10 Things to Bring When You Check out a Property

We do most of our own property inspection except for A/C, plumbing, and electrical. This is what I have on me or in my car. Most of these things you can actually carry on a duty belt. And by the way--Always tell someone where you are going and when.

1. Mace (for dogs and people)
   
   

2. Tape measure
   
   

3. Flashlight
   
   

4. Digital camera
   
   

5. Step stool (for checking breakers, electrical, cracks, etc.)
   
   

6. Ladder (a sliding ladder, so it can also be used for the attic)
   
   

7. Roll up kindergarten sleep mat (for laying under a house, plumbing, pier & beam foundation)
   
   

8. Long handle screwdriver with different bits in the handle (for prying up carpet and checking for wood rot)
   
   

9. Moth balls (As soon as you get there, throw a few moth balls under the house to keep the varmints away from the entry.)
   
   

10. A working phone for voice recording notes and to call in case of some type of emergency.

About the Author:

Jeffrey E. Taylor, C.P.L. is CEO of Mr. Landlord, Inc., a national property management consulting firm - coaching over 50,000 landlords annually. He is the publisher of the Mr. Landlord Newsletter, the largest circulated real estate newsletter in the country, with over 10,000 monthly subscribers. Jeffrey Taylor has been interviewed on numerous radio talk shows and quoted in hundreds of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Smart Money, and Personal Finance Magazine.

Known to thousands as Mr. Landlord, Jeffrey Taylor is the author of a dozen publications, books, and reports on various aspects of rental property management.

• The Landlord's Survival Guide
• Money-Making Management Home Study Course