The Apartment
Turn Guide
A practical make-ready playbook for multi-family property managers: how to scope, sequence and document every unit turn so vacancies get back to market faster.
Where turns lose time
Most turns don't run long because the work is hard. They run long because of waiting: for a bid, for the next trade, for someone to decide what's in scope. Watch for these five bottlenecks on your property.
| Bottleneck | What it looks like | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bidding delays | Every unit starts with a request for quotes and a wait for answers. | Pre-agreed, fixed prices for standard turns. |
| Trade hand-offs | Cleaners wait on painters, painters wait on drywall, everyone waits on the punch list. | One crew that covers cleaning, minor MEP, drywall and paint. |
| Scope creep | Invoices arrive higher than expected, with work nobody approved. | A scope walk with photos before work starts, and changes confirmed in writing. |
| Surprise trashouts | Left-behind belongings stop the turn until someone arranges removal. | A standard trashout price that can be added the same day. |
| Missing records | No proof of condition at move-out, so deposit deductions are hard to support. | Time-stamped photos at move-out, during work and at sign-off. |
The 5-step turn workflow
Use the same sequence on every unit. Consistency is what makes turn times predictable.
Sample schedule for a standard turn
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Notice given | Move-out date logged; crew date booked. |
| Move-out day | Scope walk and photos; trashout ordered if needed. |
| Crew day | Cleaning, minor repairs, touch-ups and fixture checks completed. |
| Next morning | Final walk, photos and sign-off; unit released to leasing. |
Heavier units take longer. Adjust the schedule to what the scope walk finds.
Move-out scope walk checklist
Take this list on every walk. Photograph each item you mark.
Entry and living areas
- Door, locks, peephole and door stop
- Walls: holes, scuffs, nail pops
- Ceilings: stains or cracks
- Flooring: stains, tears, damaged planks
- Blinds and window screens
- Light fixtures and bulbs
- Outlets, switches and cover plates
Kitchen
- Refrigerator: cooling, seals, shelves
- Range and oven: burners, knobs, drip pans
- Dishwasher: runs and drains
- Microwave and range hood
- Sink, faucet and garbage disposal
- Cabinets, drawers and countertops
Bathrooms
- Toilet: runs, leaks, seat
- Tub or shower: caulk, grout, drain
- Sink, faucet and vanity
- Exhaust fan
- Mirror, towel bars and accessories
Bedrooms and closets
- Doors, hinges and handles
- Closet rods, shelves and doors
- Walls and flooring
Systems and safety
- Smoke and CO detectors tested
- HVAC filter replaced
- Thermostat working
- Water heater: no leaks
- GFCI outlets tested
Standard turn or more?
Deciding the turn level at the scope walk keeps invoices predictable. Use these signs as a starting point.
| Condition | Usually standard | Usually needs more |
|---|---|---|
| Walls | Small nail holes, light scuffs | Large holes, water damage, full repaint |
| Flooring | Carpet that cleans up with steaming | Pet damage, tears, plank replacement |
| Kitchen | Grease and grime, worn knobs | Broken appliances, damaged cabinets or counters |
| Bathrooms | Soap scum, worn caulk | Leaks, cracked fixtures, failed tile |
| Contents | Empty unit | Belongings, furniture or debris left behind |
Trashouts and evictions
When a unit is abandoned or follows an eviction, clear it before the make-ready starts. Photograph the contents before removal, note the volume, and keep the photos with the lease file. Itemizing the trashout separately makes tenant billback or a reserve deduction easier to support.
| Service | Price | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard trashout | $450 | Up to a 12-ft box trailer of left-behind items, disposal and sanitizing |
| Eviction trashout | From $950 | Larger volumes, abandonment, hoarding conditions or hazardous sorting |
Photo documentation standard
- Wide shot of every room from the doorway
- Close-up of each defect, with something for scale
- Appliances open and running
- Same angles after the work is done
- Date and time on every photo
- Photos filed under the unit number
The Pro Punch Crew Turn Program
One crew handles cleaning, minor repairs and paint touch-up, with time-stamped photos of every unit. Our Fayetteville, NC and Dunwoody, GA hubs each cover a 150-mile radius.
| Layout | Single unit | 5 or more units (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments and condos | ||
| Studio or 1 bed / 1 bath | $750 | $500 |
| 2 bed / 1 bath | $850 | $600 |
| 2 bed / 2 bath | $925 | $650 |
| 3 bed / 1 bath | $950 | $675 |
| 3 bed / 2 bath | $1,050 | $750 |
| 3 bed / 3 bath or 4 bed / 2 bath | $1,150 | $825 |
| 4 bed / 3 bath | $1,250 | $900 |
| Houses and townhomes | ||
| 2 bed / 1–2 bath | $1,000 | $700 |
| 3 bed / 1–2 bath | $1,250 | $850 |
| 4 bed / 2–3 bath | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| 5+ bedrooms or over 2,500 sq ft | Quoted | |
The 5+ rate applies when you book 5 or more units, across one or more crew days; long-term agreement clients get it on every unit. Each crew takes up to 5 units a day; a house counts as 2. Prices are for crew days 14+ days out. Sooner dates add an expediting fee: +10% at 7–13 days, +25% at 3–6 days, +40% at 2 days, +50% next day (24 hours minimum).
Paint and extras
| Extra | Price |
|---|---|
| Paint touch-up (included in every turn) | Included, with owner-supplied paint |
| Paint supplied by Pro Punch Crew | Cost plus 50% |
| Extra touch-up, per wall | $75 |
| Full interior repaint | 1/1 $500 · 2/2 $750 · 3/2 $950 · houses about $1/sq ft |
| Exterior painting | Quoted per property |
| Heavy turns and repairs | Quoted at the scope walk; we confirm before work starts |
Book your next turn online
Book online and pay by card at propunchcrew.com, or ask about a long-term agreement with one monthly invoice. Questions: propunchcrew@gmail.com