Honestly, my crystal ball isn't working this morning. But I'd talk to a few good local realtors before you lift a paintbrush. Real estate is all local. In some locations, buyers expect the moon, stars and a few planets thrown in. In other areas, sellers are more prone to want to do their own work, and would rather get a lower price instead of carpets they'll tear out right away. Only your realtor knows what's happening where you live.

I think what you've mentioned is reasonable to give the best impression to a buyer and are all things I've done before selling a home and so far all mine have sold in the first few days of listing including one before even listing it. However if you are in an area with no inventory then you might be able to get away with less.

The things I'm not sure I would do at all out of your list is refinish the floors. I'd see if one of those restore finish things works first, and just try to make the wear minimized.

I would also skip doing any light fixture replacements unless it detracts from the space. Brass is becoming in again and it is something that can be very taste specific anyways and something easy for a buyer to replace to their liking anyways.

Not doing the powder room is fine too. It is a small space and if that is a sticking point then it is likely your buyer is not serious about the purchase anyways.

The one thing about doing these things yourself such as the roof vs. it becoming a negotiating item is that you already pick the price to pay and the type etc. You choose who does the work and you have more control than if it becomes a negotiating item. A buyer may want 30 year shingles and have a specific company they want to do the work and you to pay for it. You doing the replacement ahead of time means there is no negotiating happening about it at all. Also a buyer tends to overestimate the cost of doing something and will likely deduct that from their offer so if one can afford to it is an easier sale to address items before listing.

Another thing to consider is that looking a year into the future isn't easy. Will there be a glut of inventory at that time? Or very slim inventory? How's your crystal ball. I'd put off doing a lot of that work until you're getting ready to sell, but still talk to a few realtors now.

Many thanks for all the input. The Mister sold a condo last year about 10 miles away, I can talk with his agent. And one of our neighbors is an agent.

The best thing to do is to start gathering all the estimates. What would it cost to replace carpet vs hardwood then ask your realtor- change it or credit the buyer. In our market, a buyer would rather have a credit for hardwood then have you put in new carpet which they most likely would rip out. Roof, get an estimate(s) so you can do it or pay to have it done. 24 years- it will come up in an inspection and I'd be prepared to deal with it. You can buy yourself some immediate interest and a stronger offer if you do it. Ultimately you would at least know how much you are looking at before you get started

I would consult with a realtor, of course, for the best placement in the market. That said, I believe even some experienced buyers will only look at decorative stuff and not windows or roofs.

getting an inspection (which many, many buyers do) will bring up the condition of the windows and/or roof.

We will have a roof inspection done in the next week or so. The windows were replaced 8 years ago, so that isn't a concern.