Repaint throughout, ASAP
An email from the letting agent: void at Flat 3, tenant out Friday, new tenant in the following Thursday, repaint throughout, keys at the office. When the painter arrives, the kitchen ceiling has a smoke stain, the bedroom has picture holes everywhere, and a door is damaged. The painter photographs it and texts the office. The office emails the agent for approval. The agent emails the landlord. The approval comes back on Wednesday.
Then the invoice is rejected because it did not quote the agent's works order number and the property reference in the format their system needs.
Why void work is harder than it looks
Void repaints are usually simple work under tight deadlines, with several parties who need to approve anything beyond the original order. Each agent has its own order format, approval process and invoice requirements.
- Orders arrive by email with vague scopes.
- Extras need approval from the agent and often the landlord.
- Move-in dates are fixed and tight.
- Keys are collected and returned through the agent's office.
- Invoices must match each agent's references exactly.
What the chaos costs
Work waiting for approvals risks missing the move-in date. Extras done without approval are hard to get paid for. Rejected invoices are paid late. And the office time spent on email for each small job eats the margin on work that is usually priced tight.
Void work is also where letting agents compare contractors most directly. Agents manage many properties and many trades, and they remember who made their life easy. A decorator whose voids are finished before move-in, with photos and a correct invoice, gets the next one. A decorator who needs chasing does not.
There is a quieter cost in the extras themselves. When approval takes days, painters either wait or go ahead and hope. Going ahead without approval means work that may never be paid for. Waiting means missing the move-in date. Neither is a good outcome, and both come from a slow approval route rather than from the work.
The work order portal we build
- Agents submit orders through a simple portal or by email, which is read into a structured order with property, scope, move-in date, keys and the agent's reference.
- Your void schedule of rates, such as per room repaint, ceilings, woodwork, stain block, filling, is applied to price the order.
- The painter surveys on arrival and records extras with photos, priced from the schedule, and the approval request goes to the agent with everything they need to forward to the landlord.
- Approvals come back through a link and are recorded. Work proceeds only on approved items.
- Jobs are scheduled against move-in dates, with risks flagged when approvals are slow.
- On completion, after photos are sent, and the invoice is created in your accounts software with the agent's references in their format.
| Step | Handled by |
|---|---|
| Order in | Portal or email read into an order |
| Pricing | Your void schedule of rates |
| Extras | Photos and approval link |
| Scheduling | Against move-in date |
| Invoice | Agent's references, their format |
A void pipeline you can run at volume
Orders arrive in a consistent shape. Extras are approved quickly because the agent gets photos and prices in one message. Move-in dates are visible and protected. Invoices go through first time. And the agent sees you as easy to work with, which is how you get more of their voids.
Is your void work a mess?
- Void orders arrive by email with vague scopes.
- Approvals for extras are chased by email.
- Move-in dates have been missed waiting for approval.
- Invoices get rejected for wrong references.
- Each agent has its own process and you keep track in your head.