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Original poster

Artex - offputting to buyers or would you not notice it?

39 replies

mistymistymorning · 06/09/2023 09:29

Planning to put our house up for sale in the spring. It has artex ceilings in every room which I hate. Every room is a different pattern (I think someone was practising their skill!!).

We have never got around to having them replaced as the long term plan had been to build an extension and remodel the house and they'd have been done then, however plans have changed and we're now moving to another part of the country.

Would you replace the ceilings before putting the house up for sale or not bother?

OP posts:
Iwasafool · 06/09/2023 11:05

Re the asbestos issue, doesn't that depend on the age of the house? I thought they stopped using it in the mid 80s so if the house built after that it wouldn't be an issue would it?

Violinist64 · 06/09/2023 11:11

Artex really doesn't bother me and I have lived in several houses with it. Our previous house and our present one were both built in the eighties and both have the miniature icicle artex, which l actually rather like. I'm not a fan of swirly artex but could live with it if everything else is OK. When l was a student, in the mid-eighties, l shared a house with two friends. It was a lovely house, apart from the polystyrene tiles on the ceiling in every room. Even then we knew that this could be a fire hazard, although, of course, we could do nothing about it. It amazes me that there are still quite a lot of houses that have these they are the ceilings that would be a dealbreaker for me.

mondaytosunday · 06/09/2023 11:27

No I wouldn't do anything before selling, but as a buyer I'd be factoring cost to skim them!

NewBeginning23 · 06/09/2023 11:31

I'm looking at a house just now and I must say it is putting me off. The entire upstairs has that awful stippled artex on the ceilings. If I do make an offer I'll be factoring that in.

pizzaHeart · 06/09/2023 12:00

Yes, it would put me off, it’s messy and costly to remove so I would consider it in my offer. I know it’s unpopular opinion on MN but artex mostly contains asbestos and that’s my concern. I’m not a fan of skimming over - it lowers the ceiling and the hazard is still there, just hidden.
However I wouldn’t do anything in your place, it’s much easier to be dealt with in an empty house and as a part of rewiring/ redecorating.
Also location and other things are always more important as you can’t change them so you might be absolutely fine with your sale.

Bluevelvetsofa · 06/09/2023 12:32

Yes, it would put me off. I hate it and the thought of having to skim every room in the house, with associated disruption would mean I wouldn’t consider it.

PinkRoses1245 · 06/09/2023 12:38

OperationNC2 · 06/09/2023 10:02

Gosh you’d be looking at that for 1.5 rooms these days! Wow!

Show quote history

We had it done 3 weeks ago!

Mossstitch · 06/09/2023 14:19

I hate it but wouldn't put me off. House I'm in had it but i knew I was going to renovate it entirely. My builder said easiest was to plasterboard it as very high ceilings so all nice and smooth now😌

HowcanIhelp123 · 06/09/2023 14:25

It depends whether asbestos or not. If you have it tested and it isn't then you can tell buyers it's an easy plaster over job.

astarsheis · 06/09/2023 15:18

I personally hate it...when we bought our house we re-modelled anyway so had all the ceilings skimmed by a plasterer.
I didn't put me off buying but some people might not realise how easy it is to get them skimmed.

Ginmonkeyagain · 06/09/2023 15:27

We've got bobbly artex ceilings in three rooms and the hall - I don't really notice any more.

The ktichen and bathroom ceilings have been plasterboarded but we are just a bit too lazy getting round to the other rooms.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 06/09/2023 15:28

It depends how many similar houses are for sale in your area and do they have it or not- if buyers have choice they won't choose your house unless they like it

Original poster
mistymistymorning · 06/09/2023 16:14

Wow! Thanks for all the replies! Really appreciate all the responses and has given me much food for thought, interesting to hear lots of different perspectives.

The house is 'unique' in that it's not one of many, has a great location and lots of potential to extend if required.

It was completed in the early
90s but the asbestos thing does worry me so I think I'll get a testing kit as hadn't been aware of that previously (have now done a search on MN and see this has been asked previously).

It already has quite low ceilings so the plasterboard route would lower them even more. When we first bought it we did ask the plasterer who did the kitchen about the rest of the house and he said because most of the patterns were very raised (the icicle / frosty icing on a cake style) they'd be difficult to skim as would require a few layers and be heavy, we opted to leave them at the time as had no money and the thought of all the mess was too much.

Thanks again everyone Smile

OP posts:
Greenwitchhorse · 06/09/2023 18:56

I have a 1930s house with Artex ceilings.

I tested it and the ceilings don't have asbestos but white asbestos is present in a couple of cupboards (under the stairs and one where the electric fusebox is) and I will eventually have that skimmed.

About 80% of the houses I viewed in our small town had Artex...

I would have it tested and then take it from there. You can then inform the potential buyers and you might need to factor in a reduction.

Frankly I have no intention of having it removed completely from the cupboards because I don't see the logic of disturbing it after it has been there for probably decades.

It does not bother me from an aesthetic point of view. That's what 1930s houses were like in the area...

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