Good morning, We always do things in this order:Exterior: roof, doors, windows,trim, paint, finishings (numbering, mailbox, lights, etc)Interior: electrical, plumbing, ceiling, walls,doors, trim ,texture, paint, floors, cabinets & countertops, vanities, appliances, fixtures, finishings Hope this helps.

Repair any appliances as needed (fix, not replace unless it's necessary), if nonworking light fixtures need replacing, leaky faucets replaced or fixed, small things like that are fine because that is part of the general upkeep of the unit.

I had someone suggest to me to potentially make immediate improvements to the living quality (new appliances, furnishings etc) and use their security deposit for that and therefore they would get immediate benefit of their escrowed funds.

Let the net owner play decorator and buy the appliances, choose the color, Leave it in primer and jump out with whatever profit you can. 

Install new appliances, upgrade flooring, new paint, etc.

Where could I find quality used appliance in that area?

My guess is they have had no CapEx or maintenance, since it's only 10 years old, so they have gotten a 6% cap for the last 10 years, and they are selling it just in time for you to have to start worrying about the water heaters, driveway, appliances, and other things that might be approaching the end of their new, hassle-free stage of life.

I believe that the work that needs to be done to it consists of replacing the vinyl kitchen flooring (there is a burn mark on it), new paint, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and professional cleaning.

Unless it's an emergency or an urgent need, our tenants won't be calling us in the middle of the night and I won't be going out to the property in the middle of the night.As for what a typical clause might look like, here is are examples from our rental agreement:MAINTENANCE OF PREMISES.Landlord will maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied by Landlord in good working order.Landlord will perform periodic inspections of the premises, no less than once a year, for the purpose of property maintenance and repair.Landlord will notify Tenant in advance of the inspection.

When was major items last replaced; HVAC, Water heater, Roof, Appliances, etc...