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The New Standard: Light Rehabs Done in Under 10 Days

Speed rehabs are trending for one simple reason: holding costs have surged.

When money was cheap and days-on-market were forgiving, a “quick” cosmetic rehab might mean 3–6 weeks. In 2026 conditions, that’s often the difference between a great flip and a breakeven flip. Interest, utilities, insurance, taxes, and opportunity cost don’t care how pretty your cabinets are—they bill you by the day.

The new standard for many flippers is a light cosmetic rehab completed in under 10 days. Not a full renovation. Not layout changes. Not moving plumbing walls. Just the highest-impact improvements that buyers respond to immediately.

This is how you do it.

What counts as a “light cosmetic rehab”

A fast-flip cosmetic rehab is a tight scope that avoids surprises and keeps trades moving. Typical scope:

• Interior paint (walls/trim/doors as needed)

• Flooring (often LVP + baseboards)

• Light fixtures / fans

• Hardware updates (knobs, pulls, hinges)

• Minor kitchen refresh (painted cabinets, new counters if simple, faucet, sink)

• Minor bath refresh (vanity swap, mirror, faucet, lights, reglaze if needed)

• Basic exterior pop (pressure wash, mulch, small landscaping, paint front door)

• Cleaning + staging prep

It does not include:

• Roof replacement (unless already lined up and truly simple)

• Foundation work

• Major electrical/plumbing replacements

• Window replacement

• Structural changes

• Permitted remodels (unless you’re willing to blow up the timeline)

Your rehab is “fast” because it’s predictable.

The 10-day rule is really a systems game

You don’t win speed rehabs by “working harder.” You win them by eliminating downtime.

Every day lost is usually caused by one of these:

• Waiting on materials

• Waiting on approvals/decisions

• Waiting on one trade to finish so the next can start

• Discovering scope creep midstream

• Rework caused by unclear standards

The solution is to treat your cosmetic rehab like a repeatable production line.

Pre-stocked material packages: speed starts before you close

The fastest operators don’t buy materials after day one. They pre-package 80–90% of the rehab before the project starts.

Think in “packages,” not shopping lists:

Paint package

• Same brand, same sheen, same colors every time

• Tape, plastic, caulk, spackle, rollers, brushes, drop cloths

• Standard trim paint and wall paint

• Touch-up kit for punch list

Flooring package

• A single LVP product you can buy consistently

• Underlayment (if used), transitions, quarter round/baseboard plan

• Standard thresholds for exterior doors

Lighting/electrical package

• A default set of flush mounts, vanity lights, and fans

• A standard set of switches, outlets, and cover plates (white)

• GFCIs for baths/kitchen

• Smoke/CO detectors if needed

Kitchen/bath package

• Standard pulls/knobs you always use

• Standard faucets (kitchen + bath)

• Standard vanity options by size (30", 36", 48")

• Standard mirrors and towel bars

• Toilet internals or full replacement if your model is consistent

Exterior package

• Mulch, basic plants, solar path lights

• House numbers, mailbox if needed

• Front door paint kit (or replace door only if truly simple)

This is not about being fancy. It’s about eliminating the “Home Depot delay.”

If you’re a small operator, this is one of your biggest advantages over large companies: you can decide once, standardize, and move fast.

Pre-approved color/design schemes: remove decision-making

Indecision kills speed.

Fast rehab operators use 2–3 pre-approved design schemes and never reinvent the wheel. The point isn’t creativity—it’s certainty.

A simple example set:

• Scheme A: Warm neutral walls, bright white trim, medium oak LVP, matte black hardware

• Scheme B: Soft greige walls, white trim, light oak LVP, brushed nickel hardware

• Scheme C (if your market wants it): Crisp white walls, white trim, darker LVP, black accents

Pick schemes that:

• Photograph well

• Have wide buyer appeal

• Are easy to replicate

• Are available locally, consistently

Then build your material packages around those schemes so you’re never guessing.

Crew sequencing: the “no idle trades” schedule

Speed flips are won by sequencing, not heroics. You want the work to flow so trades don’t step on each other and nobody waits.

Here’s a common sequencing model that keeps momentum:

Day 0 (pre-start)

• Walkthrough scope finalized

• Materials staged (or at least ordered and arriving immediately)

• Dumpster delivered if needed

• Lockbox installed

• Utilities confirmed on

Day 1

• Demo-lite: remove old fixtures, hardware, junk, damaged trim, carpet

• Punch list photos + measurements for vanities, lights, mirrors

• Any minor drywall repairs identified and started

Day 2–3

• Drywall patch, texture match, caulk, prep

• Prime and paint begins immediately once prep is workable

• Painter moves “top down” room by room, not whole-house unfinished chaos

Day 3–5

• Flooring install starts as soon as paint is sufficiently cured in areas

• Baseboards/trim follow flooring (or a trim crew overlaps)

Day 4–6

• Electrical/fixtures: lights, fans, switches, plates

• Plumbing fixtures: faucets, vanity swaps, toilets if planned

• Hardware install: pulls, knobs, door handles (if replacing)

Day 6–7

• Final paint touch-ups

• Bathroom finishing: mirrors, towel bars, shower rods

• Appliance delivery if needed (ideally pre-scheduled)

Day 8

• Deep clean

• Final walkthrough punch list (blue tape)

• Yard pop: mulch, edging, plantings

Day 9

• Punch list complete

• Photos scheduled / staging set

• Listing prepped

Day 10

• Photos live, property active, showing ready

Your exact timeline will vary, but the principle doesn’t: overlapping tasks and pre-staging materials eliminates dead space.

How small operators beat big companies with speed

Big companies have resources, but they also have friction:

• Approval layers

• Purchasing delays

• Standard operating rules that aren’t optimized for your exact neighborhood

• Long vendor queues

Small operators win because you can:

• Make a decision instantly

• Keep the same crew pipeline rolling project to project

• Maintain tight quality control without bureaucracy

• Standardize materials and processes faster than a corporate system can

In other words, you can be “small and fast” instead of “big and slow.”

But small operators only win if they operate like professionals, not like improvisers.

The rules that keep fast rehabs from turning into disasters

Speed is only profitable if quality stays high and surprises stay low.

Here are the rules that protect you:

Rule 1: Scope discipline

If you add “just one more thing” three times, you blew the 10-day plan.

Fast flips work because the scope is narrow, predictable, and repeatable. If you want to do bigger renovations, do them—but don’t pretend they’re cosmetic speed rehabs.

Rule 2: Inspection mindset

Before you commit, evaluate the property like a contractor:

• Roof age and obvious leaks

• Foundation cracks and moisture

• Electrical panel condition

• Plumbing supply/drain issues

• HVAC age and function

• Water heater, attic signs, crawlspace conditions

If the property has hidden problems, it’s not a 10-day cosmetic project. Price it accordingly or walk away.

Rule 3: Crew accountability

Fast flips require reliable crews with clear standards:

• What “done” looks like

• Daily start/stop expectations

• Cleanup rules

• Who handles punch lists

• How change orders are approved

Speed without standards creates slop—and slop creates price reductions.

Rule 4: Photos and listing readiness

If you finish the rehab in 10 days but take 10 more days to list, you lost the whole advantage.

Schedule:

• Photos

• staging (even light staging)

• lockbox

• listing copy

  before the rehab ends.

A simple cost reality check: why speed matters more now

You don’t need a spreadsheet to understand the pressure, but you do need the mindset.

If your holding costs are $150–$300/day (common once you include financing + utilities + insurance + taxes), then:

• Saving 10 days = $1,500–$3,000

• Saving 20 days = $3,000–$6,000

• Saving 30 days = $4,500–$9,000

That’s real money—often more than the entire cost difference between “good choices” and “perfect choices.”

Fast flips don’t aim for perfect. They aim for:

• Clean

• consistent

• neutral

• durable

• photogenic

• market-ready

The takeaway

The new fast-flip standard is a systems approach:

• Pre-stocked material packages

• Pre-approved design schemes

• Tight crew sequencing

• High standards, low scope creep

In a world of higher holding costs, speed isn’t just an advantage. For many flippers, it’s the margin.

If you can reliably deliver a clean cosmetic rehab in under 10 days, you’ll often beat investors who “do more work” but carry more time—and more cost.

Want a simple way to keep your rehabs on schedule?

We put together a practical

10-Day Cosmetic Rehab Checklist

you can use to plan, stage materials, and keep crews moving without wasted days. It’s the same framework experienced fast-flip investors use to control holding costs and protect margins. You can download it free and adapt it to your own projects. There’s no form to fill out, no one is going to try and sell you anything. Just click and download.

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