Before I bought my own rentals, I spent time around affordable housing multifamily. Seventeen years into self-managing value-add single-family and 2-4 unit properties in Columbus, a few habits from that world still pay for themselves on a duplex or fourplex.

First, unit turns run off a checklist, not a mood. Larger operators standardize finishes, paint colors, fixtures and flooring so every turn is predictable on cost and timing. On a fourplex I pick one LVP, one paint, one faucet line and stick with it. Repairs get cheaper and faster, and I always have spare parts on hand.

Second, compliance-level documentation. Affordable properties live and die by files: move-in inspections with photos, signed addenda, and written notice of every entry. Small landlords tend to skip this until a deposit dispute or a code complaint. I now do photo move-in reports on every unit, no exceptions.

Third, budget capex by system, not by gut. Roof, HVAC, water heaters, sewer line and electrical each get an age and a replacement reserve. On older Columbus 2-4 units, the sewer lateral and knob-and-tube are the two items I see investors underestimate most often.

Fourth, look at occupancy and collections as separate numbers. A building can be full and still underperform if collections lag. I track both monthly, even with four doors.

None of this is complicated, but it is the gap between owning a few units and operating them.

For those of you who came up from small multifamily into larger deals (or the other way around), what operational habit carried over best?

BJ Everson | Realtor with Swiss Realty Group