They chew tobacco in their sleep and have neck tats. 

Paying the SD off AND higher rent might be more then they can chew, even if they lie to you and/or themselves that they can do it. 

It's mostly cosmetic updates, but with the rising cost of materials it will chew into my budget. 

Also, the tenant was a smoker for 15 years so I want to focus on removing the smell before brining new items into the house (any tips on this is appreciated).Maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew, but I would like to accomplish as much as possible on my own in the first 8 weeks.Thank you in advance for any feedback. 

I don't need their business that badly to be chewed up and spit out.

So, don't bite off more than you can chew, you will get overwhelmed.

I may need an emotional support animal the next time I replace chewed up cabinets and/or a subfloor that smells of urine.

I am preparing to start looking for my first house-hack property and I am not sure whether a turn key, ready to go, property or a property that needs a little bit of work is right for me.Obviously I would like to reap the equity benefits of adding value to a property through renovations but on the other hand this will be my first property and I don't want to bite off more than I can chew on the first go.

Way to bite off a big one and chew all the way through! 

Over the past six months or so I've grown an intense interest in real estate investing and have been chewing through every book, forum and podcast I can find.