Staging Tip #3 – Refresh Your Walls

By
Real Estate Agent with The Cascade Team

 

Recently, my 6 year old son’s best friend taught him a new trick.  How to climb the walls.  Literally. The hallway from the entryway to the kitchen is fairly narrow and the boys place one foot and one hand on either wall and climb up to the ceiling.  Needless to say, it didn’t take long for my walls to look filthy.

 

When is the last time you really looked at your walls?  When you live in a house, wear and tear happens gradually and you may not even notice it a first.  If you want to sell your house, it’s time to take a critical look at your walls because potential buyers certainly will!

 

The first thing to do is to take a cleaner like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  It really does work like magic, and no they did not pay me to say that!  The generic ones work pretty well, too.  I've got 6 kids so I've used them a lot.  They are great at removing crayon, markers, dirt, and the occasional "what-the-heck-is-that?"

 

Once you start, you may find yourself noticing all kinds of flaws; chipped paint on doors, cabinets, and moldings; nail holes where pictures used to hang, etc.  Touch-up the paint, a little bit of putty, and “orange-peel” spray to re-do the texture, can do wonders towards making a room fresh and clean. 

 

Or you can do what I did.  I painted the hallway in beautiful new color to match the entryway!   Go for it!  Just make sure the color is contemporary!  But I'll save that for another post.  Right now I have to go unclog a toilet! No, I'm not kidding!

 

Comments (5)

Chip Jefferson
Gibbs Realty and Auction Company - Columbia, SC

Paint is always a Realtors best friend (besides a buyer). Its cheap enough that every seller can afford to do some.

Mar 08, 2009 11:12 PM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Thanks for the tips.  Painting is probably one of the least expensive things you can do to make your home look better.  Amazing how many won't even do this - Motivation?

Mar 08, 2009 11:50 PM
Corey & Erika Kahler
The Cascade Team - Kirkland, WA

Laura - so true! Fresh Paint does wonders.

Gabe - I know.  i honestly think some people just can't see their home objectively.  I always think its tragic too when buyers can't see past wall color!

 

Mar 09, 2009 02:38 AM
Leslie Olson
Leslie Olson Interiors - Austin, TX
Interior Design and Redesign - Moved to Austin!

Wow...to think my sister and I used to climb the walls like that too! Don't forget about all the smudges around switch plates... Thanks for your post!

Mar 11, 2009 06:06 AM
Corey & Erika Kahler
The Cascade Team - Kirkland, WA

Leslie, I hope you've told your mother how great she is! ;)  Good reminder about the switchplates.  I sometimes recommend installing all new ones.  It's a cheap way to freshen things up!

Mar 11, 2009 06:37 AM