My awesome 82 year old father passed away last year and we moved my mom to a retirement community.  My sister and I agreed that renovating, then leasing out the family home was a good financial move and would create a good income stream for my mom to help pay for the retirement community.  The home has a low tax base (dad+mom bought in 1978 for $90K), and is free and clear,   Below are some pictures and a virtual tour of the home at 17837 Saint Andrews Drive in Poway, CA 92064.

It was a great albeit long and stressful experience for me acting essentially as the General Contractor.  Still, an excellent education in the real time budgeting and renovation of the  1800+ square foot single level ranch style home I grew up in.

I also acted as Realtor for the property.  Listing it for lease and marketing it ultimately  garnering over 15 rental applications in just a few weeks.  We settled on a lovely family as tenant/lessee.

I now act as Property Manager for the home.

Pictures and Virtual Tour (I am working on embedding video):

http://www.ranchophotos.com/mls/17838-saint-andrews-drive/

Some particulars (there are many more):

All new windows and one sliding patio door…………..    $10,767

All new carpet in 4 bedrooms+living room,
procelain tile flooring in all other rooms
included diamond sanding entire slab…………………..    $15,560

New Quartz kitchen counters incl backspash & demo…$4400

I purchased Bosch Dishwasher &
new Oven/Microwave combo (at Pacific Sales Csbad)
$629 dishwasher

Oven microwave combo $2299

Total incl install for above……………………………………….. $3374

I purchased a vanity incl granite countertop w/sink
for hall bath (at Pacific Sales Csbad)……………………….  $2640

Demo & Install with my contractor of the above………. $800