The rental calculator seemed to be geared toward buying vs currently owned homesI paid 405,000 w 20% down in '05 and then upgraded all of the bathrooms, exterior, ceilings, fence and landscaping, plumbing, new roof...aesthetics basically. 

Just stay in line with what the neighborhood aesthetic is and make sure everything LOOKS new even if it isn't new.

They generally devalue the property by 3-5% here because people care much more about the aesthetics of their home than saving $10 a month off their electric bill.

If the problem continues and this aesthetic deficiency continues to be a matter of concern, then there are ways of resolving it , but the methods to implement it are of a considerable level of expense.

Should I refinance now and reinvest, or should I complete the aesthetic work first and then refinance?

i should note this is more for aesthetics and not a heat source

Out here, even though damn near every neighborhood has rockscaping, going grass would be beneficial aesthetically as the house would stand out, but grass takes a lot of water and care to maintain in a desert.

In terms of material cost, ease of install, and aesthetics of the finished product, that stuff is money once your installer has laid it a time or two and figured out the whoops's. 

By that time, the only differences will be that the truck will be older, have aesthetic/mechanical issues, be worth a lot less, and nobody will be excited by how it looks or drives.

Its a house being sold with 3 lots of land, in a decent residential area near a major university and the city itself is investing in a streetscape project to improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood, so it seems like a good place to invest.