Being a landlord is a lot of work. Do you ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? From the daily grind of marketing properties and managing leases to the midnight emergency phone calls and trouble making tenants, many landlords are left with no time for themselves.
Your responsibilities as a landlord don’t have to take over your life. With a few time management tips, property management in Houston doesn’t have to be a 24/7 exhausting job. Consider the following time saving tips to make the most out of your work day and have some time to relax:
1. Make lists.
It may seem simple, but many landlords simply don’t have a reliable way to record their daily tasks and responsibilities. Making a list of the tasks you must get done in a particular day or week does wonders for your efficiency. It also helps your state of mind – you’re no longer left with the nagging feeling you’ve forgotten something. You’ll be a better landlord with all of your tasks clearly laid out so you don’t forget anything.
You can use your phone, computer, or a traditional paper planner to record the tasks you need to do that day. Make sure to prioritize things on your list so you know what must be done first. One of the keys to effective time management is knowing when to do a particular task. Emergency requests from tenants should jump to the top of your list.
Don’t forget to write in your personal needs on your list. You need to take a lunch break daily to rest your mind and body, and fortify yourself for the rest of your work day. If you’re hungry, you’re going to be ineffective, bad tempered, and be able to do less overall. Remember the little things to make sure you’re going through your day as effectively as possible.
2. Do one task at a time.
If you have a lot to get done in a particular day, week, or month, it can be difficult to slow down and tackle just one task. However, this is the best way to work through your list of responsibilities. If you’re trying to make phone calls and make repairs at the same time, you’re not going to do either one well. It’s important to focus your attention on one task and follow it through to completion, or however much you can get done at that time, before moving on.
Don’t try to multitask more than you’re capable of. Many people who think they’re effective multi-taskers are simply doing their tasks badly. Leaving one task, taking care of something else, and returning to the first task with no hiccups is difficult, and in most cases simply not going to happen. Getting back in the zone is not a function the brain performs readily. It’s proven that people work more efficiently when they complete one task before moving on.
3. Group together similar tasks.
If you have to make a few phone calls in one day, it doesn’t make sense to call one person in the morning, one in the evening, and one at night (unless you know for sure they have differing schedules). It’s more efficient and effective to deal with similar tasks at one time. It helps you be in the right mental space to take proper care of the tasks, and you’ll get them done faster.
Your list likely has tasks organized by priority, which is a good practice. When you’re going to take care of a task on your list, scan the rest of your responsibilities to see if any similar task can be taken care of at the same time. While that task may be a lower priority, it’s still good to get it done – you’ll save time, brain space, and effort.
4. Break up bigger tasks.
If you have a big responsibility to take care of, it’s easy to keep putting it off by doing smaller things first. This can be a problem once the deadline for the big task begins looming, and you don’t have the time or energy to complete it.
If one task is putting you off because it’s going to take a lot of time or energy, try breaking it into smaller tasks. You can do one of these smaller tasks each day, and eventually you’ll be done. In most cases, it’s starting the process that’s the hardest part. Once you begin by performing the first small section of the big responsibility, you’ll be surprised how much easier it is than it seemed when you were worried about it.
5. Set a time to check your email.
In a world where almost everyone has a smart phone, it’s easy to get sucked into checking your messages or emails when you’re supposed to be doing something else. Email can be a big time suck, particularly if you’re checking it throughout the day.
It’s not necessary to continually check your messages to be informed about what’s going on. Set aside a block of time in the morning or evening to take care of your emails. You’ll be more focused on the task, so you’ll do a better job. Additionally, you won’t be wasting time and brain power later on squinting at your phone at what’s probably not a dire emergency.
6. Don’t waste time on unreliable people.
Most landlords have had this experience: you’re meeting a tenant to give them a walk-through of your property, but he or she never shows up. You receive no phone calls or emails indicating he or she isn’t coming, and chances are, you never hear from him or her ever again. In the meantime, you’ve wasted your time coming out to your property for no reason.
There are ways to avoid getting in these situations. When making an appointment with tenants to show them a property, tell them to call you fifteen or thirty minutes beforehand to let you know they’ll be there. Inform them if they don’t call you, you won’t be at the property to show it to them. If you have an office, have the tenant come there, and you can travel to the property together. This can significantly cut down on wasted time, which, for a landlord, is extremely important.
7. Get a good property management company.
The best favor you can do for yourself as a landlord is to hire an experienced property management company. With Green Residential helping you out, you’ll be amazed at the amount of free time you now have. Contact Green Residential today to learn more.
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