Should I Paint Over That Mural in My Kid's Room?

Moving on Monday

Should you paint over that beautiful nursery-rhyme mural you paid hundreds of dollars for? The real answer is 'yes', even though the emotional answer is 'no'. After all, painting over it symbolizes loss of money, as well as loss of childhood memories.

But while the mural may be lovely and one of a kind, that doesn't mean it will appeal to others. When you place your house on the market, you must remove yourself from it emotionally. You must look at it with the eyes of a stranger.

Granted, your house may be attracting families with young children who will appreciate the work of art. But that doesn't mean they want it there for their children.

Keeping the mural also limits the uses for that room. Potential buyers will see the room only as a nursery if you leave it up. And if buyers don't have young children, they won't need a nursery. But they may not be able to see past the mural for other potential uses such as an office or guest room.

Also, with the number of houses available on the market today, buyers are looking for a house that will require the least amount of work for their dollar. They don't want to have to paint over a mural if another house down the street is room-ready.

This applies to other rooms and special paint jobs as well. You may have a boy's room painted in his favorite baseball team's colors. Or a bathroom full of mooses or frogs. Some buyers may like these themes, but the majority will not. They will only see these rooms as something more to paint.

Paint over these unusual colors and themes to attract the most buyers. Your house will sell more quickly if it is move-in ready.