Does Removing Wallpaper Improve Your House’s Value?
Published on 29 August 2022, 07:22:56 AM
Novelty prints may be charming, but removing wallpaper can seriously affect a resale home’s price (with one exception.)
Only you can decide if it’s worth the inconvenience and expense ($6,000 to $12,000 for a modest-sized home) of removing wallpaper before you list. But that’s not all you have to worry about.
Wallpaper reduces the value of a house because –
- picking patterns is personal
- old-fashioned prints date your home — millennials want clean surfaces
- and while buyers can easily repaint, removing wallpaper can be a struggle.
The extra effort you put into removing wallpaper before an open house can mean the difference between a quick sale and languishing on the market for weeks or months.
Quick Read
Does wallpaper decrease house values?
Is it worth it to remove wallpaper?
How much does it cost to remove old wallpaper?
Is it better to take down wallpaper or paint over it?
What are the disadvantages of wallpaper?
Pro Reasons for Removing Wallpaper
- Taking on a renovation project can be unappealing to buyers who want a move-in ready home. Go slow when you hire a home renovator to prepare your home for sale.
- Repainting before you sell nets an average 51% return on your investment. Buyers can easily see how their furniture will fit in if the walls are a blank, paintable canvas. Tips on repainting your home if it’s a designated heritage property.
- Wallpaper’s slick veneer may cover up more serious issues, like cracks in the foundation. Millennials are health savvy, and your innocent decorating ambitions may leave buyers worried about asbestos or particulate exposure from removing wallpaper.
Cons of Removing Wallpaper
- Underlying wallboard can be damaged by removing wallpaper. Use peel and stick products if you plan on removing wallpaper before you list your home for sale.
- Removing wallpaper that’s older or peeling can be time consuming. Budget sufficient time to repair and repaint wall surfaces before you show your home. Watch how a home inspection condition is worded before you sign an offer to purchase.
- Appraisals aren’t affected by wallpaper. Most appraisers consider wallpaper a cosmetic finish. You may be going to unnecessary work and expense by removing wallpaper before you sell. Search for a designated home appraiser in Ontario.
- Historic wallpapers can convey a heritage home’s charm and character. Serious buyers may be drawn to your home because its finishes are authentic. Buying and restoring historic buildings for sale in Ontario.
What Removing Wallpaper Costs
Having a professional remove wallpaper costs about $3 to $5 per metre squared (0.9m² is one square foot), or around $500 for 9.29 square metres, a typical 10 x 10 bedroom. Ask a contractor for a discount if you are removing wallpaper from multiple spaces. Are leaving popcorn ceilings intact a mistake?
Painting vs Removing Wallpaper: How to Decide
Wallpaper has its disadvantages, and painting over it can be quicker than stripping worn surfaces. Paint wallpaper only if it is intact, and not peeling, mouldy, or dirty. Paint won’t stick to grimy or plastic surfaces, and painting peel-and-stick wallpaper may permanently “glue” the paper to your walls. Here’s how to paint over almost any wallpaper.
Why You Need a Real Estate Lawyer
Before you make an offer on a home (without or without wallpaper!), talk to our licensed Ontario real estate lawyers about your contract’s terms and conditions. Agreements of purchase and sale can have obscure clauses that lock you into completion dates and buyer conditions that disadvantage your otherwise perfectly fine offer.
Our professional legal team goes over all the details with you. We negotiate with the sellers’ lawyer if you need to:
- move the completion date to find mortgage financing
- remove a conditional offer when the home inspection is complete
- amend your offer to include chattels or fixtures like a garden shed or chandelier.
What’s in your agreement of purchase and sale.
We find financial claims or subcontractor liens that can hold up or stop a sale, and add thousands to the cost of a new build home or resale property. When the title is clear, your Axess Law remote real estate lawyer transfers it to your name.
We can add a name to a property title in Ontario to create a joint tenancy with a legally married spouse or common law partner, or handle that for you later. How to transfer property title to family members in Ontario.
Affordable Real Estate Lawyers, Anywhere You Are
Access lawyers for less in Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, or anywhere in Ontario when you buy, sell, or transfer property. Axess Law’s flat fee real estate lawyers are affordable, and our rates are all inclusive (excluding taxes, disbursements, and third-party charges). Axess Law offers you only the legal services you absolutely need. Your final invoice includes no surprises or hidden charges. Your itemized statement of adjustments is explained when we deliver it, and we answer any questions you have about it.
Hire a real estate lawyer near you.
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When you just can’t leave home, let our remote lawyers witness your signature on mortgage or real estate transaction documents via secure, confidential video conferencing software. You video conference with an Axess Law virtual real estate lawyer anywhere in Ontario.
Try our convenient virtual real estate closings.
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