Sale of renovated or unrenovated condominium? Renovation or not?

I agree with the general consensus that as a seller I would offer an unrenovated apartment and as a buyer I would prefer the same. Of course, exceptions prove the rule. The arguments have already been very well summarized by previous speakers. Naturally, major defects should be fixed beforehand. But when it comes to "cosmetic renovations" or redesigns, it is better to leave it as is and offer it that way. In my opinion, you usually do not recoup the additional costs of a renovation. If things go badly, the buyers will tear down the newly built walls and redo tiles, etc. This happened recently in my circle of acquaintances, where a brand-new single-family house was sold again before it was even occupied. The buyers completely gutted the place. They tore out tiles, removed and rebuilt doors, and so on and so forth. It hurt both my soul and my wallet, but what can you do when it just doesn't suit your taste?!

For example, something that recently happened in my circle of acquaintances: a brand-new single-family house that was still unoccupied was sold again.
The buyers completely gutted the place. Tore out tiles, removed and rebuilt doors, and so on and so forth.
It hurt the soul and the wallet, but what can you do if it doesn’t suit your taste at all?!

This is exactly the blind spot I meant: although it leads to absurd situations, the buyers of this new house still expressed interest in this new building despite their willingness to renovate (and won the bid). Although almost everyone would adapt the place to their own preferences, you simply get a larger group of interested parties if everything looks nice and doesn’t require much work anymore. Having to do something and wanting to do something are two very different things.

I would renovate beautifully (meaning, repair and beautify, with taste) so that one can say “ready to move in” in good conscience. What happens after that is no longer the seller’s concern.

People, including buyers, are not logical. Forget about it.

Naturally, major defects should be fixed beforehand

I think that's a good hint. A real estate agent once said that small details can sometimes make a higher price. So it should be well maintained. If necessary, painting the walls once can make a difference. Or repairing minor defects. Renewing rotten silicone joints in the shower.

I always find it funny how people try to sell beautifully (undisputedly) renovated apartments at the price of a new build. A lot, a lot of money is invested, but heating, insulation, etc. are now a matter for the community in a condominium and usually still old. The whole thing may be okay for an owner-occupier whose taste you happen to have met, but absolutely uninteresting for an investor. Some want "stylish" and high-quality renovation, others durable and taste-neutral. In my opinion, the renovation rather narrows the buyer pool.

Maybe just painting the walls once already makes a difference.

that is the point that possibly makes the biggest difference with minimal effort (a few buckets of paint and a weekend of work): simply and solely because the rooms then appear BRIGHTER!