Where would you look for some day labor ?
 

We got a vacancy in one of our rentals, and want to throw a quick rehab at it. Need to remove some cabinets, gut one room down to studs, and a good general clean up ,rip up some flooring, and some minimal painting etc.
We got our finish carpenter, just need about 80 hours of labor to give the place a quick refresh, and some updates .
We used to do it all ourselves in our spare time, which neither of us have anymore .
Craigslist? Local college? I want to be able to give someone the key, a list, and see them at the end of the week to pay them .

Fred - the short answer is there's a lot of places to find them, but could you trust them? Would you believe they had the skills they say they do? Are you sure that this wouldn't be a recon of your and your families assets to be taken advantage of at a later date?

I know it may sound extreme - but I've been through it.

Sounds like you need more than day labor.
If you want to leave a list and come back at the end of the week.
You could use a crew with tools and an experienced leader.

Cheers Richard

Also, should they slip and fall, you are on the hook. F that. Not worth it, IMO. You save a few bucks now, but you may have to pay later. Be careful with that Fred. Why do you think they are day laborers? That's because they can't get a real job due to their inability to perform a certain task. Responsibility is usually a major factor. Not all are like that, but are you willing to take the risk?

I did that kind of work in high school a few times, found jobs through a teacher/admin friend. Any chance you know a boyscout or church group member or leader?

I advertise on Craigslist when I have spare time.

I get a decent number of inquiries.

You will find a 'handyman' there. Meet at the job site, make sure you trust him.

It might be worth the time to look into/RFQ a few local companies that specialize in that sort of thing. You could start by web-searching phrases like "property preservation", "make ready", "property trash-out", "rental clean-out", etc. for your area.

I agree... better to hire a contractor who does this sort of thing so they have all the insurance/liability covered.
Ask you finish carpenter, he may know someone or could recommend someone he has worked with.

Call a few property management firms and ask for referrals. Most of them are paper pushers and don't know much, but you might luck out. Sometimes a good real estate agent or janitorial or building maintenance company may know of someone. We have guys like that on my contact list, but those have been chance finds.

I'm going through the same scenario. Long time tenant in Reno moving at the end of this month. She is a pack rat and the unit is going to need a complete renovation. I don't trust anyone so I'll do it myself. It's going to take me a few months but that's just the way it is.

Over the years, I've tried using family and people I hire from Craigslist for this sort of thing, but it never works out. I've even paid people to do stuff and they never did the work, and claimed they did (I live 1,000 miles from my rentals in Albuquerque).

I have a new vacancy and am driving the 1,000 miles tomorrow to do the work myself. Not fun, but that's life.

Lame!

No affiliation, but these guys might be worth a call for future trash-outs down there:
Albuquerque, NM | MMJR Junk Removal Service
Yelp Reviews

Might even be able to tackle rehab/make-ready stuff too (carpet/paint/drywall/etc.), or likely have good referrals if not.

Fire station

Unfortunately the old adage is true...if you want something done right - do it yourself.

I would try to get a part time helper to assist YOU in doing what's needed. I know you said you didn't have time - but sometimes you have to make the time.

This might be one of those cases....

Unless you know someone, Spend the money to hire a contractor. There is a reason day help is cheap.

Certain thing you pay for. This is one of them. Get a responsible contractor and pay for it so it gets done and enjoy life a bit. Driving 1000 miles to work on a rental is crazy unless you have time to burn like Motion. I am doing the same thing for a very dear friend now. Her rental manager wants to rape her with all sort of BS and over charge for everything in the book. A simple 50k remodel has turned into a 85K ugly estimate. As much as I dislike doing those type of work, I had to step in and put a stop to this rip off. That manager hates my guts because I give him no fooking kick back. Oh we start after Thanksgiving. My guys hate it.

You can deduct a contractor......

That used to work but the new guys don't want day off work.
Try the entrance to a Home Depot parking lot. The day laborers hang out there looking for work.

I found a good maintenance/handyman/light contractor through a property management person who is a friend of the family. We have a 6 unit apt. building. I have him do the heavier lifting stuff, my wife and I do cleaning, painting, window coverings, etc. The last unit was a "light turnover" and he wasn't involved. I put in a toilet, re caulked, etc. The previous one required gutting the bathroom. I handed that off to him.

Giving a key to day laborers hanging out at Home de Pot?
You must live life on the edge, brother. :eek: