We removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room, updated the kitchen, gutted both bathrooms, paint, refinished hardwood, updated plumbing and electric and did an unbelievably large amount of landscaping (English Ivy AND Honeysuckle...c'mon!).

I personally feel like carpenters are one of the most mysterious and aloof people out there...Anyways, I request a lot of bids for each part of the rehab process and along the way I've found some pretty great people that are cost competitive and provide high quality work.For example, I can provide some pretty solid recommendations for:Egress windows, electrician, window installation, storm doors, flooring (carpet/vinyl planks), hardwood floor refinishing.I can provide contacts for other jobs like carpentry, drywall, etc. but the ones listed above are the best of the best.I've found it pretty challenging to find a reliable handyman and carpenter.

It's in Bucktown at roughly Western & Fullerton.It was gut rehabbed in 2018 and we installed nice cabinets, granite, SS appliances, in-unit W/D, A/C and redid the hardwood floors. 

I was already going to refinish the hardwood flooring in the rest of the house and my first instinct was the refinish the hardwood in the kitchen as well.

Is it hardwood flooring?

We pulled shag carpets, refinished 2,000 Sq ft of hardwoods, landscaped with drought-tolerant plants, and repainted.

Beautiful kitchen with quarts counter-top and center island, very popular exotic tigerwood hardwood flooring.

Covering the original hardwoods with LVP?

It seems like it might be best to find that middle 'sweet spot' and go with the median level of finish then in your case (sounds like not wanting to invest a lot to update, and want to keep cash flow at max.)If I were to run comps and see on the high end of area rentals it meant all new countertops, appliances (high end), hard wood/laminate, kitchen cabinets etc and on the low end it meant more of an 'apartment level' finish - I personally would go for the middle road to this and maybe choose to refinish countertops, refinish kitchen cabinets and go strictly mid-range on appliances (I would pick up the extend warranties personally).In hitting the kitchen and baths, getting some fresh paint up and addressing flooring- I would know the heavy 'where the eyes are drawn to' items were checked off my list, take it all for expenses come tax time and be pretty happy to know I was right in the middle zone for the area- I wouldn't have the lowest quality of renter pool in the area, or be worried about overpricing myself out of the competition on the high end in my mind. 

I replaced kitchen cabinets myself and refinished hardwood floors.