In my view, the approach to holding property long term as rental changes the calculus of what to spend and how to spend it. A good example is the garage suite. We, well, I, decided to do hydronic heat over a cold garage. The tenant will love the warm floor and compare it to a dingy freezing dungeon he used to live in, and anything else will be a major compromise so he won’t leave. That makes easy landlording. The cost is atrocious however. Hydronic set up and mechanicals is nearly $10k and then you’ve got an elevated pour, self level, membrane, and finally tile (the cheap part) and labour for all (not cheap). That is how you design for the long term in your personal build. Would I do it and give it away for free in a spec home? Not if I want to stay in business. Would a typical buyer appreciate these costs and hassles? I think not, and would undervalue it compared to a similar build elsewhere, thus assume the components were free (against a cheap vinyl plank and furnace job, as if these are remotely comparable). Such is the life of a spec builder vs someone in it for the long game. Over 10 years you can justify all manner of improvements if the financing and rental income can be organized as beneficial for all parties. Also, I just like the high end mechanical specifications, and the home comfort outcomes.
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