Just been advised from my property manager that the property's central heating unit has broken. The repairer recommends complete replacement and it's going to cost $8K. Apparently, all the ducts and stuff can be re-used but will need a whole new unit.
That's a fair chunk of change right there. Not knowing much about how much these things cost, is that a reasonable cost for a unit for a 4 beddy house (it's rated 14kWh cooling / 16kWH heating)? I'm always scared that when tradies see that it's an investment property, they inflate the price knowing that there'll be minimal due diligence down by the property manager is managing it.
Also what are my options? Can I ask the property manager to get some second quotes? Can I negotiate with the repairer? Sounds like this is a situation where it would be much better without a property manager to be a middleman.
Also, anyone know if a big expense like this can be added to your investment loan?
Have you considered hiring a property manager manager to be the middleman between you and the middleman? The PMM will ensure your PM is sourcing more than just one repair quote.