Resources
Guides, tips and checklists
Practical make-ready reference material for property owners, managers and homeowners around San Marcos.
Paint Color Guide
Colors that rent and resell well
Neutrals hold up best in rentals — they photograph well, hide touch-ups and don't date the unit. These are the ranges we recommend most often.
- Warm white walls with white trim for small units — makes rooms read larger and brighter.
- Soft greige for main living areas when you want warmth without going tan.
- Light cool gray for newer builds with gray flooring or gray-toned LVP.
- Flat or matte on walls, satin on trim and doors, semi-gloss in baths and kitchens.
- Keep one wall color across the whole property so touch-ups between residents are simple.
- Saturated and deep accent colors cost more — extra coats and primer are required.
Rental Property Tips
Protect your margin between residents
Small decisions at turn time decide whether you repaint every year or every three. What we see work on San Marcos rentals:
- Standardize one paint color and sheen across every unit you own.
- Repaint full walls instead of spot-touching once a wall has more than a few patches.
- Fix the cause before the cosmetics — leaks, sticking doors, loose fixtures.
- Swap dated light fixtures and fans before dropping rent; it shows in photos.
- Clean before you show, not after you list — a clean unit rents faster than a discounted one.
- Photograph the unit at move-in and move-out so damage claims are simple.
Homeowner Maintenance Tips
Keep paint and trim lasting longer
Central Texas sun, humidity and shifting foundations are hard on paint. A short seasonal routine buys you years.
- Wash exterior siding and trim once a year to keep chalking and mildew down.
- Recaulk around windows, doors and tub surrounds when the bead cracks or pulls away.
- Watch south and west facing walls first — they fade and fail before the rest of the house.
- Keep leftover paint labeled by room so touch-ups match.
- Repair nail pops and hairline settlement cracks before repainting, not after.
- Clean vents, fans and returns so dust stops shadowing the ceiling paint.
Make Ready Checklist
Everything we walk before a unit is shown
Use this as your turn checklist — it's the same order we work in so nothing gets painted over or missed.
- Walk the unit and photograph existing damage.
- Remove trash, leftover belongings and old blinds.
- Patch nail holes, dings and drywall damage; match existing texture.
- Caulk trim, baseboards and wet areas.
- Paint ceilings, walls, trim and doors in the property's standard colors.
- Replace burned-out bulbs, dated fixtures and missing switch plates.
- Repair minor items — door stops, cabinet pulls, closet doors, towel bars.
- Clean kitchen appliances inside and out, cabinets, drawers and counters.
- Deep clean baths — tub, tile, toilet, vanity and mirrors.
- Clean floors, baseboards, windows, sills and blinds.
- Final walk with the owner or manager before the unit is shown.
Not sure where to start?
We'll walk the property with you.
Send over the unit details and you'll get pricing in writing, along with the next available start date.