i am getting my first property ready for sale to exchange.  i have to fix it up to get it ready for sale.  can i have these costs paid to me at the close of the transaction?

No. 

These expenditures will either be repairs and maintenance related and are operating expenses related directly to the property and would be deducted on your income tax return as repairs and maintenance expenses, or they will be considered capital expenditures and would be added to the cost basis of your property.

The payment of these expenses out of your net proceeds (1031 exchange proceeds) would create taxable boot because you have used your 1031 exchange proceeds to pay for costs that are not related to the acquisition of like-kind replacement property.