Hey there Michelle and Matthew, I'm also in Winston. I have 3 doors here and one back in Florida, primary residence before I moved here. All 3 have needed the usual carpet/flooring, paint, and overall fixes and upgrades. I had my mental estimates of what things would cost, mainly cost of the product and general labor costs if I used Home Depot or Lowe's, and had that as a round about idea going into the first rehab. I'm handy so I did quite a bit when it came to some of the other pieces but I hate painting and I don't know how to lay carpet. You obviously have to consider what your time is worth as well. I tiled, stripped popcorn ceilings, and laid flooring in the first house but have since had 2 kids, and would rather spend time with them, so things like that became an extra cost for the last house. To Matt's point, finding someone you trust that knows what to look for is certainly helpful. I've used the same realtor for all my purchases, personal and investment, and he's usually good about knowing what most rehab items are costing these days and has the local contacts in case I want to change up my usual contactors. Whatever you do, best of luck.
