i.e. paint, flooring, cabinets, tile, etc.  

Keep it simple, paint and carpet, buy a good house in a quality area.

Paint and carpet are tough enough to organize remotely.

I want to refurbish the entire house, including a complete kitchen and baths renovation, add an addition on the east side, new roof and siding, new flooring everywhere, paint inside and out"Then ask the GC to go over and put this into a more formal document.

They have a motivation to paint a rosy picture to make a sale at the best price possible for them. 2.

PAINTING.

Insurance is expensive, there is a lot of extra maintenance like painting or electric in common areas that don't apply as much with smaller units. 

Renovated: Added granite, high end finishes and fixures, landscaping, new flooring and painting throughout.

Denver has a lot of older properties with value-add potential—small upgrades like fresh paint, updated kitchens, or even just better landscaping can make a big difference in forcing appreciation.

You can only use a handyman for jobs under $500 as I recall....which will exclude tile, drywall, insulation, paint and well pretty much everything....