A friend asked me yesterday how the construction was going with my rental.  She follows my progress on Facebook and is surprised I take so much of it in stride.  She’s a landlord, too, and knows how aggravating tenant damage can be.  For me, at this stage of my life, it’s a no brainer.  I think of the truth of the situation:  I had an ideal tenant who paid rent on time for nine years.  Ok, so she moved out with little notice and no deposit, and as she was a smoker, I have to clean every surface, or replace or paint it. For me that means not only replacing all ceiling lights and ceiling fans, but all wall receptacles and light switches, medicine cabinets as well as carpet.  I think my out of pocket is just under $2,000 so far.  So I can’t really complain about the situation.  She’d still be there had she not developed a serious health problem and had to move in with family.  I’m glad she had a happy nine years there and like to think I contributed to her happy life.  So I know that I’m not just readying a rental, I’m creating a home for someone new and that’s a sacred endeavor.

Turning on utilities
We’re making progress at the rental home
Getting my rental property ready for the next lucky tenant
Wear gloves cleaning nicotine damage to avoid poisoning
I clean my rental home of nicotine stains
My tenant is moving out this weekend