If you were prepared to be satisfied with the price you had in mind, why spend more? The new owners will likely prefer their own ideas regarding upgrades and would likely tear yours out to do what they like anyway. Just make sure everything is in good repair and as clean as possible. If I were staging your kitchen today, I would empty every surface, vertical and horizontal, and only put back the tea kettle and coffee maker. No linen of any kind, no art (unless you have a larger piece about triple the size of the one over the table) to hang about 10" above the table. On showing days, add a vase of fresh flowers, and some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (Nestle tubes in the fridge section of the store are easy peasy.) In the bath, you might invest in this bi-fold glass door that pivots in and out of the tub. Find at Lowe's. Then all new owners might have to do would be to replace the floor to their taste.

Clean, paint, stage. Let new owners remodel.

FYI - Everything in the photos is from a previous tenant, the house will be empty - except for what minimal stuff is brought in for staging.

I think this is a question for a real estate agent! They'll know properties in your area and which upgrades are most likely to have an impact on selling price.

Personally I'd be cautious of installing quartz countertops just before selling if the kitchen is a little older because there's a risk that the new buyer will want to completely redo the whole kitchen, and then that's a big piece of high cost material going straight in the garbage. I could definitely see an argument for sprucing up that bathroom though! If you do, probably wise to get some design advice to make sure you're choosing stylish finishes.

Stick to paint and staging. Dish towels off stove, tablecloth off table, fridge magnet paper off, clean counters. Get a Rev-a-Shelf pullout shelf for a small garbage can under sink so your big one isn't out. Read all the staging articles you can. You could go through tens of thousands of dollars upgrading kitchen only to leave it and there goes your profit. Just do a bang-up job of cleaning, paining, and staging everything to look more modern. I would even get a white tulip table at Ikea and a couple wood chairs to give a younger, modern look--this idea only round table. Note the big art. The wood chairs echo floor color, similar to yours.

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I actually have the folding pivot door @decoenthusiaste suggested in my main bathroom and it's great! Works well for showers and conveniently folds out of the way when I'm giving my rambunctious baby a bath.

If its only one bathroom many buyers may want the bathroom upgraded as a bathroom remodel requires they move out while the work is getting done- if its 2 bath its not an issue

I'm a real estate agent. I suggest you call at least one agent in your area. In my market, it usually doesn't make sense to do a lot of upgrades, but this varies by location and price point. Generally speaking, I advise to clean thoroughly, declutter and paint.

Thanks for the comments. I do have a realtor, we're meeting tomorrow to view the property & he'll give me his advice, just thought it'd be helpful to hear from others. I have time to figure things out, my tenant is there for 2 months, then I'm going to clean, paint, etc., & put it on the market this spring. Based on the current market & location - I hope for a quick sale & thought if I put $$ in, I may get more interest / offers / and a higher sale price.

forget painting. DeClutter!!!!! and clean everywhere, and clean some more.

If I could get $50-$75k return for an investment of $10-$20k, I'd take that deal every day of the week.

Are you going to be able to get the contractors in to do the work? What about the materials?

You might have to wait for both.

No, you won't get that kind of return on investment. Plus the time lost with the property off the market and your own time. And like Shirlpp says, just lining up contractors and materials is nearly impossible.

You won’t get the upgrades you want for ‘$10-$20k’. Paint, clean, stage, list. Maybe replace appliances.

IMO cleaning and then cleaning again and fixing any things that are damaged , clean up the outdoor space and no stuff on the counters put the big garbage can in the garage and a tiny one under the sink. Every piece of clutter says no storage .I agree the fact is you will probably not find contractors and often even materials for a redo. I think there were probably many upgrades in the other house besides cosmetic to get that much more and who knows when you speak to the realtor you might already be able to get more than you thought . Hoestly I don't like looking a homes that are staged I must prefer seeing an emty clean space . I would probably paint it just makes the whole house look well cared for.

Renovations seldom have a positive ROI.

https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2021/

What turns buyers off is anything that looks like it wasn't well maintained. Clean everything, paint if needed, touch up every ding, scratch, mark. Have a home inspection done and fix everything they find before the homeowner has one and finds something that frightens off the new buyer. (I've seen a lot of deals fall out of escrow after the home inspection is done).

Not one thing in your 2 photos turns me off, so my thought is no need to invest in any changes at all (just clean, fix any dings etc). Will you let us know what your realtor says?

I'm so happy you talked to an agent. I once had a client where somebody had suggested they do 40K in improvements. The upgrades were all wrong for the house (very contemporary in a traditional home). I felt so badly that they'd had all of this work done. I estimate that for the 40K spent, they probably only realized a gain of less than 10K. A clean, well-maintained home with a fresh coat of paint is all you need! Good luck to you.

Good advice. Glad you have a cooperative tenant.

The advice your realtor gave you about getting it on market echoes what my local realtor friends are advising. Supply and demand will trump all other real estate forces. Normally, I would suggest painting. Inventory is so low that the minimum is all that is required. Clean, clean and clean some more. Don't spend anything on upgrades at this point. Potential buyers will know that this is an investment property with a tenant. They won't expect HGTV.

homechef59 - i couldn't agree more, if you're selling NOW is the time!! My place is already pending, we had a dozen offers & got a price I never expected, it went for more than the nearby comp with all the upgrades I thought I needed. On the flip side - I'd hate to be a buyer right now - the race is on to capture a low interest rate.

Thanks all for chiming in, i love to hear different opinions on this stuff.