe's to try to figure out whether I could replace the unit myself.  I met a really helpful employee who does this kind of work and claims to have 30 years experience doing it.  I did some research online about what it should cost to replace a bathtub/shower unit (materials and labor) and think I am getting a fair deal by giving him the job.

I am paying $800 in labor, plus materials.  That hurts.  A good bit of pain, actually.  But this is a fairly complex project and the unit is occupied.  My guy promises he can complete the project in one day, which means I don't have to find another place for my tenants to bathe.  I also learned back in November that I have a knack for turning small problems into bigger problems, particularly when there is water involved.  Rather than take a chance on breaking something that's not supposed to be broken, I'm going to swallow my pride once again and hire a pro.