Unfortunately these kinds of "upgrades" are not visual, so most likely will not raise the perceived value unless you also improve the R-rating as well and market that when you go to sell. 

The challenge is to know what units are, or are not, actually renting at as they aren't visual like homes on the MLS. 

I'm looking to brush up on these basics as I continue to purchase more rehab properties so I can have a general concept of what I can and can't do when visualizing a rehab.

In California, for example, a Realtor typically fills out the Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID) form which is designed so the agent can disclose the "material facts affecting the value or desirability" of the subject property.

This is how you end up with neighborhood secret police turning people in for putting trash out too soon or “visual defects.”

Hop on a platform like AirDNA and their data sets/charts only plot back about 12 months, so visually it looked like a GREAT time to get in to STR's.

Now I'm a visual guy so it has been hard finding an example of this and how the numbers would actually look and I can't really wrap my head around it.

For instance, the vast majority of my purchases are HUD homes where it is difficult and in many cases not possible to turn them on. in cases where you cannot turn in utilities, one can still get a visual inspect the foundation, roof, electrical to ascertain the age of the breaker box and type of wiring as well as due a pressure test on the plumbing.

We ended up getting a concession from the seller, not a lot but enough to move forward.The property was listed a little under market by an investor/wholesaler, who never lived there and didn’t provide any disclosures and stated that in the MLS.. there were multiple offers, and I put in an cash offer no inspection/ no appraisal after visually inspecting it, so there is no due deligence period.

This takes a lot of upfront work that doesn't make a lot of dust so people tend to get impatient and blow past this so they can start making visual progress.