Yvonne McClure

Wallpaper - We Love it, We Hate it!

Apparel fashions come and go, as do home fashions. This is no more obvious than in wall décor. Wallpaper boomed onto the decorating scene after World War II. Prior to that time, wallpaper was mostly pulp based and removal methods didn't exist aside from home remedies of hot water and vinegar. Most homeowners simply papered over (and over and over). Anyone who has ever owned an historic or older home, has likely experienced the joy of removing several layers of old wallpaper, sometimes with paint in-between. Wallpaper use grew in the 1960's as a decorating material, with demand peaking in the 1970's. The 1980's were reflective of the boom of border application. Often this was applied with extra adhesives over wallpaper. My recollection of the 80's is model homes with Waverly wallpaper in every room, along with matching curtains, linens,... It was the era of coordinated, colorful wallpaper splendor. Wallpaper use overall peaked in the early 1990's and has been on the decline since. According to a study by Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) study in 2008, wallpaper was purchased by 9% of homeowners in 1997, and fell to a mere 1.4% in 2007. Likely, no doubt, due to the aggravated homeowners and do-it-yourselfers that were left with the task of undoing excessive wall paper applications, removal of heavy duty adhesives, or whole house applications of what seems now, gaudy, pretentious applications. I have personally owned 3 homes, stripped wall-paper from each and every one (and yes applied new paper- although God knows why because I now want to remove again!).

As a whole, the wallpaper industry has been struggling to over the last decade. Earlier this spring (2009) Lowe's announced its' decision to exit the wallpaper category, opting instead to replace the aisle space with removal products. Home Depot dropped the category in 2005. Lowe's recent announcement seems to have put another nail in the coffin. Menard's (a West Coast retailer) is the only US mass retailer selling wallpaper today.

As a real-estate stager offering full service, I have now added wallpaper removal to my list of services provided. I am continually noting on home seller's burdensome task list to "remove wallpaper" as a means to better stage their home. The goal of home staging is to depersonalize and neutralize. Wallpaper is nearly always very taste specific, and "trendy". If your wallpaper has been up for 8 years or more, is overly floral, if your kids have outgrown the adorable teddy bears or trucks in their walls, and most especially if you are moving, it needs to come down! The conundrum is that sellers are often reluctant to take on the messy, time-consuming task, buyer's overwhelming want more neutral palettes.

But not so fast, specialty retailers advise "wallpaper is making a comeback." Although many homeowners have had bad encounters with wallpaper stripping projects, a lot of the newer, non-woven papers are engineered for easy removal, (they don't tear or rip). Although not like the 80's when wall-to wall, every room, overabundance was all the rage. popularity today is being used primarily on "accent walls" papering only one wall. New home models are now showing wallpaper in one or two rooms, usually the dining room and powder room. New applications, as well as innovative products. are driving the recent gain in popularity. Flocked wallpaper and damasks are popular in monochromatic designs, as is tone on tone. Metallic wallpaper is also hot. I must confess, I have metallic in my basement theater room. It is a metallic border running the length of a bulkhead on each side. It has an amazing ability to capture light and bounce it back in what looks like horizontal neon lighting from the glow of the TV. Unique, and exactly what I wanted (in a very small dose with very big impact).

As I ponder the time and energy to remove the wallpaper of two remaining rooms in my own home that are papered, it seems resurgence is beginning. In my home staging evaluations for homes that have an over abundance of wallpapered rooms, I am now being selective to leave some wallpaper, where it is tasteful, not too loud, and truly adds warmth or character to a home. Alas, the struggle to stay on trend.

As a Home Stager, in McMurray, Pa (Peters Township), I often encounter, "Okay - I've heard that staged homes sell in half the time and for 6-10% more- but where's the supporting documents to support these statements? Following are case studies comparing "staged" vs. "non-staged" real estate properities validating the 'added-value" staging services offer. I often use these data points as validation to convince homeowners to stage before their first open house.
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RESA (Reas Estate Staging Association) has the most recent 2007 vs. 2008 report on the value home staging can bring to homeowners. http://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/

Mortgage news Daily.com Mon, Jan 9 2006
according to www.StagedHomes.com, a leader in home staging services, statistics show an average of a 3% minimum increase in final sales price on homes that had been staged, versus those who had not. On a $300,000 home, that's a $9,000 increase-and well worth the home staging fees.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance, By Pat Mertz Esswein, Associate Editor
March 9, 2007

In 2006, StagedHomes.com looked at the sales history of 200 properties staged by its members. Homes listed for sale prior to staging sat on the market for an average of four and a half months and sold within just over a week afterward. Homes listed for sale after staging sold within 32 to 42 days. In either case, the homes sold for an average of $26,000 more than expected.

A 2004-2005 survey of home owners by training company StagedHomes.com found that staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more than homes that were not staged.

A 2003 HomeGain survey of 2,000 practitioners found that staging could increase the sales price by $2,275 to $2,841; cleaning and decluttering could add $2,093 to $2,378 to the final price.
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ROI in preparation for a home sale: HomeGain surveyed 2,000 real estate agents nationwide and found that moderately priced home improvements, ranging from $80 to $2,800, made in preparation for sale actually yield the highest returns when a house is sold.
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Staging- Are you activating too late?

While Real Estate Staging (preparing a home to maximize buyer appeal) is relatively new concept, at least here in Southwest PA. Agents and homeowners are often reluctant to "stage" a home before listing. Often this is an element of a homeowner's mental state (a passive vs. motivated seller), homeowner resistance to spend additional money, or an agent's desire to expedite posting to the multi-list. Much of the process is undoubtedly too rushed. Unflattering photographs are taken, home maintenance and preparation steps are skipped, decluttering and prepacking is delayed. By rushing to market, both seller and agent are left open for disappointment. Upon agreement to a market price, sellers often take a "wait and see" approach by avoiding much initial preparation in that hope that a zealous buyer will soon snatch up their property. More often than not, particularly in today's market, a property languishes on the market with initial seekers disappointed at the home's "presentation", little to no offers are forthcoming. Many savvy agents will begin discussions on staging after several weeks of disappointing results. Certainly, a better conversation than the homeowner dreaded "price reduction' conversation. Unfortunately by then, the property has flushed through all potential buyers in the bracket price. Most buyers will rarely revisit a property previously dismissed unless there is a significant price reduction to repeak their interest. Therein lies the conundrum, the agent will now be forced into rebracketing the listing price to attract a new buyer interest.

What to do?

•Ø Stage First

Ideally, stage before initial listing to maximize selling price and minimize selling time

Realty offices are wise to include staging material in their new listing packets, ensure agents are enlisting a professional service, avoid any photographs or rush to market until staging is complete. Sellers need to understand that marketing their home is just as important a step as an accurate appraisal, or home inspection.

•Ø Currently listed property - low interest

Stage with publicity! Ensure the neighborhood, all agents, and potential buyers are aware that the property is being staged. Utilize yard signs, notify agents via specific "Staged property" web categorization, and republish photographs in all marketing material. Consider taking off the market while the property is staged (at min. pull photographs from web listing), then relist with a splash. Best scenario for success if to relist with 100% confidence that property is not only priced correctly, but shows better than comparable properties. This may or may not imply a price reduction, most important is to ensure a "better" presentation. A professional stager can work with agents to show home sellers the pros vs. cons of their property vs. others and detail a priority "to do" list to ensure a better profile.