For example, I don’t do any carpet in my rentals, which makes for a higher up front cost, but saves me $$ in the long term.The forums are great for advice on cost-effective but durable finishes for rentals.

By unsanitary are you talking hoarder unsanitary or just messy? 

If you have carpet on the floors, also charge for carpet cleaning. 

The vacant unit just needs carpet cleaning but then it'll be ready to rent, according to the seller.

The bedroom has carpet and it got soaked. 

., as opposed to a physical notebook that would get messy after awhile.  

This will help you get a better idea of what tile, hardwood, carpet, plumbing fixtures and light fixtures costs for your rehabs.#3 Contact Local Contractors for PricingCall local Subcontractors and get budget pricing for common repairs on your typical rehab project.For example, call a roofer and ask what their average cost per Square of Architectural Asphalt Shingle Roofing would be on a 1,500 sf house, with a 6/12 pitch.Note: Some contractors will be reluctant to share pricing without seeing the property, but tell them you are just looking for a rough budget number you can use on future projects.#4 Compile Your Prices into a Spreadsheet or Estimating SoftwareOnce you start to get a better understanding of Labor and Material costs you will want to store this data into a spreadsheet or software that you can use to help you streamline the estimating process.The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs comes with a spreadsheet that you can use to help you populate your own database of labor pricing and material pricing.

I target lipstick rehabs;  paint+carpet+fixtures = $10k. 

You may need some new paint, carpets, landscaping, cleaning, or just general maintenance.

But the useful life of carpet may only be 7 years (I'm making that up).