Marie,

It really depends.  Recently one of our clients sold a home for a million more by removing a wall, updating a kitchen, and a few pieces of furniture.  The output was $75,000.  The result was priceless...You have to do a study in your marketplace--a CMA that shows what works in YOUR market!  That can work here in Santa Barbara County, will it work everywhere?  No, even in our area, some places are not worth doing anything except what some have mentioned here.  A

It depends on how old the kitchen is - 50 year old never been updated? And, it depends on the market. Every home and condition is unique to the home and the market.  Generally speaking up dating helps sell but if the market won't support the price ... ??? All of that needs to be considered.

It depends.  Really it does.  On the particular property.  On the neighborhood. On the market.  On timing.  On motivation.  

Each situation is different this we all know. I am for makeovers before we hit the market. They pay off nicely in pricing, days on market and negotiations

Really depends on the house, the market, the price of the house. It could be a very different decision from one house to another and one neighborhood to another.

If they update it, they may not want to move!  I've seen that happen before.

It all depends Marie.  How outdated are they?  What will the reno cost be and what will the ROI be?  Do they want to sell quickly or for top dollar?  Will they choose colors and fixtures that buyers like, or will they go with something "cheap and easy?"

I work with investors/flippers primarily.  I've seen some amazing transformations and I've seen where, like Ron and Alexandra Seigel said, taking out a wall makes the house worth so much more.

If you put in the upgrades your buyers are looking for, you are on the right track.  If not, you might as well use the money as toilet paper.

It depends on the current market and the home/neighborhood.  Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to update or remodel - other times I suggest just  a light refresh if needed.

The only things I know of that will give a dollar for dollar return are cleaning (interior and exterior), decluttering and (neutral) painting.  Updating is always a bit of a crap shoot as to the taste of potential buyers.  

No, you can de-clutter and freshen but to spend a lot of money on updating is foolish.  The buyers taste could be vastly different from the sellers.

Often just making sure things are clean and presentable is more important and then of course priced appropriately. Updating does not return cash dollar for dollar, but might help to sell quicker.

Well, I have seen some up-dates for sale purposes, and there is honestly no guarantee that a potential client will 'love' what you have done, even though it is new.  And sad to say, I have seen just the opposite, where some will 'hate' that new flooring or counter top.  It's so very subjective Marie Story.  I think minimal up-dates could happen inexpensively - like that fresh coat of neutral paint, new light fixtures, and a clean-clean kitchen and baths.   

I agree with Liz Wallace - they're big ticket items that are easy to get wrong!  Freshen with paint and possible refacing cupboards but price accordingly.

Yes, if the updates will be a good investment.

Depends on how outdated they are...

It depends. 

It depends on the house, its condition compared to the competition currently on the market, time issues and the financial goals of the sellers. Often minor upgrades (updating the landscaping, upgrading the front door, putting in new faucets in the bathrooms, etc.) bring high ROI when you sell. Remodeling a kitchen or bath is usually best left to the new owner; sell at a lower price with that in mind.

Yes! yes! Yes!

I pull the averages of costs and returns for remodeling and let them see it... then they can make an educated decision

It depends on the property condition, the neighborhood, and the market.  

It depends on the market. Some neighborhoods have so much charm it might be better to keep the price low and let the buyer do it. If the neighborhood is average then I would recommend doing the kitchen first and if there is money left then do the baths.

If you want to get top dollar for your home, it has to look like a top dollar homes.

   Crunch the numbers.  I had a Seller who owed $175K on the mortgage of a well-worn rental house.  He spent close to $50K on new kitchen, baths, tile, carpet.  The problem?  The house was only worth $225K max.  He lost money.

It really depends on the issues, the market, and the costs, as well as what updating is actually going to be done. There is no simple answer.

I don't think anyone can answer that without knowing the marketplace in which the home is located....and the condition of the home....

Many people here are just able to finally sell so asking for extensive updates are not really appropriate. I will say get rid of wallpaper, get fresh paint, new carpet or laminate.

After it gets done they all say 'should have done it sooner'.

In ost cases, my answer would be the same as Liz Wallace's.

I know many would like to see this happen, nice to make a higher commission on all of those upgrades.

But I am more of a bird in the hand kind of person and say why wait until next year when we can get started today, you never know where the market will be by the time they get all these upgrades done.

It depends on the particular seller's situation and how the property will be marketed.  For example, if you are selling as a fixer upper or a knockdown, it would not make sense to update.

Tiled kitchen counter top gets not even get endorsed by the cook, so you lose 1 vote out 2. Formica-people walk away from it immediately

Vinyl flooring in bath with water damage- Better to replace the flooring, commode, replace the shower doors, water wise toilets, newer fixtures. Shower can stay doors do not.

Anything over 20 years old fixutures replace them before putting on the market unless you want to reduce the asking price by a large largin (100K) less).

I always tell my clients to wait and let's see how the traffic and offers come in - we can always offer that as a negotiation