Wallpaper can look great in the right setting but when you are selling your house it can be detrimental to the sale. The potential buyer may want a blank canvas that they can see themselves easily customizing. If they see wallpaper all around your home, they may see it as too much work and pass on your house. To open up the potential buyer pool we recommend removing the wallpaper in your home before selling.

To start, if budget isn’t an issue then we recommend hiring professional wallpaper removers. They will have all of the necessary tools and work fast. This will ensure that you have the wallpaper off of your walls in a quick and efficient manner.

Doing It Yourself.

Peelable Wallpaper

Most wallpaper is able to be peeled. If you are able to peel it off then you should peel each strip off of the wall until it is gone. Then, you should get a Scotch-Brite pad and with soapy water and wash off all of the paste that is left behind. After you have the wall cleaned you will need to patch any defects that are in the wall. Finally, prime it and paint it a neutral color.

Vinyl Coated Paper

If the wallpaper doesn’t come off in strips then it is probably vinyl coated paper. This is a little more difficult to remove but not impossible. The first step you should take is getting yourself a paper tiger and using it to perforate the entire wall. After you have completed that, then you need to get a Hudson sprayer (or a spray bottle filled with warm water). Spray the entire wall down and let it soak in for a while.

Once you have given the water time to soak in, the wallpaper should peel right off. When you have gotten all of the wallpaper off, get a Scotch-Brite pad with soapy water and wash off all of the paste that is left behind. Then wash it once more with a soapy sponge. Once it has dried, pole sand the wall and patch any defects. After that, prime and paint with a neutral color.

We hope this months maintenance tip helps you remove the wallpaper in your home and in turn also helps you sell your house!

Thank you for reading this month’s maintenance tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!