Unit Turnover Timeline Guide
How to minimize apartment vacancy with efficient unit turnovers. Day-by-day timeline for 7-day and 14-day turns in Houston.
How to minimize apartment vacancy with efficient unit turnovers. Day-by-day timeline for 7-day and 14-day turns in Houston.
Every vacant day costs money. A well-organized unit turnover process can cut your vacancy time in half. Here's a day-by-day breakdown of how Tell Projects executes 7-day and 14-day unit turnovers.
Day 1: Walk-through, damage assessment, punchlist creation. Day 2-3: Paint crew — walls, ceilings, trim, doors. Day 4: Touch-up painting, minor repairs (hardware, outlet covers, caulking). Day 5: Appliance check/clean, fixture replacement. Day 6: Professional deep clean — carpets, windows, appliances. Day 7: Final inspection, photography, keys to leasing.
Days 1-2: Demo and prep — remove old flooring, disconnect appliances, patch walls. Days 3-5: Flooring installation (LVP, tile, or carpet). Days 6-8: Painting — full unit, ceiling to baseboard. Days 9-10: Fixture installation, cabinet hardware, appliances. Days 11-12: Plumbing and electrical touchups. Day 13: Deep clean. Day 14: Final walkthrough and handoff.
Pre-staging materials before the tenant moves out, using dedicated turnover crews (not general maintenance), and having a standardized finish package eliminate decision delays and keep the process moving.
If a unit's finishes are more than 10 years old, a standard turn wastes money — you're painting and cleaning dated materials. Consider a value-add renovation instead, which takes longer but generates significantly higher returns through increased rent.
The most efficient approach is an ongoing partnership with a single contractor. Pre-negotiated rates, pre-selected materials, and a crew that knows your property standards eliminate the bidding cycle on every turnover.
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