Rent range - nicer apartment worth the investment for higher rents?

[Shane M]

My current property comps are 1000/mo, but I'm wondering if I spend a little more to make the apartment nicer would it be worth the investment? The unit is a condo that used to be an apartment rented by an apartment community and has had some minor updates but generally the fixtures and colors are circa 1995-2000. Many of these units are rented out consistently as-is without any upgrades. One of the bathrooms in the unit I bought was partially refinished which really only leaves the kitchen and 2nd bathroom to update. I'm looking at some of the cheaper peel and stick flooring and cabinet refinishing kits and appliance paint to give it a totally different look for under a thousand bucks.

Of course this will take my time to complete, but my thinking is that if I can net an extra $200-$400/mo it would be more than worthwhile.

Then again, do renters even care? Are there other factors that would be "make or break" besides the updated fixtures?