Questions About Tenant Proofing a 2nd Floor Condo

[Jeff G.]

I'll be moving out of a 1 bedroom condo next year and will probably put tenants into it.

 I'm currently taking care of some repairs and starting to think of what needs to happen to make this place "rent ready" by next summer.

I have to remodel the bathroom and the kitchen for various reasons. I'm going to put white subway tile and dark grout in the bathroom. The bathroom plumbing will get a 1 stem system for simplicity. In the kitchen, I'm thinking about pre-fab cabinets that I stain myself. I'm not sure what to get for a countertop... I'm thinking about polished concrete counters for durability's sake. Is this overkill?

Also, I'm on the 2nd floor. My first impulse is to swap the carpet for high durability laminate. But, I'm a little worried that this will cause a noise situation on the first floor. Any thoughts?

To my eyes, the only other thing this place needs is a coat of paint. Is there anything else I should be doing that's not on this list?

This isn't a high end place but I want it to look attractive and be durable.