I was approving invoices because I didn't have time to Google every line item.Built a system to audit bids line-by-line against real material costs + local labor rates.

It’s the in-between work that lives in the cracks between systems and people.The biggest time drains I see consistently:Maintenance coordination and follow-upNot the repair itself, but:Chasing vendors for updatesConfirming completionVerifying qualityMaking sure invoices match the scopeThis becomes a loop of emails, texts, and reminders unless you have a very tight workflow.Tenant communication triageA lot of time gets burned sorting:What’s an emergency vs. what’s notDuplicate or unclear requestsRequests that should have been self-serviceWithout clear expectations and templates, every message becomes a custom response.Turnovers and make-readiesScheduling cleaners, painters, maintenance, inspections, utilities, and photos in the right order still requires a lot of manual coordination.

The payment process is controlled by the property management, and the funds were approved and released without proper invoice verification and without owner authorization.

For the last couple years I feel that I have been overly diligent in uploading invoices, receipts, etc.

For the last couple years I feel that I have been overly diligent in uploading invoices, receipts, etc.

Focus on capturing key info now (closing packet/settlement statement, invoices for repairs/improvements), start clean bookkeeping with a separate rental bank/card, and track the placed-in-service date and any personal use.

What was replaced, who installed it, what warranty applies, and whether that warranty is actually usable when something fails again.Early on, warranties were effectively useless because:Paperwork lived in emails or invoices that no one could findVendors changed, disappeared, or denied responsibilityPMs or VAs didn’t know what had been installed three years agoNow, everything is standardized:Approved materials list by asset classPreferred vendors tied to specific scopesWarranty info logged at install, not at failurePhotos, serial numbers, and install dates stored centrallyThe key insight is this: warranties only matter if your system can surface them at the moment of failure.

I’m mid rehab on a BRRRR and trying to tighten up ops.Receipts/invoices scattered, photos everywhere, and the budget becomes a “catch up later” spreadsheet.For those doing this consistently:What do you use to track spend vs budget while the rehab is live?

Though maybe they need a new system to match invoices with payments. :-)

I’d start small: a Google Sheet to track rents and expenses, Google Voice for tenant communication, and Google Drive’s scan feature to digitally store receipts and invoices.