Mechanical items are the exception worth taking seriously. Buyers price a furnace, shingles, windows and a hot water tank at replacement cost in their heads, and in Saskatoon a failing furnace discovered in January carries more weight than the same item in June. If a system is at the end of its life, either replace it or price for it openly, because a buyer will do that arithmetic either way during the condition period, usually with a $400 to $600 inspection report in hand.
Be sceptical about big projects on a short clock. A kitchen or bathroom taken back to the studs eight weeks before listing rarely returns its full cost, ties up money you may need for the next purchase, and risks running past your possession date. Landscaping, a tidy entry, working light fixtures and clear photographs of a well kept home do more for the price than a half finished renovation ever will.
One thing that does add value is documentation. Online estimates and public records cannot see work completed without a permit, so a developed basement, an added bathroom or a rebuilt deck is invisible unless somebody records it. Joel Dyck's hand-reviewed valuation lists those improvements, prices them against sold comparables and puts them in front of buyers rather than leaving them in the walls.