I did hickory hardwood floors, new countertops, new stainless steel appliances, Oak furniture (still bought at yardsales), very nice bed spreads, walk in shower with nice tiling, etc. 

While you're at it you may as well upgrade the cabinets, add a sound system throughout the house, use the fancy $10/ft tile, etc.

In CA age of a neighborhood seems to be an irrelevant factor for how much something will be worth in the future, Redlands is a great example of this the most expensive areas are fairly old homes whereas some of the most affordable are tile roof 80s built homes.3.

If your comps have granite/quartz kitchen counters and ceramic tile floors, don’t install Formica countertops and linoleum sheet flooring expecting to get the same number.

In my L.A. house I have tile counters, flooring and backsplash and having painted cabinets looks way better than stained cabinets.

If you have tiles inside, the tiles will crack.

After an inspection we replaced the roof, downstairs flooring, upgraded electrical and plumbing, painted kitchen cabinets, glazed kitchen counter and bathroom shower tile, cleaned the remaining carpet, and painted the entire house.

Added appliances, added a half bath, changed carpet, changed fixtures, re-tiled bathroom and kitchen, and painted all rooms.

The main valve is fine, but this existing line from the stove to the main is about 4 feet long - it goes under tile and is likely in bad shape - needs to be updated to prevent future issues.

Try vinyl plank, linoleum, tile...Under sinks use scrap linoleum or flashing to direct water onto the floor in the event of a leak.