Example: when I am getting flooring for a project, I ask the flooring supplier what are the more popular floorings being used now, etc. 

I spent $13,788 renovating this 1-bedroom apartmentHere's the breakdown 👇 - Kitchen faucet: $99- Thermostat: $60- Bathroom hardware: $34- Toilet: $94- SS stove: $500- SS microwave: $200- SS fridge: $781- SS dishwasher: $349- Tile: $390- Carpet + Pad: $690- Bathroom faucet: $77- Bathroom vanity: $189- Bathroom mirror: $99- Lighting fixtures: $150- White shaker cabinets: $1,990- Cabinet handles: $36- Blinds: $79- Black matte hinges: $51- Black matte door knobs: $108- Blanco single bowl sink: $100- Blanco sink rack: $25- Granite countertop & install: $1,100- Paint & materials: $328- Random materials/parts: $259- Labor: $6,000Renovation time: 22 daysPrevious rent: $700Signed leased: $1,150As for calculating my return, here's how I did it 👇New Rent Change per month: $450 (see rents above)Annualized Rent Change: $5,400 ($450 x 12 month)ROI: 39% ($5,400 / $13,788)New Building Value Added: $90,000 (based on 6% cap rateI'm choosing to renovate every unit to a premium-level finish with high-quality materials.

However, while I was succumbing to shiny object syndrome (admiring the fancy new kitchen, new hardware, and beautifully tiled bathrooms), my agent was crawling around in the basement crawlspaces, collecting cobwebs, and looking at the plumbing.

I have a smaller job for (7.5 K) for installing a new walk in shower and bathtub-shower with new tile, etc. 

It can be found in materials such as insulation, ceilings, roofing felt, floor tiles, cement, and even roofing shingles.Realizing this product has proven to cause cancer, it was banned in building materials in 1977.  

If this closes, I'll be 10 miles from TSMC and Suppliers, once they extend 67th Ave to 303 (and close to 3 hospitals, 2 colleges, Westgate Entertainment, USAA, Cigna, Farmers, PetSmart, Discover, MassMutual, Cintas, UnitedHealthcare, FedEx, Waste Management, Honeywell).  

What are they installing - another kit or tile?

Experienced contractors have credit with suppliers and don't have to pay for many things right away. 

You can figure most basic things out like painting, trim, basic carpentry, vinyl flooring, landscaping, demo, tiling on youtube.

This makes it probably the most honest earned money in RE - because you actually made things better for society by improving a property that needed it, paying contractors and suppliers and providing needed housing to the public.