You Can Take a Holiday!

It's starting to warm up down and we are all dreaming of our Christmas holidays, but one of the hardest things about being self-employed is taking a holiday. Who is going to handle any crises that may come up? How will you get paid? But it is important to everyone to take downtime. So how do you work it so that you can take a holiday and come back recharged and refreshed? Yes it is possible to take a break from the calls and requests.

My first suggestion would be to hire a property manager and you will never have to worry about taking a holiday, but if you like going it alone, here are some tips on making a holiday a reality.

Find a "Bob"

While you are away things will happen that need to be addressed so find a trusted friend or a relative ("Bob" )who can take over managing the property(ies) in your absence. Make sure that they are:

• Trusted - you can not worry while you are away, so you must be sure that Bob can handle the job and not make mistakes that could damage your reputation.
• Bob must be reliable in all aspects of the job
• That Bob isn't going to be put out too much (make sure they live within a short drive of  the property(ies)
• Bob must be relativity handy.
• Bob must be willing to do it! 

I would also set up some kind of remuneration for them so that they take the role seriously. Consider even writing up a contract. 'He' may be your best mate or your cousin, but don't take him (or her) for granted.

It sure is a tall order, but once you find the right person, the rest is simple.

Tell Everyone

• Tell all your tenants what is happening and how it is going to be handled, when you are gone, when you will be back and that Bob will be taking over. Make sure you give them contact details.
• Leave a message on your phone/email while you are away. (Because yes your tenants are likely to forget). 
• Otherwise give Bob access to your email and give him your phone.
• Make sure that you tell the tenants to save up any little jobs (leaky taps, drafty doors, broken tiles, neighbour disputes) until you get back, and only for the catastrophes to call in Bob's help.
• Make sure that there are no outstanding issues with the tenants before you leave. Have all bills paid and all tenant complaints squared away. Ensure there is nothing scheduled to be done while you are away.
• If you use regular contractors - like gardeners, plumber etc. Tell them too. They need to know that you have given Bob the authority to take over. 

Put together a 'Kit' for Bob

This is vital for Bob to do his job well.

• All contact details for tenants - phones, emails, addresses. 
• Complete sets of keys for all properties
• Access to your bank accounts to pay for unexpected emergencies (or if you are more old school - blank signed cheques.)
• A list of contact details for contractors you prefer to use.
• Your phone with charger - if supplying it.
• Login/password  to your email/ account.
• If you communicate via Facebook or Twitter, then give him logins to these accounts too.
• Rules that the tenants are supposed to live by
• A great big thank you along with the agreed upon remuneration 

It's a lot of work to get ready for a holiday, but if you do all the above then you will able to go away and truly relax. 

So what steps did you take when you went away on holiday? Where did you go? Mind you, what disasters did you have when you went away on holiday?