I am a fellow San Diegan. I will also preface my recommendations by noting that I have not renovated my own home, but have assisted with a number of family members' renos, large and small. I would think you would first want to address the safety issues in case those affect any of the cosmetic or layout issues of the home. After that an easy win would probably be starting with the exterior, which is potential buyers' and renters' first impression of the home. If it has a 70s look outside, that can be a strong turn off. Basic landscaping and painting/cleaning up the exterior of the home is totally doable (and can be relatively quick) if you are DIY. Bigger things like re-doing stucco or replacing windows might be necessary, but if you know this at the start you can minimize the work you do on the interior. Inside see what you can do with paint (don't do white, go with light-shade neutrals - grays in particular are very "now"), try to leave the floors alone if they are not bad. But, if the old floors are easy to pull up (this is why I hate tile) wood-looking laminate flooring is REALLY easy to install as a DIY-er and moves pretty quickly (can get expensive - the cheapest stuff looks cheap, the better stuff can get pricey but is beautiful and you can save on installation costs - just depends on your priorities). If the bathrooms are done, turn to the kitchen. Replace crappy faucets (not expensive and easy to DIY). Sanding down and repainting cabinets (would recommend inside and out) takes a little time but is another easy DIY project that almost anyone with a little fastidiousness in their nature can do. If you have tile countertops (HATE), clean up the grout. But replacing them could increase your ROI as that seems to be a major thing for buyers and better renters. Overall, just making the place spotless and clean (inside and out) will go a long way (hence the recommendation to paint the inside of your kitchen cabinets).
