There’s no way around it, make ready work is full of details to remember:
- Will the electricity automatically transfer?
- Is the trim painted the same color as the wall?
- Do any fence pickets need replacing?
- What size are the air filters? How many are needed?
- Is the drill battery charged?
- Are any doorstops missing? Light bulbs? Shower curtain rods?
Each misstep is another trip to Home Depot or another loose end to button up later. To complement my grab-and-go kit, I needed a make ready checklist.
How it Works
The checklist needed to be universal in some ways (light bulbs, lawn care) and property-specific in others (paint colors, window dimensions). I also didn’t want to update 6+ separate documents every time I made an update.
My solution uses an Excel spreadsheet with a drop down list of properties. The drop down selection triggers vlookup formulas that auto-populate the property-specific fields with data from the last tab. Since we have duplexes, our data is separated by unit instead of property.
Once you’ve tackled the initial data input, you simply select the rental property (or unit/apartment) in the upper left-hand corner and print the first 2 tabs. Voila!
Tab 1 – Make Ready “Prep” List
I found myself distinguishing between tasks that happen during vs. immediately before a vacancy. The first tab addresses errands that begin a week or two prior: transferring utilities, charging batteries, pulling together supplies, and ordering discounted gift cards.
I also included a section to remember unit-specific projects that had been saved for another day/vacancy. For example, we provide a fire extinguisher in each of our units, but we haven’t bought a set for our newest property yet.
Tab 2 – Make Ready Checklist
My pièce de résistance. Selecting the property (or unit) in the upper left-hand corner will auto-populate:
- Air filter quantity & size
- Wall & trim paint color
- Date of last dryer duct cleaning
- Quantity of fire detectors
- Fire extinguisher expiration year
- Drip pan quantity, size & brand
- # of bags of mulch needed
- All window dimensions
This make ready checklist is COMPLETELY over-engineered – but I love it. ❤
My list intentionally excludes cleaning tasks since we hire that out. I also added some blank spaces for vacancy-specific tasks – like damage, prioritized improvements, and infrequent maintenance items.
Using the Make Ready Checklist
During my last vacancy, I printed a fresh copy each evening so I could translate that day’s notes and reminders into tomorrow’s shopping list and to dos.
The final copy is filed with my property-specific paperwork. Now if the refrigerator shelves go missing, I can reference the last checklist and be certain they were accounted for during the previous vacancy.
Feel free to download the make ready checklist template here. The document is partially-locked to help prevent inadvertent formula breaks, but the more adventurous are welcome to unlock it and customize (there’s no password).