The Seller can give credits for the repairs of items in the home, such as new carpet, painting, etc.

I am making repairs and updates to my deceased mother-in-laws home so we can put it on the market,we are having a new roof put on,paint,carpet,faucets,etc.The big ticket is the windows,the cost to replace them would be around 5K.What kind of return can I expect to get.Also,it has no dishwasher and no rear access to the yard,how big a problem are these.

I've seen my family buy and install storms on countless properties only to have to have them removed for cleaning and for trim painting.

A roof over their head is the minimum that people expect from a house, it being dimensional instead of 3 tab doesn't bring a higher price.In our part of the country "energy efficient" windows have about a 25 year payback in energy savings-so do it for your own "livability" factor but not for money.Landscaping-like exterior, adds a lot of curb appeal, one of the reasons we were able to get our house below market-"barn red" paint and 20 years of randomly placed and randomly trimmed shrubs turned many buyers off.

If you are just starting out, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars by doing basic work that contractors make big profits on--like painting.

I’m twenty four years of age, an avid entrepreneur, which means I don’t have a substantial amount of time to dedicate into my home (lawn maintenance, painting, etc).

I’m sure that you understand that the seller is going to paint a picture that is most favorable to him.

Him:[i]I have owned the property for 10 years and renovated much of it (new roof, new a/c, plmg, elect panel, removed all old paint & repainted etc.) now I am moving on to other things.I have a management company.

IIRC he had netted about 5%-6%/year.BTW, both of these guys did some of their own work, annual painting, some of the appliancce updates etc, during their "off-peak" stays.While we're actively looking for a "second" home in a more moderate climate, both of our places will be strictly for our personal use.all cash

The very first time a tenant sues you claiming that their child ate lead based paint, you'll find out fast that there are a LOT of things insurance don't cover, including mold and lead based paint.Mike