If you want to go hard in the paint and buy multiple properties after you have paid the current mortgage to 20% in order to drop the insurance, you definitely can but could add a lot of unneeded stress as well. 

The entirety of the main and upstairs were freshly painted.

The RTA ones had much less water damage, less chipped paint, easier to clean the ick off of them… overall, much, much better experience with the real ones/RTA.As a note, always store them flat on the ground until you’re putting them together (do not stand them on their side.

We have freshly painted the entire interior.

Besides painting, property needed whole new flooring, updated appliances, some cabinets repair, AC unit is on its last leg, water heater almost 15 years old, and whole lot of cosmetics like windows, old plumbing and the yard front and back completely neglected.

During the first walk through, we made mental notes that we would gut the bathrooms, clean and paint the rest of each unit and leave everything else alone.

During the 1st walk through, we made notes to gut the bathrooms, clean & paint the rest of each unit & leave all else alone.

Was to be his painting studio and vacation house. 

Over the time living at the property we renovated the garage walls and added a sub panel, finished the basement adding a full bathroom, painted the cabinets, added more hardwood flooring to the house (kitchen and 2nd floor), replaced the appliances and fresh paint everywhere.

We have turned about half the building in 2 1/2 years; we did some improvements on those units-flooring, paint and appliances-raised rents heavily on those and modestly on the remaining long term tenants.