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[Somertime]

@spud188  Definitely paint over the murals!  Murals are a personal choice and a buyer coming in will think about removing them and the cost and time involved.  Most buyers cannot get past what they see.  A freshly painted space looks crisp and clean and gives the buyer a chance to see themselves in the space.  Get rid of the theme decorating because it makes the space feel dated.  If there is a lot of furntiure in each room, simplify it and get rid of whatever makes the room seem crowded.  Sparse is better!  Make sure everything sparkles including the windows.  Add small vases of flowers, even in the bathrooms.  Clean the carpets and if there is tile on the floors in the bathrooms, clean the grout.  Make sure the curtains or drapes are simple and "frame" the window.  Once you finish, take your own pictures of the rooms and see how they look to a buyer because your agent will post their own pictures and this way you will see what looks good to you before they are posted.  Interview more than one agent to make sure your price is within reach.  Good luck!

[Oznell]

What great ideas for @spud188 from you all!  I do feel your pain, @spud188-- having to paint, when all you want to do is sell, is a big chore.  But have to agree that heavily personalized decor, like murals, does detract with most buyers.  Good luck, and I hope it moves pronto!

[spud188]

I intended to paint,just don't understand why both realtor and cleaning gals  and also my Brother recommended not to paint.?? I think they are distracting if I was house hunting. So you agree with me. Think I should get another realtors opinion.?? It is a nice modest well built home that needs freshening up IMHO.

[Somertime]

A lot of people feel, well, they can change what they don't like.  I am surprised at your realtor.  Usually, if you ask your realtor they will make suggestions.  Definately get a second realtor's opinion and not for the murals but to make sure the price is within market reach.  If YOU think the murals are distracting, then they are!

[GingerPeach]

@spud188

Don't forget to take photos of those murals as a remembrance, if you haven't already.

Good luck.  I agree it's odd the agent didn't recommend painting.  

[queendiva]

Again, if the house is in a desirable location and inventory is low in the location, the murals may not matter. Take pics with your phone and see how they show, then make your decision.

Much good advice here. List the house ASAP to get a jump on the season and motivated buyers.

[Mominohio]

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@spud188 wrote:

I really need some opinions on prepping for home sale. Mom moved into Assisted Living and I am starting the process. Her home is heavily themed complete with  couple of wall murals. I intend to paint her whole house as it really needs it. I had a realtor over for a a looky Lou and advice. He recommended not painting,which goes against most every HGTV show on selling. This Friday I had some cleaning help and asked them about it and they said not to bother painting. 

To my eye the murals are distracting,but not painting saves me alot of time and $$. What say you?? 

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In my opinion, it depends on the market where you are and the neighborhood the house is in, as well as the overall condition of the home. 

If the home needs a lot of updating, or renovation, it might be much less work and money to just sell it as is, and let the buyers have a good deal, to redo everything in a manner than they prefer. 

I think a lot of times, so many people put a lot of money and work into a home to sell it, when it really would sell without it, just at a lower price. In many markets, you don't get your money back for the upgrades and work, in others it seems it is essential to sell. 

I'd get the opinions of several different realtors to see what various answers you get.

[VaBelle35]

We sold my uncle's house in NJ last year.  It was built in 1959 and was not updated from when they purchased the house in the 70s.

We were going to remove everything and paint the whole thing white and put builder grade beige carpet throughout and list it.  But our family lawyer who happens to be a real estate lawyer said to leave it as is and sell it to a flipper or a contractor.  He gave us a referral to a broker who specializes in this.

So we didn't do anything but take out the stuff we wanted and sold it a week later, contents and all, as is for full asking price.

Sometimes you don't need to do anything with it, especially if it's not going to bring in more buyers or add value to the sales price.

If both are telling you you don't need to paint, then I would go with that.

[VaBelle35]

When I was researching for my redecorating project, I looked at all the homes in my development that sold in the last 3 years to see what updates they made.

I was amazed at the photos.

Every bedroom had a huge treadmill in it.  LOL

[VaBelle35]

When I was researching for my redecorating project, I looked at all the homes in my development that sold in the last 3 years to see what updates they made.

I was amazed at the photos.

Every bedroom had a huge treadmill in it. 

Some people didn't both to take their personal care products off the counter in the bathroom.

It just made me scratch my head.