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Spryhand

Real Estate & Landlords

CapEx Reserve Planner

Work out the monthly reserve a property actually needs, using the years each component has left rather than its full expected life.

Delivery
Instant download
Purchase
One-time payment
Format
  • Google Sheets
  • Excel
Updated
August 2026
$5.90

What this spreadsheet does

A percentage of rent has no relationship to when a roof needs replacing. On the worked example the component method comes to 13.9% of rent against the 8% rule that is supposed to cover maintenance and capital both.

What you can do with it

  • Set a monthly capital reserve that matches the property
  • See what an ageing roof or boiler really requires
  • Show cash flow after a realistic reserve rather than before one

What's included

Sheet tabs

  • Instructions
  • Reserve Plan

Features

  • Eight major components costed individually over their expected life
  • A second reserve calculated on years remaining, which is the figure that applies to a property you already own
  • The gap between the two shown per component and in total
  • Both figures expressed as a share of annual rent
  • The next component due, when, and what it will cost
  • Monthly figure to move to a separate account

How it works

  1. 1List each component with replacement cost and expected life
  2. 2Enter years remaining, and get a survey for the roof, heating and windows
  3. 3Move the monthly figure to a separate account

Who it's for

Landlords and property investors budgeting for replacement rather than repair.

Replacement costs are illustrative and highly regional. Component lives are more stable than prices, but both should be checked locally.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 1% rule enough for maintenance?

One percent of value a year is a reasonable order of magnitude for routine repairs and does not cover capital replacement. Treating it as covering both is why roofs and boilers feel like surprises.

Why reserve on remaining life rather than full life?

Because a twenty year old roof with seven years left needs its cost spread over seven years, not twenty five. On the sample property that raises the reserve by 62%.

Should the reserve reduce my reported cash flow?

Yes, if cash flow is to mean anything. A property showing positive cash flow while under-reserving is borrowing from a future repair.

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