The short answer
A turnover that is mostly repainting and touch ups is usually measured in days, not weeks. Once the scope adds flooring, cabinetry or bathroom work, the schedule is set by materials and trades rather than by the painting.
The honest answer is that the length of a turnover is decided before anyone picks up a brush. It depends on what the suite looks like when the keys come back, what the building allows, and how quickly decisions get made.
What sets the schedule
Most delays on a turnover come from the same handful of things:
- Condition of the walls. Patched drywall, marked trim and nail holes all need to be filled, sanded and primed before a finish coat goes on.
- Dark or saturated colours. A deep accent wall needs a proper primer to block it, otherwise it shadows through and costs extra top coats.
- Building rules. Elevator bookings, permitted working hours and move in schedules decide when a crew can actually be in the suite.
- Scope creep. A repaint that becomes a repaint plus flooring halfway through resets the whole plan.
- Approvals. Every day spent waiting on a colour choice or a quote sign off is a day the unit is empty.
How to shorten it
The fastest turnovers are the ones that are surveyed before the tenant leaves. A walkthrough during the notice period means the scope, colours and materials are settled, the elevator is booked and the right primers are on the truck on day one.
A building standard helps just as much. When every suite uses the same wall colour, trim finish and hardware, there is nothing to decide and the result is identical from unit to unit.
What a good turnover looks like
Floors are protected before work starts. Walls are prepared properly rather than painted over. The suite is cleaned down at the end of each day, and it is handed back ready to show, not ready for a cleaner.
If you manage a building with regular turnovers, the most useful thing you can do is agree that standard once and let the contractor repeat it.
