I forgot about this post... fast forward 5 years and I have converted this to a 4-plex by adding a kitchen and bathroom and a bathroom to one of the other units. 

Some companies give a "Full Transferable Warranty" but then hammer your with fees on labor or some other way to get more $4. pic below is of the severe fdn. settling in the kitchen.   5. 

I have a question about painting kitchen cabinets in a remodel.House was build in 2001.

Any costs directly associated with building the basement apartment, such as separate entrances, kitchen installations, and bathroom fixtures, can be directly allocated to the rental portion. 

We built the bosses sister a 3500 square foot home. 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, cavernous kitchen/dining/living room with 25' cathedral ceiling, massive laundry room, massive entry, office, gym, multiple pantries and closets, 2 car garage with 2nd floor game room.  

Its more than constructing four walls, a kitchen, and a couple of sinks. 

A short remedy for a potentially much bigger issue.This is all aside from a very outdated kitchen and flooring which I agree is purely aesthetic, but considerable costs.

. - If you're doing kitchen cabinets, do you want the bathroom vanity to match or does it also need replacing?

I've got about $10k I'm willing to spend, and here's what I've come up with as far as updates go:- Add shelving for grocery storage - there's very little today- Rehab the front porch (you can feel the plywood sink in places as you walk over it)- Repaint the outside of the house (paint is peeling)- Add a fence for the back yard- Add a back door (there's only one entrance/exit to the house)- Pave the driveway on both sides of the tree out front- Add exterior lights to the side and back of house- Update kitchen counters (granite?)

(This is presuming your basement doesn't have all the other necessary things like a kitchen, bathroom, tub/shower, own entry, etc for a renter?)