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First, sorry for the long post! I built my house in 1986 in a residential neighborhood in Northern Virginia with houses now ranging from $700- $900K. It is a white Williamsburg Colonial with full front porch, brick red shutters and garage doors, side-load garage, cedar shake roof, hand-made brick walks and patio with over a hundred mature American and English boxwoods and surrounded by 100' shade trees. Inside I have 10'-18" hand-nailed antique white pine floors, cherry kitchen cupboards and, as appropriate to the room, either and /or medium brown stained beams, 5" crown molding, chair rail, 5" base, 6 over 8 windows, 3 solid pine 6 panel pocket doors and exterior doors, side-lights and surrounds.
One realtor with experience in the area advised us to paint over the stained woodwork, because potential 30-40 year old buyers generally like Pottery Barn decor, e.g. cottage, shabby chic off-whites. I and my wife are very reluctant to do so, because A. Anybody who would like the exterior would LOVE the interior, B. It's harder to remove paint than it is to paint, and C. the woodwork has more inherent value (we paid $20K for it). I KNOW that what we paid is irrelevant to it's actual value, and that tastes have changed and different strokes, etc. but I'd really appreciate a little community dialog, NOT on what is nicer - but "What will help the house sell" next March 2010? I've been told men like stain, women like paint, , but are we just better off going with the realtor's suggestion or should we try to market to those who love true colonial style? All carpets and wall colors are neutral. Thanks SO much in advance!!! John and Jane
In my state people pay a premium for stained wood mouldings. I would save the work and leave it be. That's my .02
Your house sounds lovely....but the stained woodwork would be a turn-off for me unless it's extraordinarily beautiful wood. Pine trim is a bit too ordinary. Your realtor's suggestion might be right on the mark but it'd be a lot of work to paint, and if I were a buyer, I'd take that into consideration in my offer. Do the sold comps give you any idea of what, if any, difference it would make to paint the trim?
I live in Williamsburg and have a center hall colonial. The whole house use to have all stained woodwork, jacobean. I painted the formal rooms, entrance hall, living and dining room. I too love the stain woodwork, but I think painted woodwork makes the room look more formal. I justed took down wallpaper and put in a white wainscoting in the entrance hall and it;s beautiful. Now I am going to paint the stain woodwork in the upstairs hallway. I am doing this only because the new color with the stain woodwork doesn't look as beautiful as downstain. I am NOT painting the stained doors only the door trim and baseboards. I did this in the dining room and it's beautiful. I amreally painting the hallway too to brighten it up.
My neighbors who have sold their houses have had to paint over the stain before it sold. I am NOT painting an yother woodwork in the house. It's too difficult to keep up and I want an easy life not a slave to the house. Plus when I built it cost a fortune.
Put the house on the market and wait for feed back. Then if painted woodwork becomes an issue work through that either paint it or, offer money to do so.
As an architect, I say don't do it. Keep the stained trim. If the new owner wants to paint it, its not that expensive for them to do. I can't imagine it being an issue in buying a house or not.
I personally do not care for stained woodwork but in saying that I would not paint the woodwork to sell the house. As soon as you do it, someone will come through and be upset that you did. I have sold many homes and discovered you cant make everyone happy. See how your showings go, if it is a constant complaint that the woodwork looks dated then revisit the idea but for now just make sure the home is free of clutter and staged nicely. Good luck!
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