paint the walls and cabinets, clean the floor, replace the vanity and mirror for something modern, scrub the tub and surrounding walls until they shine, figure out if there's some kind of paint to apply to existing wall tiles that won't flake off, keep the rest of the money for something else. 

My current STR properties are modern and highly curated, so I’m looking to replicate this type of aesthetic with my next project:Vista Luna SonomaHygge Haus SonomaThe Gaines are indeed an inspiration for setting the standard (as is Live Oak Lake - they’ve done a wonderful job).

@Steve NafzigerOld fashion market research can go a long way.AirDNA is supposed to be very helpful on this regard as well.

I want to replace the ugly ancient cast iron radiators with modern flat wall mounted units. 

(single story) With that being said the modern new construction self storage should be a minimum of 50,000 sq foot to be economical.

Newer modern 4bedroom  house ect.

Over the next three years, we will invest approximately $4-5k to update the units to modern expectations, and be able to see a healthy rise in rent and reduction of time to fill.

So, we're preparing a packet to be sent the old fashioned way. 

Anyone have experience with VAs in this fashion?

You will need to find a broker who will let you do that as most just want you to sell and earn commissions for clients in the traditional fashion.