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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To spend some cash and time on tarting house up to sell it ASAP?

20 replies

pickofthepops · 27/12/2011 08:22

DH not keen but we are wanting to sell, been on since end of October. had one offer albeit s bit lower than we need, chain fell down anyway. BUT house has. Lot of dark wood and artex!!! We have lived with and as made a recent decision to sell hadn't done anything about the above horrors. AIBU to want to paint over dark wood stained panelling and window frames in the next week as we have
time Off? Would you be more likely to buy
an otherwise good house if some White (or pale grey i thought?) opened it up a bit?? That is feedback from agent that viewers feel downstairs a bit dark.

OP posts:

sitandnatter · 27/12/2011 08:28

If you are lucky enough to have the advice of the agent and viewers I'd take it on board and make the changes, it's only a pot of paint and could make all the difference.

Flyingoutofcontrol · 27/12/2011 08:28

Ooh, sounds a bit House Doctor-y

I'd go for the painting and you can then always say that there is original dark wood under the paint, but you found it a bit dark. Buyers then have the option.

Artex, you might just have to cope with!

TroublesomeEx · 27/12/2011 08:28

I suppose it depends on how much/quickly you want to sell.

Long gone are the days when people would pay anything for anything in the fear that if they thought about it, they might not be able to afford it tomorrow.

I'd have thought a soft white would be quite nice and unlikely to offend. Not brilliant white though, that's too harsh.

If the feedback is that viewers think the place is too dark, I think you might need to listen. Besides, think of all the sales at the moment, you should be able to get the paint quite cheaply.

sitandnatter · 27/12/2011 08:30

There is stuff you can buy to skim over the Artex costs about £20 for a huge pot, after trying to steam off one alcove which took days I discovered the skimming stuff, worth it to get rid of the Artex.

fluffygal · 27/12/2011 08:31

You should definitely tart it up.Some people can't see potential or see past certain decorating disasters,there was a whole series on tv about it where people viewed a house,said it was awful,then after a bit of paint and decor came back and thought the house was amazing!It is worth it if you are not gettinmg enough interest.

fluffygal · 27/12/2011 08:32

Flying oh yes thats what it was called,house doctor!

CheshireDing · 27/12/2011 08:34

Unless people are coming to look at it (and it is priced accordingly) as a house which needs "doing up" a bit you should definitely paint it.

The dark wood colours probably are not doing it any favours, unless it's a lovely old barn/cottage etc. If it is a regular house paint it white, it will look fresher, more spacious and any new buyers furniture etc will automatically go in it without them having to paint straight away.

Nobody can be offended by white - says me with a white house

Original poster

pickofthepops · 27/12/2011 08:37

Thanks apparently a lot of the men have thought dark wood lovely but women have taste. It is too much. Thanks for posts and also re artex advice, interested to know if skimming stuff is easy to get s professional finish with?

OP posts:

Original poster

pickofthepops · 27/12/2011 08:39

Was thinking of starting with lounge and hall. Prob re dark
Wood is that interior doors are all dark wood. Should I paint those too? I have just been reading about need to use acrylic primers!

OP posts:

ViviPrudolf · 27/12/2011 08:40

Do it. It really does not have to cost more than a tin of paint and a tub of artex skim.

Also, you've probably already done this, but pack away any personal objects, ornaments, pictures etc. Be brutal, get rid of everything you dont need/use on a daily basis. It may make the house look bare to you but it will emphasise the space and make it easier for people to envisage their own stuff there.

ViviPrudolf · 27/12/2011 08:43

Yes do the doors too. Find someone in a DIY store who knows what they're talking about and ask them for one-step paint that doesn't require primers. (One-step is just a general concept, not a brand name)

iscream · 27/12/2011 11:16

Yes, give it a face lift. I would not like the dark wood, my dh would like it a lot and would not want to paint it if we bought the place. So I would not want to buy it unless it was already painted over. I do love painted wood, especially cream.

iscream · 27/12/2011 11:18

I agree with putting away a lot of stuff.

7to25 · 27/12/2011 11:19

come on over to property/DIY for some honest opinions

DingDongQuintessentialNight · 27/12/2011 11:21

I would do the walls cream or magnolia (I know it is cliched) and white for doors, frames and skirting. Will still be light, but with some interest and differentiation.

SuePurblybiltbyElves · 27/12/2011 11:22

Unless it's original Elizabethan panelling, I think you should paint it.
Link to house?

PhestiveFoodAddiction · 27/12/2011 11:32

Our house had so much dark wood when we first moved in- it's an 1800's cottage so had dark beams, all skirting boards, door frames, window frames, doors were stained dark- they'd even added a dark wood dado rail for extra points, and dark red walls. It was horrible!

We obviously left the beams dark as they are a nice feature, but we repainted all the woodword in white and the room looks twice as big. It is well worth doing. Can I just recommend that you use an eggshell paint rather than a gloss? We had (suprise, suprise) dark wood panelling all over our landing and staircase- we had it repainted in white gloss and a few days later it turned yellow Now it all needs doing again... sigh.

I think with the market how it is your house has to be distinctly finished and ready to move into with no need for redecorating, or it has to be a cheap fixer upper.

Artex is hideous, If you can cover it up it will make a huge difference. I think it is a polycell product that you need, you just smooth it on over the top.

Good luck with getting a sale soon.

vintagewarrior · 28/12/2011 15:05

I'm Home Stylist I would recommend this, it's amazing what a tin of paint can do to shift a house. The other things I recommend are reducing your furniture / possessions as much as possible when trying to sell, the roomier it looks the better. Shove it all in the shed if you have to. Fresh paint on front door, and tidy front green / new pots etc ( you can take them with you).
Where are you based? If your anywhere near me I'd be happy to give you some ideas.

slavetofilofax · 28/12/2011 15:26

I'd do it. If you get the same feedback from more than a couple of sources then it would be silly not to listen.

NinkyNonker · 28/12/2011 15:32

Definitely do it, limited expenditure and a little work is all. We did, and paid £50 to get a lady in to take decent photos and viewings picked right up. Had an offer in a few weeks, £5k lower than we wanted but could still get the place we wanted so we went for it, fingers crossed it holds together.

Def declutter too.

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