I'd run it by them.

We've got a couple of DIY things going on now though and want to get them finished before we bring in the realtor. We're just thinking about our project finances for the whole thing.

probably try selling at a reduced price and let buyers choose their replacement carpet, etc. I know most buyers would prefer a house with everything updated, but I'm not putting money into it unless I absolutely have to. I'm lucky in that I am in no hurry to sell. Good luck.

So we're hoping to make it look like an attractive deal. The roof thing worries me.

I think required watching for prospective sellers and clueless realtors is that show on one of the DIY channels, Sell This House.

On that show, they spend a couple hundred bucks on new paint, cleaning and staging. They concentrate on staging odd or misused rooms - like turning front porch junk rooms in to elegant little sitting areas. Or staging unfurnished bedrooms and dining rooms in to furnished rooms - sometimes even using boxes to create a bed or sheet wrapped lawn furniture to create a dinning room.

It think it's hard to overestimate the bang you get for the buck on a new fresh paint job.

I don't know that I would spend money on a roof that is not leaking. I would spend money only on the more enticing items and worry about the roof if it comes up. Then you can negotiate anywhere from zero, to a portion, to full replacement cost if comes up on inspection.

We'd prefer to spend a little money as creatively as possible to stage it and hopefully get as much back as we can. We've put a lot of work into it over the years and it really only needs a few tweaks to be an awesome house.

As for paint, we've been working on that over the last few months, interior and exterior. What a difference it's made.

then you can offer to knock off $10K in negotiations to sweeten the deal.

Also insurance companies may not insure if roof needed. That's another requirement for a mortgage.

We're in Southern California where we have not had heavy rain for a long time. We had no leaks during the little rains but this time there is a leak. It's around the fireplace, an area that was fixed a few years back.

We've decide we just need to get the new roof. Partly because of that and partly because of your comments (thanks!) about prospective buyers maybe not being able to get a loan, insurance, etc. We hadn't thought about that. One insurer wouldn't insure us when we bought the house because the roof was so old. That was in 2003!

We've already put in new windows and doors all around, new exterior paint, a new heating/cooling unit and are in the middle or installing a new bathroom. So we may as well do the roof and be in the position to get a good offer.

I've got a lot of little cosmetic changes I want to make. I'll be posting for advice on those soon.

Good luck!

I have a friend in the middle of a divorce. She needs and wants to sell the house but it needs some major things like painting, roof, some plumbing issues. She is worried that she can't refinance to make the repairs before she sells (if she does this without the ex). However, she knows she could get a lot more for the place if the big things were done.

Personally, I think she and the soon to be ex should get the repairs done first and split more money that way.

and my husband has a shop full of tools and the skills to use them. So we DIY a lot of the time. We'll be applying to our credit union for a loan to finance the roof, though.

Maybe your friend could talk to a real estate agent to see what updates or repairs would bring the most return without breaking the bank. I always hear that kitchen or bath updates are good. A fresh coat of paint can be fairly inexpensive and does a lot. But the main thing may be to have everything in working order first.

I wish your friend luck. I'll report back once we've sold if I learn anything worth sharing from the whole experience.