Selling Your Home Successfully in the Tulsa, Oklahoma Area Part Four

Selling Your Home Successfully in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area, isn't hard when you know what you're doing!

Today I want to talk to you about wallpaper.  Ah yes, wallpaper.  Still popular today to some degree, but when it comes to selling your home...definitely a must go item.

My opinion is that replacing wallpaper in your home will help you to be more successful when it comes time to sell.  The reasons I hold this opinion are...

1. I hear clients remark time and again, "Oh, there's wallpaper in here."  What they're really saying is, "Ugh, we'll have to remove that if we buy this house."  And most people typically are not looking for a house where they're going to have to move in and roll up their sleeves and remove wallpaper.  Now admittedly, some people will be okay with doing some work in their new home.  But removing wallpaper can tear up the wall and is time consuming and messy.  I find more of my clients turned off by existing wallpaper than raving fans of it (in prospective homes they are considering buying).

2. Wallpaper is personal.  Your taste in wallpaper will not be the taste of most of your buyers.

3. Houses that are too personalized with something like wallpaper, do not have the ability to attract and keep interested buyers as well as houses that are warm and appealing.  Let me give you an example.

Here's an example of wallpaper in a dining room. Now, compare that to the room on the right.  Notice that the green color in the living room is a nice contrast with the red in the kitchen dining area.  Red is a strong color, but it works nicely against the living room and it is more visually appealing than the wallpaper in the other picture.

Now for an example of a bathroom with wallpaper and another one without wallpaper.  Interestingly, the green colored bathroom on the right is in an older house than the bathroom with wallpaper.

 
How about kitchens?  Here's a new construction kitchen in our area and a kichen in an existing home.  Notice that both of them are beautiful, warm and inviting.  Would you put wallpaper up against this?  Only if it could accomplish the same feel.

Now, don't misunderstand me.  I am not against wallpaper as a decorative element in homes.  It can add beauty and a personal touch to your room.  However, when it comes time to sell, removing your personal touch in order to create a broader appeal is a smart move.

Remember, you are competing when you are selling your home.  You only win the competition if a buyer picks your home over every other house that is on the market.  And in a new construction environment like Owasso and Collinsville, broad appeal to buyers is more important than ever.

So spend the money or take the time and remove that wallpaper.  Then warm up your room with a great paint color and accents.  We'll cover that tomorrow!

That's tip number four in my series, "Selling Your Home Successfully in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area." 

The information, content and pictures in this Bob Haywood blog are the property of Bob Haywood.  You must obtain written permission from Bob Haywood if you would like to use any of this content.  Opinions expressed are those of Bob Haywood and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of other brokers, associates or home owners.  Blogs may be used in their entirety using the reblog feature within Active Rain.

For the most complete information on the Owasso and Greater Tulsa Oklahoma housing market, be sure to check out www.BobHaywood.com  

To read the rest of the series click on any link below

Part Three - Curb Appeal

Part Two - Updating Older Homes

Part One - Square Footage Appraisal