Millwork (cabinets and countertops) can also be bought from large millwork companies that do not do--or subcontract out--installation. 

I am putting in new kitchen cabinets as the current ones were disgusting.

One of ours had a small kitchen with a doorway to the laundry room, just by moving that door around the corner to the hallway gave us an extra four feet of cabinets with room to install a dishwasher.Control your expenses and only use borrowed funds for the projects with largest returns(kitchen and bath) Also, be careful with some of those government finance options.

In the Midwest we used to avoid replacing countertops, cabinets, and flooring but are able to achieve a fantastic ROI doing just that this year.It just comes down to what you can raise rents by and the team you have to upgrade the units.

We did make a few upgrades like painting all walls and cabinets, cleaning up all the trash outside (there was quite a bit), de-mossing the roof, and some landscaping improvements like putting in a path and adding planters.

Question for experienced investors only.Let's say your general contractor quotes you at $12k per unit to update interiors (paint, install vinyl floors, formica countertop, refinish cabinets, and new appliances).

The kitchen has been expanded and features new cabinets, counters and NEW Appliances.

The kitchen has been expanded and features new cabinets, counters and Appliances.

The kitchen has been expanded and features new cabinets, counters and NEW Appliances.

We are doing a light rehab by putting laminate flooring, new countertops, painted kitchen cabinets, replaced some interior doors, rehabbed the porch, and gave it a new coat of paint.