Rental Property - Renovation Materials Selection

[Stevo Sun]

Hi Folks,

I want to renovate a 1950s bungalow in Calgary, AB (Canada, cold up here). I'm looking to gut the entire property and redo everything. What I would want ideally is something that can be a little more higher end (not luxury by any means) that will increase the property value (think flip), but it will likely be a rental for a while. 

My question is, what materials would be durable/low maintenance enough for rental but also 'fancy' enough for a flip? I understand I might be able to get the best of both worlds, but I'm hoping to get some guidance on material selections from more experienced rehab/renovators!

For starters, I'm thinking about the following:

Flooring - LVP

Counters - quartz

Cabinets - not sure, I heard MDF is not durable enough, but solid wood seems quite expensive (also what colours would be good? I know white/light colors are popular choices, but I always thought they would get dirty too fast)

Fittings - matte black (looks higher end and easier to clean?)

Shower/Bath - not sure, I heard James Dainard say that for rental shower/tub surrounds are good cuz it's lower maintenance and more durable for waterproofing purposes. I'm very torn here because I think tiling would add more value to the property. Is the best move to put in a surround for now and renovate it to tile later?

Am I missing anything big items for consideration? Thanks for everyone's help in advance!

[Pandu Chimata]

Quote from @Stevo Sun:

Hi Folks,

I want to renovate a 1950s bungalow in Calgary, AB (Canada, cold up here). I'm looking to gut the entire property and redo everything. What I would want ideally is something that can be a little more higher end (not luxury by any means) that will increase the property value (think flip), but it will likely be a rental for a while. 

My question is, what materials would be durable/low maintenance enough for rental but also 'fancy' enough for a flip? I understand I might be able to get the best of both worlds, but I'm hoping to get some guidance on material selections from more experienced rehab/renovators!

For starters, I'm thinking about the following:

Flooring - LVP

Counters - quartz

Cabinets - not sure, I heard MDF is not durable enough, but solid wood seems quite expensive (also what colours would be good? I know white/light colors are popular choices, but I always thought they would get dirty too fast)

Fittings - matte black (looks higher end and easier to clean?)

Shower/Bath - not sure, I heard James Dainard say that for rental shower/tub surrounds are good cuz it's lower maintenance and more durable for waterproofing purposes. I'm very torn here because I think tiling would add more value to the property. Is the best move to put in a surround for now and renovate it to tile later?

Am I missing anything big items for consideration? Thanks for everyone's help in advance!

This is what I am doing for flip. 

Flooring - recently moved to LVP from Laminated floors

Counters - Quartz

Cabinets - White Shaker cabinets with black handles - Wood

Fittings - All black fittings - door knobs, hinges, fans, faucets, etc. 

Showers - light color - white or gray tiles around the walls.