Cast Iron Tub vs. Acrylic Tub AND Fridge Choice in Renovation

[Nikhil Agarwal]

This is the first time I purchased a unit that needs to be renovated before it can be rented. Before I closed, I went ahead and purchased two more. All 3 units closed last week. So now I have 3 units that need renovating!

I think we are renovating the units quite well:

1. Tile in the bathrooms
2. New vanity
3. brushed nickel hardware
4. LVP flooring throughout
5. Tile backsplash in the kitchen
6. New white shaker cabinets
7. Granite countertops
8. Paint, New Outlets, New Doors if damaged etc.

Given this context, there are a couple of choices I'm facing:

Choice 1: The Bathtub:

Should I buy a more expensive Cast Iron Tub ($479) vs. a cheaper Acrylic tub ($385). The contractor is charging the same for the installation so the only difference is going to be the purchase price of the tub. I think the main thing I'm thinking is if the more expensive tub will actually result in less maintenance. I don't think it makes any difference to what I'll be able to rent the unit for (we expect to rent it for $2K)

Choice 2: The Appliances:

We currently have a mix of appliances.

Unit 1: All white appliances except Hood is Stainless Steel
Unit 2: Dishwasher and Hood is Stainless Steel. Everything else is white.
Unit 3: Dishwasher, Stove and Hood is Stainless Steel. Fridge is white.

I'm wondering if I should be upgrading all the non-SS appliances to stainless steel. Will it make a difference? Once again, the only incremental cost I would incur would be the appliances themselves. There is no additional labor charges for upgrading the appliances.

Appreciate your thoughts and advice! Thank you so much!