Contents
Every day of vacancy costs rent. If you plan renovation, repairs and cleaning before the tenant moves out, a flat can often be handed over again within one to two weeks. What matters is the right order of trades – and one contact who coordinates them.
The right order
- Pre-inspection (4–6 weeks before move-out): walk through the flat with the tenant and record damage and necessary work with photos.
- Plan quotes and dates: schedule painters, floor layers, electrics and cleaning directly after the move-out.
- Handover inspection on move-out day: record meter readings, keys and condition.
- Clearance: remove furniture left behind and clear the basement.
- Repairs and electrics: sockets, lights, doors, silicone joints, taps.
- Painting: paint walls and ceilings, touch up doors and radiators.
- Floors: sand floors, lay new vinyl or laminate.
- Final cleaning: windows, bathroom, kitchen, floors – only at the very end.
- Handover to the new tenant: handover report with photos.
Important: cleaning always comes last. If you clean earlier, you pay twice, because painters and floor layers leave dust behind again.
Checklist for the handover inspection
- Walls and ceilings: holes, stains, paint
- Floors: scratches, water damage, loose skirting
- Bathroom: joints, fittings, drain, extractor fan
- Kitchen: connections, built-in appliances if present
- Electrics: sockets, switches, lights, doorbell
- Windows and doors: seals, handles, locks
- Radiators and thermostats
- Basement and storage rooms empty
- Meter readings for electricity, water, gas and heating noted
How long does a tenant changeover take?
| Scope | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Final cleaning and minor repairs only | 1–3 days |
| Painting, repairs, cleaning | approx. 1 week |
| Plus a new floor | approx. 1–2 weeks |
| Complete refurbishment, new bathroom or wiring | several weeks |
The biggest delays don’t arise during the work itself but between the trades: the painter waits for the electrician, the floor layer for the painter.
One contact instead of five companies
A tenant changeover often involves five or more companies. Each has its own dates, its own invoices and its own contacts. For property managers with many flats, this quickly becomes a full-time job.
Fresh Flush takes care of the entire tenant changeover in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area: clearance, renovation and repairs, flooring, electrics and final cleaning. Where a specialist company is needed, we coordinate it. You receive one schedule, one invoice and photo documentation. Request a free quote now.
