Should I repair defects before selling?

After years of living in a home, it's easy to overlook regular home maintenance chores. If there's no urgency, many homeowners procrastinate. Often problems don't get fixed until an issue arises, like a roof leak in the middle of winter.
Unattended home maintenance may become a problem for a seller. We know from experience, the majority of buyers want to buy ‘turn-key’ homes they can move into without having to make a lot of repairs. Sellers need to decide before putting their home on the market whether to fix address needed repairs or leave the work for a future buyer.
A home in move-in condition is a home that appeals to the broadest audience of prospective homebuyers. First-time homebuyers, and buyers with busy lifestyles, often won't consider buying a home that needs a lot of work. They haven't the time or experience to deal with the problems. So, if you have the time, money and inclination to attend to needed repairs, you will do better on the sale of your home if problems are fixed before you list your home for sale.