One of the most stressful parts of owning a rental property is processing the maintenance required quickly after a resident moves out to help reduce the vacancy. A term used to get a property Rent-Ready is called the Turn Process. The Turn Process will always occur when processing a Move Out. It is best practices to have scheduled the vendors back-to-back the day after the resident vacates to go through the process as quickly as possible and reduce vacancy. The Turn Process can be broken into the following three steps:
STEP ONE: PAINTING
Pricing: Most painters will bid this job with one price which will include labor and material.
Scope of Work: Factors to consider will be if this is the first time the entire property is getting painted to the same color or if it’s been previously painted where only touch ups are needed, how much drywall needs repair and if there’s texturing that’s needed, if there are acoustic / popcorn ceilings that need to be scraped, if there are accent walls that need to be primed prior to painting, if there is wallpaper which need to be removed and finally how much needs to be painted such as ceilings, walls, millwork, cabinets and closets.
Timeframe: For an average house that’s 1,500 sq. ft. this should take 3 – 5 business days.
Notes: If the entire property is being painted one color for the first time, we recommend having a licensed painter do the job. If the entire property has previously been painted, then it’s easier getting a handyman to do touch-ups where needed. The decision needs to be made to Choose a Color Code & Gloss.
STEP TWO: MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Pricing: This list can be completed either by a handyman or a contractor. Depending on the vendor of choice they may bid labor and material together. However, when possible, we prefer to bid the labor price only and pay a reimbursement for receipts submitted for the material purchased as this allows for control in choosing our Standard Materials as well as having a fixed price on the work that has been bid.
Scope of Work: This will vary depending on what’s found during the walk-through. Common items found in this list are repairing or replacing blinds, ceiling fans, detectors (smoke and carbon monoxide), faucets (bathroom & kitchen), garbage disposal, lights, locks, shower heads and toilet seats.
Timeframe: This will vary depending on what’s found during the walk-through. However, the average size list can be completed in 1 – 2 business days.
Notes: It’s best to schedule a handyman or contractor that has a wide skillset of construction items as you never know what will end up being in this list up until the walk-through. The following is our Maintenance Checklist which we will fill out to provide to an owner as well as the vendor of choice to obtain pricing from.
STEP THREE: CLEANING
Pricing: The structure of how a vendor will price the job out varies by vendor. Cleaning companies tend to send a cleaning crew with two people to get the job done faster. Ways to price out cleaning services are a price per hour, bidding a fixed price for the job after doing a walk-through, pricing appliances separately, pricing garages separately and pricing windows separately. Other cleaning services that a vendor may offer are cleaning the exterior of a property and pressure washing. In the marketplace windows are always priced separately. The reason for this is that windows take a lot of time and include both sides of the glass, removing the screens and placing them back and cleaning the tracks once the screens have been removed. To properly clean the screens and exterior of the window on a two-story property, a window cleaning company must be hired as they carry the equipment and insurance to properly complete the job. However, going with a specialty company that offers this service is usually not cost effective for rentals therefore we recommend that for two-story properties a regular cleaning vendor only clean what they can of the window from the interior therefore keeping it cost effective.
Scope of Work: The cleaning done during the Turn Process needs to be as all-inclusive as possible to ensure that the property is ready for the new residents coming in. We recommend having the cleaning include (but not being limited to) kitchen and bathrooms, all appliances, wiping down the cabinets, baseboards, bedrooms, blinds, garage and windows.
Timeframe: Most properties can be completed in 1 business days. Properties over 2,000 sq. ft. may take up to 2 business days to complete.
Notes: The work entailed to clean a house can vary greatly depending on how clean or dirty a resident left the property. This can greatly affect the price a vendor will quote to clean the same house as they need to assess how much time, energy and cleaning supplies will be needed to properly complete the job. Since the dirtiness of a property will change from residency to residency, the only factor that will remain the same is the square footage of the property. When possible, we work with the cleaning vendors to provide us pricing based on the square footage. This allows us to have a consistent price similar sized homes regardless of how clean or dirty they may be which helps have consistency and predictability.
OTHER STEPS
LANDSCAPING: If the property is a Single-Family Residence and offer landscaping, best practices are to have the gardener start sprucing up the landscaping once the 30-Day Notice has been given by the current residents. Adding curb appeal will enhance the look and feel of the property if it’s going on the market or if a new resident is already scheduled for move-in. Items that can enhance curb appeal are adding mulch, wood chips and flowers.
FLOORING: If the property has carpet and it’s in good condition then cleaning the carpets will suffice. However, if the carpet is beyond cleaning, then the decision of what material to replace the carpet with needs to be made. In general, because carpet has a five-year depreciation schedule it is worth looking into replacing the flooring with a solid material such as vinyl. If the decision has been made to replace the flooring with vinyl, we recommend obtaining the estimates during the 30 days prior to the resident moving out so that an owner review, approve and schedule the vendor as part of the Turn Process. The flooring project would be Step 1.5 as it gets done after the painting but prior to other work.
OTHER: Other common projects are kitchen and bathroom remodels or tenting for termites. If professional photos have not been previously obtained, it is best practices to schedule a photographer to capture the property in its peak condition after the work is completed. These photos can stay on file for future leasing or selling.
The key in going through a smooth Turn Process is making sure that the vendors are selected and scheduled to start and complete the work once the residents vacate. Since there are multiple vendors scheduled back-to-back it is crucial for the vendors of choice to understand that they must complete their work within the budgeted time as a delay on their end will result in a delay of schedule with the next vendor. Following these best practices will ensure to complete the Turn Process as quickly and efficiently as possible!
