Area real estate agents are divided over the answer.

Some say it could be worth spending $5,000 to $10,000, perhaps more, on upgrades, especially as the market begins to slow and more upscale homes are built in the Valley.

Says Agent Ruta: ”It’s no longer: Stick a sign in the front yard and sit back and wait for the offers to come in. You have to get the house ‘dealer-prepped.”’

Others say the rule-of-thumb is the same regardless of market conditions: Price the house as-is and let the buyers renovate it to their tastes, if it needs it. ”I’ve never seen it pay off to have people undertake major renovations and get back what they put into it,” says Cathy Kocsis of Century 21 Pinnacle in Bethlehem Township. ”If you’re going to do anything, adjust the price.”

Some real estate agents believe upgrading is necessary because it is getting harder to compete with the many new homes being built in the area.

Other agents say it is not worth investing big money in a home you plan to sell.