“I’ll just manage it myself and save the 10%.”
I’ve heard this from hundreds of property owners over my 19 years in the business. And honestly? I get it. When you’re looking at a $1,200 annual management fee, keeping that money sounds like the smart move.
But here’s the question nobody asks: What is your time actually worth?
Most rental property owners think they’re saving money by self-managing. In reality, they’re trading dollars for hours — and losing money in the process.
Let me show you the real math behind DIY property management, and why your time might be your most expensive asset.
The Time Investment Nobody Talks About
When property owners say “I’ll manage it myself,” they’re usually thinking about collecting rent once a month. Maybe handling a maintenance call here and there.
The reality is completely different.
After managing 158 properties in the Lansing tri-county area, I can tell you exactly how much time property management actually takes:
Monthly Routine Tasks (Per Property)
- Rent collection and follow-up: 30-60 minutes
- Tenant communication (emails, calls, texts): 1-2 hours
- Bookkeeping and financial records: 30-45 minutes
- Property inspections and drive-bys: 30-60 minutes
- Vendor coordination: 30-60 minutes
Monthly total: 3.5-6 hours per property
And that’s just the routine stuff when everything is going well.
Non-Routine Tasks (Annual Per Property)
- Marketing vacant properties: 3-5 hours • Showing properties to prospects: 2-4 hours
- Tenant screening (applications, background checks, calls): 2-3 hours
- Lease preparation and signing: 1-2 hours
- Move-in/move-out inspections: 2-3 hours
- Coordinating turnover repairs: 3-5 hours
- Handling maintenance emergencies: 2-10 hours
- Dealing with late rent/evictions: 5-15 hours (if needed)
Annual non-routine total: 20-47 hours per property
The Real Number
You’re looking at 60-120 hours per property per year — and that’s assuming you have good tenants and no major issues.
Got three properties? That’s 180-360 hours annually. Got five properties? That’s 300-600 hours annually.
That’s 7.5 to 15 full work weeks per year.
What Is Your Time Actually Worth?
Here’s where the math gets interesting.
Most property owners I work with are successful professionals or business owners. They didn’t buy rental properties to get a second job — they bought them to build wealth.
Let’s run the numbers:
Scenario 1: You Make $50/Hour at Your Day Job
- 80 hours/year managing one property × $50/hour = $4,000 opportunity cost
- Annual management fee at 10% ($1,000/month rent) = $1,200
- Net loss from DIY: $2,800 per year
Scenario 2: You’re a Business Owner Worth $100/Hour
- 80 hours/year managing one property × $100/hour = $8,000 opportunity cost
- Annual management fee at 10% = $1,200
- Net loss from DIY: $6,800 per year Scenario 3: You Have Multiple Properties
- 5 properties × 80 hours each = 400 hours/year
- 400 hours × $75/hour average = $30,000 opportunity cost
- Management fees for 5 properties = $6,000-$7,500
- Net loss from DIY: $22,500-$24,000 per year
The brutal truth: Every hour you spend managing properties is an hour you’re NOT spending: – Growing your business – Earning income at your job – Spending time with family – Building your portfolio – Doing literally anything else
The Hidden Time Drains That Kill Your Schedule
Beyond the predictable tasks, DIY property management comes with time drains that are impossible to schedule:
- After-Hours Emergencies
Burst pipes don’t wait for business hours. Neither do furnace failures, lockouts, or flooding basements.
DIY reality: You’re on call 24/7/365. That means: – Interrupted family dinners – Ruined vacations – Sleepless nights – Constant phone anxiety
Our solution: We have a 24/7 emergency line with a rotating on-call handyman. Our definition of emergency is clear: flood, fire, or life-threatening. Everything else waits until business hours.
Time saved: Countless hours of stress and interruptions.
- Vendor Coordination Hell
Need a plumber? You’re calling 3-5 companies for quotes, waiting for callbacks, scheduling appointments, meeting them at the property, following up on the work, and handling the invoice.
DIY reality: A simple repair turns into 3-5 hours of phone tag and coordination.
Our advantage: We have trusted vendors on speed dial. One call, work order created, repair scheduled, done. We handle 95% of maintenance in-house, which means even faster response times. Time saved: 2-4 hours per maintenance issue.
- Tenant Turnover Chaos
This is where DIY landlords lose the most time: – Coordinating move-out inspections Getting the property cleaned and repaired – Taking photos and writing listings Answering prospect calls and emails – Scheduling and conducting showings Processing applications – Running background checks – Preparing leases – Conducting move-in inspections
DIY reality: 20-30 hours per turnover, spread over 45-60 days.
Our process: We turn properties in 2 weeks or less and fill vacancies in 30 days or less. Our systems are dialed in, our team is trained, and our marketing is automated.
Time saved: 15-20 hours per turnover, plus 15-30 days of lost rent.
- Learning Curve Mistakes
Every mistake costs you time to fix: – Accepted the wrong tenant? Now you’re dealing with eviction (20-40 hours) – Missed a maintenance issue? Now it’s an emergency (5-10 hours) – Unclear lease terms? Now you’re dealing with disputes (3-8 hours) – Didn’t follow proper eviction procedures? Start over (add 60-90 days)
Our track record: 80%+ client retention for over 7 years. We’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to.
Time saved: Countless hours of crisis management.
The Opportunity Cost Nobody Calculates
Time isn’t just about the hours you spend. It’s about what you’re NOT doing with those hours.
What Could You Do With 80-120 Hours Per Year?
If you’re a business owner: – Launch a new product or service – Build a marketing funnel – Hire and train new team members – Network and develop partnerships – Close 2-3 more deals If you’re building a portfolio: – Research and analyze new investment properties Build relationships with real estate agents – Secure financing for your next purchase Attend real estate investor meetups – Scale from 3 properties to 10
If you’re focused on life balance: – Take a real vacation without your phone – Attend your kids’ games and recitals – Invest in your health and fitness – Spend quality time with your spouse – Actually enjoy your weekends
The question: Are you building wealth, or are you building a second job?
The Break-Even Point: When DIY Stops Making Sense
Here’s the honest truth: DIY property management might make sense in very specific situations.
DIY Makes Sense If:
- You own ONE property
- You live next door or very close by
- You have maintenance skills and tools
- You have flexible time and genuinely enjoy the work
- Your time has low opportunity cost
Professional Management Makes Sense If:
- You own 2+ properties
- You have a full-time job or business
- You value your time at $30/hour or more
- You want to scale your portfolio
- You’re tired of being on call 24/7
The math is simple: If your time is worth more than $15-20/hour, professional management pays for itself.
What $1,200/Year Actually Buys You
When you hire Simply Live to manage your property, here’s what you’re really paying for: Time Back in Your Life
- No more after-hours emergencies
- No more tenant drama
- No more vendor coordination
- No more turnover chaos
Professional Systems
- AppFolio property management software
- Automated rent collection
- 24/7 emergency response
- Proven tenant screening process
- In-house maintenance team
Experience and Expertise
- 19 years in the business
- 158 properties managed
- Legal compliance knowledge
- Vendor relationships and pricing power
- 80%+ client retention rate
Peace of Mind
- Month-to-month contracts (no long-term commitment)
- Transparent pricing (our cost is your cost)
- Under 2% vacancy rate
- 30 days or less to fill vacancies
- 2 weeks or less for property turnovers
You’re not paying for property management. You’re paying to get your life back.
The Real Question: What’s Your Time Worth?
I’ve been doing this for 19 years. I’ve seen property owners burn out, lose money, and give up on real estate investing because they tried to do everything themselves.
The ones who succeed? They understand that time is more valuable than money. They focus on: – Acquiring more properties – Building their businesses – Spending time with family – Living the life they want
They let professionals handle the day-to-day management so they can focus on what actually builds wealth.
The Choice Is Yours
Option 1: DIY Property Management – Save $1,200/year in management fees – Spend 80-120 hours/year managing – Deal with after-hours emergencies – Handle all tenant and vendor issues – Risk costly mistakes from inexperience
Option 2: Professional Property Management – Pay $1,200/year for expert management – Get 80-120 hours back for higher-value activities – Sleep through the night – Leverage 19 years of experience – Focus on building wealth, not managing properties
The math doesn’t lie. For most property owners, professional management isn’t an expense — it’s an investment that pays for itself many times over.
Ready to Get Your Time Back?
If you’re spending more time managing properties than building your portfolio, let’s talk.
Free 20-minute consultation: We’ll discuss your properties, your goals, and whether professional management makes sense for you. No pressure, no obligations — just honest advice from someone who’s been in the trenches for 19 years.
We serve rental property owners in the Lansing tri-county area. Our average client owns five properties, but we work with everyone from first-time landlords to investors with 100+ units.
Our approach: – 10% management fee or $100/month minimum – No placement fees or hidden costs – Month-to-month contracts – 95% in-house maintenance – 80%+ client retention
The question isn’t whether you CAN manage your properties yourself.
The question is: What else could you accomplish with 80-120 hours per year? Your time is your most valuable asset. Stop trading it for a management fee you can easily afford. Let’s talk.
Simply Live LLC | Lansing Tri-County Property Management Phone: 517.258.0349 | Serving rental property owners in Michigan’s tri-county area for 19 years
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