Linda Sticklin

I recently had a realtor tell me they were working with a buyer that said, "don't take me to see any houses with wallpaper because I will not make an offer." While that may sound extreme, the reality is wallpaper scares most buyers.

Think about the wallpaper you may have in your house or have seen in others. Wallpaper styles are very personal and rarely neutral. What appeals to a homeowner is not likely to appeal to a potential buyer. In addition, wallpaper can often give the house a dated appearance.

Even if a buyer can see beyond the wallpaper, they may be concerned about what is lurking behind it. Fear sets in when they consider the removal costs or daunting task of removing it them self. I have personally removed the stuff. While it can be time consuming, it is not that difficult. I found renting a steamer from my local home improvement center to be the best method. Unfortunately, most buyers are reluctant to repaint, let alone take on bigger projects like wallpaper removal. The majority of buyers want a house that is move in ready.

In order to give sellers every possible advantage in this buyer's market, I generally recommend removing wallpaper and painting a neutral color in its' place. I think you will agree that the change can be dramatic!

I recently completed this staging project in the exclusive Frazier Woods subdivision of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. The property is adjacent to the Huntingdon Valley Country Club in Upper Moreland Township. The split level, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house has been renovated throughout and is priced at $429,900. The owner (a property investor) was so pleased with the positive feedback and quick sale that resulted after staging another renovated property that he enlisted my vacant property staging services again. Smart real estate investors see the value staging brings to the selling process!

This house in the Runnymeade Farms section of Edgemont, Delaware County sat on the market for months without an acceptable offer. After the seller purchased another home, she was ready to get aggressive about preparing this house to sell. She removed dated window treatments (the house sits on a private, wooded lot with fabulous views), replaced carpet, repainted several rooms and staged the first floor of the house. In other words, she invested in the process of adequately preparing the house to sell!

If you have a property that is languishing on the market or getting negative feedback from showings, consider calling a professional stager. The investment in staging will often result in a quicker and/or more profitable sale.

The Berwyn Fire Company will host its annual Halloween Parade on Thursday, October 30th at 7:00 pm. The parade will begin and end at the firehouse (23 Bridge Avenue). Refreshments will be provided and awards given for various costume categories. The Berwyn-Devon Business & Professional Association will provide the costume judges.

Staples, the Office Superstore, is sponsoring a sweepstakes, "Staples Dream Park Challenge", to improve a local park in the Philadelphia area. Mill Road park in Chesterbrook, Tredyffrin Township is one of the fifteen identified parks! The park with the most votes wins $25,000 in improvements and a park celebration with Philadelphia Eagle, Brian Dawkins. In addition, participants can enter for a chance to meet Brian Dawkins and win autographed Eagles gear. The sweepstakes runs from September 23, 2008 through November 17, 2008. Go to www.StaplesDreamPark.com for details and vote for Mill Road park. Just think what we could accomplish if every resident of Tredyffrin and Easttown townships cast a vote!