When you’re selling your house, one of the common questions that comes up is: Is it worth removing artex ceilings? The aim is usually to make a profit, so it’s important to do all you can to make your home appealing to potential buyers.
This means making changes to enhance the value of your property before listing it.
The presence or absence of certain features can make a difference in how attractive it will be to buyers. You can influence the size of offers you receive and how quickly you sell by removing, adding, or changing these features. Artex ceilings are one such feature.
In this guide, we’ll look at how artex ceilings impact the desirability of your home when selling. But first, let’s discuss what artex ceilings are.
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What are artex ceilings?
Artex has a long history, dating back to 1935. It produces building supplies, specializing in surface coating and plastering materials. It is also widely used as a decorating technique, which involves applying texture on ceilings.
There are many different designs to choose from, such as fan shapes, wavy lines, swirls, swipes, stipples, knifed plaster, roses, scrolls, and more.
DIYers love Artex ceilings because they are relatively easy to install, thus saving you money. They were widely popular in the UK from the 1970s to the early 1980s and found in almost every home.
Can you Sell your House with Artex Ceilings?
Before discussing selling a house with artex ceilings, it is best to understand if they are still a desirable feature in UK homes. The answer is no; artex ceilings are no longer a sought-after trend.
Nevertheless, this does not mean a sale is impossible. Home buyers today are likely to be put off by artex ceilings, as they are often associated with outdated décor.
If you are trying to sell a house with this type of ceiling, it can be difficult and you may not receive the offers you are expecting.
Many people may view artex ceilings as charming vintage quirks, yet buyers will be discouraged by the amount of work and cost involved in their removal. Thus, prospective buyers tend to be put off and may not pursue further details.
Does Artex Ceilings Devalue a House?
It is essential to comprehend that the aesthetic value of artex is not the primary concern, but the fact that the product used for texturing is made up of hazardous material like asbestos.
Even though Artex stopped using asbestos in the mid-80s, other companies continued to utilize it until asbestos became illegal in 2000.
When selling your home, it is necessary to take away artex ceilings since asbestos can be dangerous if disturbed.
Fortunately, you can utilize Artex removal gel to reduce the risk of exposure to dust particles containing asbestos. Most homeowners who are planning to sell their homes opt for the removal of the artex ceilings as few buyers are interested in a house with artex ceilings.
This renovation can have a positive effect on the interest of prospective buyers and the value of your house.
Do you Need to Remove Artex Ceilings?
It is important to remove artex ceilings before attempting to sell your house, due to the reasons outlined above.
However, if you have evidence that your Artex ceiling is free of asbestos, then you do not need to remove it. If asbestos is present, then it is necessary to take proper safety measures when removing the coating.
If you are uncertain whether you should remove the coating on your own, you should arrange to have an expert test the artex or conduct a full asbestos survey of your home. This will help ensure that no health hazards are posed to you or the buyer.
How to Deal with Artex Ceilings?
If you're a DIY enthusiast, you can remove the artex coating yourself using a good scraper or wallpaper steamer.
If you are looking to sell your house quickly, here are a few ways you can handle artex ceilings.
- Cover Artex Ceilings First, you can cover the ceiling to hide it and restore its appeal, without having to remove it. If the ceiling is in good condition, you can plaster it instead of removing it which can cost around £20 per square metre if you get a specialist to do it. Alternatively, if your artex ceiling contains asbestos, you can introduce a plasterboard.
- Remove artex ceilings If you have Artex ceilings which contain asbestos, it’s important to get in touch with a specialist to take care of the removal. Do not attempt to remove it yourself. It’s easy to find an Artex removal company by searching online. These companies use Artex removal gel to get rid of the Artex asbestos, which will make it easier to move forward with the sale process.
- Make Your Ceiling Look Good If your artex ceiling does not contain asbestos, you can choose to keep it but improve its appearance. To do this, you can paint the ceiling with a roller as the paint will adhere perfectly to the coating. However, this may not be enough to hide the texture associated with artex.
Do you Have to Declare Asbestos When Selling a House?
If you’re trying to sell your house, but you believe the ceiling might contain asbestos, you must reveal this information to your solicitor. This will be done by indicating it on the TA6 form, which the buyer’s legal representative must be aware of.
Nevertheless, don’t worry – it’s still possible to sell a house with artex ceilings. Although, it’s worth noting that the offers will be lower than those without.
This is because homebuyers will be attracted to the lower price and be able to fix it, arguing about the cost of removing the ceiling.
Is it Illegal to Sell a House With Artex Ceilings in the UK?
No, it’s not illegal to sell a house with asbestos in the UK. However, if you know there is asbestos present, you must disclose this to potential buyers.
As long as the materials with asbestos are in good condition, you must meet the requirements of asbestos disclosure when selling the property.
In cases where the material is damaged and likely to pose a threat to human health, the situation is unclear. You’ll need to hire a specialist removal company to remove all asbestos-containing materials, such as artex ceilings. This means you must be prepared to cover the cost.
What you Must Know about Asbestos in Artex Ceilings?
If you have artex ceilings in your bathroom, kitchen or living room, the first step is to determine whether they contain asbestos.
To do this, you must arrange to have it tested. If the results show that your Artex ceiling contains asbestos, you should hire a professional to remove it.
If it does not contain asbestos, you can opt to remove it yourself or to have it plastered, painted, overboarded or skimmed using a smoothing filler.
The Health and Safety Executive provides a range of resources to assist builders and homeowners in dealing with artex surface coverings or any other features with asbestos in the home.
With these resources, you can stay safe and ensure that your ceilings are properly managed.
How Do you Sell a House with Artex Ceilings?
Selling a house with artex ceilings can be tough, especially if they also contain a health hazard like asbestos.
To find a buyer, you may not want to rely on estate agents and instead look into quick house-buying companies.
These companies can buy your house quickly, regardless of the artex ceilings or any other outdated decor.
You can usually complete the sale in as little as one week or up to a month, although you won’t get the full market value of the property. However, you won’t have to pay agency fees or solicitors’ fees.
Property Saviour is ready to help if you need to sell your house with Artex ceilings. We can purchase your home quickly so you can move on and purchase a new one. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
Conclusion
If you want to get a good price for your house, it’s important to make some improvements first before you put it up for sale. This will help to increase its appeal to potential buyers so that you can make a quick sale.
One area to pay particular attention to is features that can hurt the value of your property, such as artex ceilings.
Though it is possible to sell a house with an artex ceiling, it’s worth bearing in mind that removing it could make a difference to the price you get. Alternatively, you might consider selling your house to a home-buying company.
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