Look for things that will make it undesirable to future tenants like busy roads, no yard, no parking, quirky layouts, etc. 

I fixed an isolated rotted section of mud sill near the rear deck and I think it could hold an elephant now.  

If the property is in a MUD you’ll have that tax too. 

You could save about 40 percent of the full bid if you pieced it out.Hire a handyman to demo.Ask your handyman if he can do windows, doors, sheet rock, tape and mud, trim work,painting, tile work, hang cabinets, install vanities, etc.Ask him if he has tools, tile machine, compressor, hand guns,  Sometimes handyman are old General Contractors that didn't renew their paperwork.Hire a framer to remove or add walls and new rooms.Hire an electricianHire a plumberHire a sheet rocker and mudderHire window company or handyman to install the windowsHandy man can also do so much .Make sure the electrical and plumbing is done right.Most states allow $2000 of work for a handy man. 

I have spent many evenings watching them transform a property from undesirable to gorgeous.

Fixing the entire house the floors all had to be replaced and lots of drywall work, removed all the strips over the seems and mudded them out and sprayed knock-down thought out the house.

With texture, the repair doesn't have to be perfect -- you just mud over it to match.  

The driveway needs some mud jacking to adjust the pitch, and there’s a downspout right next to the problem area.

It was making the place undesirable in and of itself.I'm someone who tries to look at the long-term picture. 

Or do the gutter screens cause other issues that make them undesirable?