You've done a lot of work in your home making it a place where you and your family can live and relax. You have your own tastes where design is concerned. But if you've put up wallpaper and want to sell your home, take it down before you show it. This guide explains why even the greatest looking wallpaper can be a deal breaker as potential buyers walk through.

Wall Trends Change Frequently

What's popular today in home design, may not be popular tomorrow. That wallpaper that took many hours or even days to install could be outdated. If your walls are outdated, buyers see an outdated home.

Potential buyers have a difficult time seeing themselves in a home that has older wall coverings and they may not even consider making an offer.

Buyers Have Their Own Tastes

The great thing about owning a home is the ability to make it your own by decorating the walls your way. However, no two people are alike in tastes, and the chances of your buyers having the same design approach as you are slim.

Show the buyers a clean slate by removing the wallpaper and placing a coat or two of neutral colored paint on the walls.

What the buyer sees when they see a painted wall is something to work with. They get a vision of how their furniture is going to look and where they can hang portraits, paintings or other decor. Wallpaper on the other hand provides flowery decor or other designs that can interfere with this vision.

Buyers See a Difficult Job Ahead

Removing wallpaper is a tough job that takes a lot of scraping, peeling and in some cases wall repair might be needed if gouges in the drywall occur. If you leave the wallpaper up, buyers will see the potential for a lot of work in their future.

Some buyers may not mind your wallpaper if they are looking for a fixer-upper. But most who want a turnkey property won't think twice about checking your home off their list if they see work that needs completed.

If you have the skills, remove the wallpaper in your home yourself and paint the walls. If you don't, hire a professional to help. No matter what, make sure that the walls look great and provide a clean slate for potential buyers so that you'll have more offers and fewer rejections. To learn more, contact a company like Art Del Rey Realty Inc. with any questions you have.