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Your Home has too much Wallpaper

May 11, 2011 By Doug Francis

Blinding Florals

Image by The Michael via Flickr

When the “listing agent” of a home for sale in Oakton, VA gave me a call recently hoping to get some feedback, I told her that my clients were totally turned off by the floral wallpaper and had ruled out her IMPRESSIVE listing.

You are probably nodding your head in agreement right now because you have seen homes that were wallpapered in the 1990’s with floral prints or the 1970’s with a western theme. Today’s home buyers see a home with wallpaper (actually any wallpaper) negatively because it represents their first big project, and that realization often rules out a nice home on the spot.

There are 15 critical seconds when a home buyer walks into a home. Those immediate impressions of a house are long lasting and anything they see (not just wallpaper) is going to influence their decision to make an offer or not. My professional advice is to remove the wallpaper and paint before putting your home on the market.

How much will it cost to remove all that wallpaper?

Anyone planning to sell their home needs to remember that their selection of wallpaper took time, maybe involved an interior decorator and some major decision making. The wallpaper you selected appealed to your personal tastes at the time… and your tastes may have changed too.

Home Sellers, change hats for a minute…

If you change hats for a moment from home seller to home buyer, imagine walking into your next home and seeing Laura Ashley wallpaper everywhere. Yes, it was popular in the 1990’s but looks a little dated now and, even you are probably calculating how much a painter will cost to strip the wallpaper and paint the room(s) a Benjamin Moore color theme like you saw in Town & Country magazine last month.

In twenty years of helping home buyers, I have never heard one say, “Doug, we love this wallpaper!” If you have been shopping for a home then you probably know what the real reaction really is… “Doug, how much is going to cost to strip off all this ugly wallpaper?”

So, Oakton home sellers can not afford to squander that first 15 second impression with the incorrect assumption that home buyers won’t care about your old wallpaper and will deal with it later.

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Filed Under: Blog, Home Seller Tips Tagged With: Home Seller Tips, Oakton

About Doug Francis

A Realtor specializing in unique and new homes around Vienna, Virginia, Doug started writing a first-hand blog about his everyday real estate experiences a decade ago. In depth, helpful and fun has always been the objective. Outside real estate, he was profiled in a commercial for Verisign's "Where the World Clicks" campaign, and was quoted in Money Magazine's Best Places to Live article on Vienna. He's a Boston University graduate who feels morning coffee is non-negotiable.

Being able to guide my clients through many real estate sales, either moving out, moving in, or just across town, has been a rewarding experience that helps when discussing a plan with a future client.

Being able to help them focus and understand our proven sales plan always eases their anxiety of this looming personal task. And, putting it into bite-sized steps always helps them get where they really want to be.

My background… I’ve been an active licensed agent in Virginia for 25 years, work at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in McLean, and sell homes in all price ranges. I donate to the town tree replacement fund, participate in a neighborhood citizens association, and try my best to stay in shape.

Questions? Email doug@dougfrancis.com or call me at (703) 304-6827 to discuss your plans. Cheers!

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About Doug Francis

I am a Realtor with TTR Sotheby's International Realty® just outside Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. I have been a full-time Realtor licensed in Virginia since 1991, and cover a big territory specializing in the Vienna real estate market and custom homes for sale.

I have unique knowledge of digital real estate marketing, and my marketing starts here. My elite clientele has been attracted to my results-oriented strategy for years, and I am accepting new clients now.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact me at 703-304-6827 or email me at doug@dougfrancis.com anytime!

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