Home Staging: Paint Vs Wallpaper?

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CaptainCat

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We're doing the house up at the moment in preparation for selling and I was originally thinking of part wallpapering some of the rooms to create a warm vibe in the house.

However I'm now thinking that paint would be:
1: easier on us
2: more convenient for the buyer for their own decoration

We will definitely paint or wallpaper or both but I'd love to know what others think.
 
Paint only, much easier and cheaper option. Wallpaper is personalising things too much especially in light of sale.
 
That's what I was thinking Sue Ellen, considering even I personally don't like the wallpaper we were looking at, its pointless to think someone else would. Thanks

The only think I'm worried about is the paint finish. some of our walls aren't in the best nick from picture hooks etc. I guess I'll need a lot of filler and sandpaper :)
 
Paint everywhere a neutral colour. Filling holes with readymix filler and sanding (with a Mouse) is a doddle. Declutter everywhere and take down personal photos.
 
I've started the decluttering process. I'm boxing everything and using my dads attic as a storage space (no flooring in our own attic). All personal photos are already down and we're using some of our more interesting paintings etc for decoration. In all I'm hoping to go with a minimalist look with modern decoration.

I'm hoping to only have to paint a few rooms as the others look ok still.

Michaelm: What do you mean "with a mouse"? A newfangled diy contraption I haven't heard of? :)
 
Just a small sander http://www.woodiesdiy.com/Product/black-and-decker-2-in-1-multi-sander-and-30-accessories-ka272/10508/1.0.17 (like this). If there are any beds, chairs or other large furniture that you can disappear then that would be no harm either. Also if you get a nice bright day it might be worth taking a few pictures of the front of the house (blue sky, no car, ideally no other houses in shot) in case the day the photographer comes out is grey.
 
Actually http://www.woodiesdiy.com/Product/black-and-decker-55w-mouse-sander-and-accessories/17465/1.0.17 (this one) is cheaper and will do what you need.
 
Paint for the win here.

Especially if you are selling up.

Dont paint the house with the usual "rental" or "builders" magnolia paint.

Ive recently seen some houses been done up to go on sale and for rental market that are painted with a light grey colour.

Crown Matt Ral 7047 to be exact.Its a tastefull light grey colour and it does make a house look nicer and classy,especially when the house is de-cluttered.Get a large painters trade drum of it mixed up in any Crown trade shop or independent trade paint shop and give the inside of the house a nice coat or 2 of it.

Dont forget to give all existing painted skirting and architrave/doors a quick coat of eggshell,if they need to be spruced up too.No point in having nice freshly painted rooms and then have the skirting and doors let the rooms down.


Dont take any outside pictures with cars in the way or on a rainy day.Also remove the wheelie bins from the garden if they are there.
Give the garden lawn a quick cut,if there is a grass lawn and spruce up the outside and the back garden too.Clip back any hedgerows or large bushes to make them look nice and neat.
A day like today is a good day for pics,when the sun is out.
Take the pictures at various times of the day when the sun is on the front of the house,and also when the sun is on the back or side of the house.

Remember when it comes to selling a house and the pictures,1st impressions last
 
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Little tip here for you.

When you know people are comming to view the house with the estate agent,stick on the central heating for a half hour and make the house warmish so that this gives a nice feeling to the people viewing the house.

You dont want a buyer put off if they walk into a freezing cold house.
 
Google most certainly has been my friend Sue Ellen. I've read so many home staging websites and info on individual rooms which has really helped. Actually I've used Google Images a lot as well which has been surprisingly helpful.

Flowerman: Thats a great idea about the heating. We're hoping to put the house on the market late May/early June and even though that's technically summer the front of our house can be fairly cool since the sun is in the back all day (great for our garden).
I wouldn't have thought about moving the bins. We have a well designed landscaped garden which gave the three bins a specific spot but I'll definitely move these out when taking the photos.

Because we have a lot of brown and black furniture I was going to paint the walls a warm but light coffee colour. I really like the grey but I'm not sure it would suit our house. I was hoping not to have to do the skirtings etc but you're right no point in skimping on it.

I was also wondering, when we sold our apartment in 2007 the estate agent took all the photos and we didn't have any say in the matter. Is it OK for me to take the pictures and submit them to the agent. I'd really like to have control over what goes up online. As you say, first impressions count.

We've a lot of work ahead of us to get the house in order. Its amazing how much has to be done but we want to do this right.
 
CaptainCat said:
I was also wondering, when we sold our apartment in 2007 the estate agent took all the photos and we didn't have any say in the matter. Is it OK for me to take the pictures and submit them to the agent.
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I wouldn't be getting an estate agent who takes pictures, but rather an estate agent who recommends a given photographer. It's worth spending the money to have professional photographs.
 
michaelm said:
If there are any beds, chairs or other large furniture that you can disappear then that would be no harm either.
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I disagree with this advice. Furniture gives function and scale to a room so if you remove it it's very difficult for buyers to see a room as suitable or big enough for their needs (for example, "I'd need to fit a lot more seating into this living room" or "Would you really be able to fit a double bed and lockers in here?"). Of course if you do have one too many armchairs in your living room then do get rid of one, but do not leave any room under-furnished.

Do make sure to leave any beds made up well (meaning not just nice bedding but at least two fluffy pillows per sleeper and (depending on your personal taste) a throw across the end of the bed and one or two throw-cushions per sleeper too. A good tip is to prop pillows upright against the headboard rather than have them flat on the mattress, it gives a more luxurious, "dressed" look).

I would also be very wary of painting the walls grey. Not only do I think civilisation is approaching Peak Grey but depending on the orientation of your rooms they might look very cold in even a posh shade of grey. I would actually suggest repainting in the existing colour of each room, as presumably your furnishings etc go with those colours. And yes, any buyer can just paint over it if they wish.

Re the photographs, definitely do not leave them to the estate agent. If you are handy with a camera yourself then take them yourself, definitely in daylight (not too sunny a day though, will cast harsh shadows). If the estate agent uses a photographer then see if the price is right. Either way have the place tidied to within an inch of its life, but don't leave table-tops empty, a bowl of fruit on a dining room table or a tray and some books on a coffee table will make a big difference to your pictures.
 
I agree dubgem, I've set aside some interesting table top books, and decoration which wont be packed up. Ideally I want the house to look neat, organised and tidy but homely and cosy too. I'm definitely "staging" the house as a new home ready to be moved into.

I want to create an element of space also so will declutter any furniture that isnt necessary, like our little ones highchair etc.
 
CaptainCat said:
I want to create an element of space also so will declutter any furniture that isnt necessary, like our little ones highchair etc.
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Yes. No empty rooms but no unnecessary furniture either. I got rid of a top bunk, a sofa and a sideboard when selling my house, we bought new bed covers and towels which we only deployed for photos and viewings. We disappeared a whole load of other stuff on for viewings.
 
dubgem said:
I would also be very wary of painting the walls grey. Not only do I think civilisation is approaching Peak Grey but depending on the orientation of your rooms they might look very cold in even a posh shade of grey. I would actually suggest repainting in the existing colour of each room, as presumably your furnishings etc go with those colours. And yes, any buyer can just paint over it if they wish.
Click to expand...

You should go and view a wall or room painted with Crown RAL 7047 in the flesh.Ive recently been in a few new builds and also 2 renovated rental houses with this colour painted on the walls.Ive been in these houses in the daytime under natural daylight and also at night time under illumination from 2700k led lights.
This colour combined with a a nice satin white or eggshell on the skirting makes a nice and classy statement.And I can tell you for a fact that in no way does this colour make a room look cold,far from it be the case.
 
I viewed a house recently and the smell in one of the teenager's bedrooms was horrendous. Leave a few windows open and get rid of the smelly runners. A well known estate agent with two staff were patrolling the house but neither of them thought to open a window while viewing was taking place.
You can always store stuff in your wardrobes but tie a piece of ribbon across the handles to deter people from opening them.
The back garden in the same house as above was covered in dog poo. If you have a dog make sure you clean up after it.
 
I don't trust estate agents in supporting sellers trying to sell their houses like opening windows etc, so I will definitely ensure that the house is in as much perfect order as I can before any viewings :)

I'm trying to prioritize what needs to be done in the house and have so far managed to clear all clutter, de-personalise and tidy and clean all wardrobes, presses and drawers. I will actually allow these to be opened so that potential buyers can see how much space and storage is available in the house.

We're on to the freshening up stage and need to prioritize where we spend our money. Obviously we would like to spend as little as possible without scrimping and we have a tight enough budget but I was wondering, do you think its absolutely necessary to paint the interior doors?
 
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