Platform · Glossary
Make-ready.
The capital you spend after closing to get a property rentable. The 3Y intake form tooltip is exact: "Upfront cost to prepare the property or units for occupancy." It's distinct from value-add renovation — make-ready is the cost of reaching baseline, not the cost of repositioning the property to higher rents.
What counts as make-ready
- Cosmetic repairs — paint, flooring, fixtures
- Code-mandated items found at inspection — smoke detectors, GFCI outlets, handrails
- Appliances if missing or end-of-life
- Cleaning and turn-over labor
- Light landscaping for curb appeal
The line between make-ready and renovation is often debated. A useful test: if the work targets a higher rent than market would otherwise support, it's renovation. If the work targets getting to market rent, it's make-ready.
Why 3Y tracks it separately from closing costs
Make-ready and closing costs are both capital but they have different risk profiles. Closing costs are known at signing. Make-ready is an estimate — and properties often surprise you. 3Y reports include a make-ready line item so the user can stress-test what happens if it's 50% higher than the initial guess, which is often the difference between a good deal and a marginal one.