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Does a house HAVE to be decorated before selling?

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  • bertiewhite
    bertiewhite Posts: 1,904 Forumite
    1,000 Posts
    Ours is currently on the market because we are having to move sooner than we thought we would be.

    Because of this, we haven't got round to fitting cupboard doors to the newly refurbished kitchen or even getting carpet down upstairs but most viewers have said not to bother as they can choose themselves.
  • enthusiasticsaver
    enthusiasticsaver Posts: 16,051 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    No, I wouldn't redecorate unless you have glaringly garish colours everywhere. Just de clutter, tidy and clean it. Most people will want to redecorate themselves anyway.
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  • When I recently sold, I painted the walls all magnolia and replaced the carpets 6 months before to a neurtal hard wearing carpet.

    That way it was a blank canvas as some people cannot see through your own styles. It also let it have that lived in not perfect look as well which meant that people were not suspicious. It didnt cost a lot either. £500 for the whole house to be carpeted apart from the living room and kitchen and a couple of tins of magnolia.
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    if everything is currently neutral and in good order so any preparation for redecoration is minimal then the odd scuff/fade from furniture and pictures will not be an issue for someone that has done a bit of decorating before.
  • Tootling
    Tootling Posts: 36 Forumite
    Haha... We went through the same quandry. But we did have to do a bit of decoration cos just before we decided to move we'd been daubing different coloured paint on the wall because we were considering redecorating. So painted over that with the old colour. Did paint hallway white though as we'd already started painting the downstairs walls. Which did brighten up the entrance a lot. And put in some white lights rather than the dull yellow.

    I think it's fair to spruce your home up a little, maybe throw out the dead pot plant, hang a mirror up maybe if you want to make a room feel a bit bigger or brighter.

    But i don't think you really need to repaint, unless all your paint is chipping of the walls which from the sound of it, it isn't.

    I think it's a pride thing. Your selling off your home, you want people to like it not just cos you're selling it but cos... It is your home.
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