@Robert Fountain,dated and dated, clean and new paint smell are 2 different things...i would check all competition for 0.5-1 mile radius then check all features for houses sold in the same radius.you will then know:-paint color/combination to use (neutral beige or the ever popular graige/grayish tones)-appliances common or not/expected or not (all matchy matchy)-houses features/commonalitychange counter tops and fixturesclean/rejuvenate the cabinetscheck like crazy the mechanicals: those are the #2 money eating (#1 is bad tenant or vacant property)some here on BP have removed carpet completely and refinished wood under/switched to vinyl click wood like planksgood luck

Even in my last house which is in a C- area, I have kitchen with granite counter tops!

The first thing I did was to pick out the laminate countertops.

Countertops before installation are going to run you another 3-5k minimum for a small kitchen.

It's not going to say to put in granite countertops or to paint with a particular color scheme.You need to create your own SOW. 

Other than that it has laminate counter tops, golden oak cabinets, brass fixtures, 4 inch white tile baths, you get the idea... 2001.Based on my research of comps on rentals.com it is very obvious that there is a line somewhere of diminishing returns when updating a rental, but I haven't been able to exactly pinpoint it yet.

Or, it's your business, you can run it however you see fit.Royal Finish does our countertop resurfacing and bathtub resurfacing when we've done it.

This work, along with granite countertop installation (paid for by seller allowance) will be performed in December 2015.Can I wait to itemize the improvement costs on my 2016 returns even though the receipts will be dated 2015?

Personally, I'd save money on the cabinets and take that money to upgrade the countertop and knobs.Its not like tenants are really go to know the difference between particleboard vs plywood cabinets so it won't increase your rent or rent it out faster.But, with nicer countertop, you won't get more money either for rent but you would rent it out faster and might get better applicants for your tenants.

Place that marble on the floor or the countertops.