It’s tempting to say, “why paint?” or strip wallpaper when most people will want to redecorate the walls themselves once they’ve moved in. But keep these things in mind:
Nothing gives a room a clean look faster than a fresh coat of paint. Even if your walls are in good shape (i.e.-no visible stains or cracks), paint is still an easy and inexpensive way to in brighten up a room.
Remember, your master bedroom could have a gorgeous bay window and a huge walk-in closet, but if it’s painted bright pink, then the only thing a potential buyer is going to see is a bright pink bedroom. If you have “questionable” colors throughout your house, think seriously about re-painting in a more neutral hue. Some good color choices include antique white or taupe.
Even if a seller can get passed the bright color to see the actual “bones” of a room, they can still get turned off by the prospect of having to put a lot of work into a home. Not everyone is in love with the idea of a “fixer-upper”, so it really is in your best interest to make your house as “move-in” condition as you can.
As much as people can usually look past a not so attractive paint color, wallpaper is a different story. Re-painting a wall is really not a difficult task for most people. Stripping wallpaper on the other hand is almost always a tedious undertaking. And the chances that a buyer is going to love your choice of wallpaper as much as you do are pretty slim. So, as a seller looking to earn top dollar for your home, you should really consider stripping any wallpaper in your house and re-painting the wall a neutral color. Although it’s not the preferred method, you can also paint directly over existing wallpaper as long as it is in good condition (i.e.-no tears or air pockets). There are special primers that need to be used if you choose this option so check with the experts at your local paint or home improvement center.