Chris:
"I should have listened to you first. I rubbed it hard the first time rather than just dab it a little at a time as you later suggested. I went back and tried it your way -- a dab at a time -- and it worked better but I'm afraid I smeared it when I first did it and will have to so a spot repair. Next time I'll ask BEFORE I attempt home repairs on my own. It's not too bad looking though. Should be able to cover it up.
LOL....honey, I had my own business in this, remember?? Of COURSE you should have listened to me...lol!
Spot repair? Of course you could. Do you have left over wallpaper for that room? Now, the only problem with that is you should get someone who knows what they're doing in wallpaper repair or you will end up with a much bigger section to replace than you need...lol.
"One realtor said I would need to tear off all the wallpaper in all the rooms. I think those realtors all watch too many HGTV shows. I've been watching HGTV a lot though myself as of late to learn what I can on pricing, selling, repairs and it's been really informative. Do you ever watch it? It's on cable tv."
I love that channel Chris. Watch it all the time. But I'm afraid the realtors might be right in this case.
You mentioned "rooms", as in plural. How many rooms are wallpapered?
Wallpaper is very personal...people put it up to go with their decor, color scheme, ect. When someone is looking at a home they are looking at it with their belongings in mind, so too much wallpaper is going to turn them off if it doesn't flow with their pieces and all they are going to see when they see your home is...WORK, WORK, WORK!! Removing wallpaper is a big and messy job, especially in multiple rooms.
You will be better off to do it off yourself and paint the rooms a nuetral color. More people are going to be interested, therefore increasing your odds of selling your home faster.
Now, if you decide to remove the wallpaper, I am going to give you some tips. THIS time, I hope you listen to me...lol.
Do NOT score the wallpaper!!! You will spend an eternity ripping off little pieces.
Do NOT buy that premade wallpaper removal gel!!! It's a mess and is too costly, especially if you have a lot of paper to remove.
They sell steamers, but unless you are experienced with them, you can damage the drywall behind the wallpaper and you will then have to make wall repairs.
Here's what you do:
Get yourself a squirt bottle. Buy the cheapest liquid fabric softner you can find. Downy or Snuggle doesn't work as well as a cheap store brand for some reason.
Fill the bottle half way with water, half with the fabric softner.
If you can, tear off the colored or pattern part of the wallpaper. If you can't, it's ok it just works faster if you can.
Spray the mixture on the brown paper backing that is remaining (or the patterned part if you can't get it off) and let it sit on there for a few minutes. Don't be afraid to saturate it...it works better that way. Take a scraper and start lifting off the wallpaper. You should be able to lift it off in sheets or large sections, compared to the teeny tiny pieces if one would have scored it first.
Be sure to lay down a drop cloth, especially if you have hard wood floors.
Now, if the wallpaper has been up there awhile, you may see some brown paste remaining on the walls. Prior to painting you'll have to get that off or you're going to see that as a texture behind paint.
Get some Spic and Span and wash the walls before painting. You can use a sponge mop if you have one...you'll get that job done much faster and with less effort.
If you have any questions, just shoot me an email.
Good luck!
BTW...your house is going to smell GREAT when you're doing this!!
