Use commercial grade carpet on the stairs and upper landing to keep the noise down.

@Amber Brown You are experiencing what most would call the grind.

I will just keep my nose to the grind wheel and storing cash until I can find something in my range. 

For YEARS I grinded away at factories, always dreaming of the day I could stop. 

It's definitely easy to let the noise scare you as these are big investments (at least for me haha).

Sewer can especially be a unique challenge because you either need gravity back toward the house or you need an injection pump to grind up the sewage and shoot it down a higher pressure line.Also, where are you going to park if you convert the garage?

Ive been handling all the small business operations since I started and I say this not for promotion but to let you know that I am all about the grind, determination, persistence and resilience that is required to be able to run a business.

Find a real builder rep, get technical information about hardness and durability, even vinyl can be good.. pay attention to the hardness ratingsStay away from flooring with fake raised course wood grains, they will fill up with a dark grime between the grainsCeiling fans: this I would not ever order, you buy 3 or 4 at a time and take them back when you hear a buzzing noise.

However I downsized the units from 3 bedroom to 2 bedroom making a master suit and found less headaches with less children and lower noise which tenants liked that.

If ever I watch anything, it's usually quick shows for relaxing or background noise (usually comedies or short info shows on netflix).