Ask three Boston contractors what a make-ready costs and you'll get three different numbers — because "make-ready" covers everything from a two-hour touch-up to a full unit refresh. Here's how to think about the real cost in 2026.
The most expensive part of a make-ready usually isn't on the invoice: it's vacancy. Every week a Boston unit sits empty is rent you never get back — often more than the entire cost of the turn. Speed is the real economy.
Materials are separate, and every unit is different — which is why a good contractor prices the turn as one clear scope rather than an open hourly meter.
Bundle the whole turn with one licensed team so you're not paying multiple trip fees or coordinating a painter, a handyman, and a cleaner separately. Fix small issues between tenants before they become big ones. And prioritize the work that actually moves lease-up speed — a clean, freshly painted, well-lit unit leases faster than a half-renovated one.
For landlords turning units regularly, a PSB Pro membership adds turnover priority and member labor rates, so vacant units jump the line.
It ranges widely by scope. A light turn — clean, touch-up paint, minor repairs — often runs a few hundred to about a thousand dollars in labor; a full refresh with full paint, new fixtures, flooring, and repairs can run several thousand. The biggest hidden cost is vacancy time, not the work itself.
Typically cleaning, paint (touch-up or full), minor repairs, fixture and hardware replacement, and any turnover-specific work like re-keying. A make-ready gets the unit rent-ready so it shows well and leases fast.
Bundle the whole turn with one contractor (fewer trip fees and handoffs), fix small issues before they grow between tenants, and prioritize the work that actually affects how fast the unit leases.
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