Re:Ask HN: What's the most valuable thing you can learn in a...
by wenc on Wednesday November 20, 2019 @02:52PM
(#21587750)
Absolutely -- most landlords either have to be handy or they have to access to cheap contractors (they "know a guy who knows a guy") to make any money at all on rentals. Otherwise repairs will eat up most of the margin.
I still think as a landlord there are some things you come out ahead on though. You can learn to fix a sprinkler and do it in an hour (maybe 2 counting home depot run). You'd probably have to pay someone a few hundred dollars for even a basic fix. If you own 50 properties of course this wouldn't make sense, but if you are a first-time homeowner then I'd say do it at least once.
Everyone should have that moment of a broken sprinkler head spraying you straight in the face while you figure out where the water shutoff is.