Home Business Idea: Apartment Preparation Service

Start-Up Cost: $1,000

Potential Earnings: $40,000 – $80,000

Typical Fees: $100 and up per apartment

Advertising: Email, telemarketing, and flyers aimed at apartment landlords

Qualifications: Knowledge of cleaning procedures and painting skills

Equipment Needed: Cleaning supplies, sweeper, mops, buckets, and painting equipment

Potential Home Business: Yes

Staff Required: No

Disabled Opportunity: No

Hidden Costs: Insurance, equipment maintenance

Lowdown: You add the finishing touches to apartment buildings before the next tenant moves in. To increase your marketability, offer several services, including carpet cleaning, wall washing, painting and wallpaper repair, and overall cleaning services. Set fee schedules appropriately depending on individual services (or offer an all-inclusive package price). Advertise your services to many apartment complexes. To cut down on driving, try to get a contract with a multi-unit apartment complex offering short-term lease options.

Start-Up: For this the best and worst business ideas, invest in good-quality cleaning equipment, including a sweeper and carpet cleaner. Start-up costs can be as low or as high as you want, depending on what services you are going to offer and the quality of equipment you purchase. This business can be started for a relatively low cost with a high return on investment.

Bottom Line: This business is not for someone who is afraid of good old elbow grease. Be prepared to encounter some messy situations. This business idea isn’t exactly the easiest business to start but it’s very likely to succeed if you work hard.

Apartment preparers might spend quite a bit of time on their hands and knees cleaning baseboards and floors — consider the health of your back and always wear a back corset. In addition, invest in a good pair of kneepads and rubber gloves. In comparison to the many other business ideas out there, this is a good solid business — but one that will involve some hard work.

Fun Fact: Did you know that you can even outsource legal tasks like LLC formation to platforms like ZenBusiness and Inc Authority?

To See More Business Ideas

Check out our popular article, The 300 Best Small Business Ideas. This multi-page article offers expert advice on every single business idea. Includes home-based, online, steady-income, low-cost product and service ideas.  

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.

Bob Adams is a Harvard MBA serial entrepreneur. He has started over a dozen businesses including one that he launched with $1500 and sold for $40 million. He has written 17 books and created 52 online courses for entrepreneurs.