Houses need regular maintenance.  For example, they need air filters changed pretty regularly.  Painting, pressure washing, and caulking are all maintenance items to address.  There are scores of other things as well.  Not only that, but one of the most efficient ways to care for a house is to take care of anything that pops up and to take care of it quickly and properly.  When things are undone or poorly done, the greater the consequences.  Foreclosures and bank owned properties are typically maintained least. When people can't afford their house payment, they generally aren't spending time and money painting or fixing a broken window.  To learn more about how to maintain the essential systems in your home, see the excellent book - "How To Operate Your Home", Tom Feiza, Mr. Fix-It Press, 2000, ISBN-096747591-0, $24.95.

When resale time comes around, things can be a little more complicated.  Sellers start looking at the payback for the money spent.  In some cases, they think that there should be an increase in value for every dollar they spend.  Sadly, that isn't always the case, and maintenance is one of these.  The flip side is that failure to perform maintenance can detract from the home's value ... and cost money.  There is a significant difference between increase and decrease in value (seems obvious enough), but many fail to realize the difference.  To see a quick comparison of dollars spent to dollars returned, see these reports:  

Cost Versus Value Report - 2007    National Report

Atlanta Report          Atlanta Specific Report

When we discuss a property's value, we expect that the property is reasonably maintained.  If there are obvious deficiencies, or the property is visibly rundown, even though they may be little things, they will affect the value.   That means a reduction in the home's resale value.  If you deal with major issues that were previously factored in to the value, it may raise your home's value.  Don't expect that the roof you replaced last month for $15,000 will add $15,000 to your home's value.  It may, however,  help you sell your home faster, because it's more attractive and the buyer has just "avoided" having the hassle and expense of replacing the roof. 

If you are a seller, you need to realize not maintaining or fixing issues in advance of putting your home on the market costs you TWICE.  Buyers 

            - reduce their offers due to the condition, because they figure they will have to fix it themselves, and,

            - require that the seller repair the items as part of the stipulations for their offer. 

Finally, buyers notice maintenance and the lack of it!  If a house looks great, but the buyer finds details that have not been maintained, the buyer will wonder what other hidden issues there might be. This is similar to shopping for a new car and finding a dent or ding (once you find one you'll be looking for more).  Likewise, if a house appears to have an unusual amount of recent maintenance, a buyer will wonder if there are underlying problems that the seller is  trying to hide.  Once a buyer loses confidence that the home is a good value, they won't make an offer.  Reason: Nobody wants to buy trouble.

Sellers: Pay attention to your home maintenance and do it when needed.  That way, your home will sell faster, with fewer issues, with less frustration, and usually for more money.