A turnover goes fastest when the work happens in the right order: empty the unit, fix the walls, paint, then clean last. Here is the full sequence we run on every make ready.
1. Empty and assess
Remove all left-behind furniture, trash, and belongings. Photograph every room before touching anything, your deposit documentation depends on it. Walk the unit and build the punch list: wall damage, doors that do not latch, dripping fixtures, dead outlets, missing smoke detector batteries.
2. Repairs and safety
Patch drywall and nail holes, repair or replace damaged doors and closet doors, re-secure loose cabinets and towel bars, fix leaks and running toilets, replace dead bulbs throughout, and test every smoke and CO detector. Rekey or replace locks on every exterior door, never skip this between tenants.
3. Paint
Decide touch-up versus full repaint honestly: if walls are more than about 20 percent scuffed or patched, touch-up will flash and look worse than the damage. Paint after repairs and before cleaning, so cleaning removes the dust.
4. Deep clean, top down
Kitchen: inside the oven, inside the fridge, cabinets in and out, degrease the hood. Baths: descale fixtures, scrub grout, polish glass. Everywhere: baseboards, window tracks, blinds (replace if bent or stained, they are cheap and read as new), light fixtures, switch plates, and floors last.
5. Final walk-through
Walk with fresh eyes at listing-photo standard: sightlines from the doorway of each room, smells, every light on. Photograph every room after. Those photos are your listing set and your move-in condition record in one.
That full sequence is what we run on every unit, in 5 business days standard. If you would rather hand off the whole list, get a free quote or see flat-tier pricing. For budgeting, read our turnover cost guide.