Holy Shiplap

Let’s be honest for a second – or two. Go view five 3 bedroom 2 bathroom houses in one day and then try to remember (without notes) what differentiates them a couple of days later. Odds are that you won’t remember too many differences. You may remember that one house had a nicer yard or that one house had a bedroom that was painted a surprising color.

As a seller, what can you do to make your home stand out to potential buyers? Sure, you could spend thousands of dollars on a kitchen remodel or finishing your basement to add a home theater or extra bedroom. But, there are other options that will only cost you hundreds of dollars — not thousands. One such option is an accent wall using a different material. I’m a big fan making such an accent wall from shiplap or beadboard. A reasonably skilled DIY homeowner should be able to install shiplap or beadboard themselves. I recently converted a basement storage room into a wine cellar by installing beadboard over one of the walls. Below, you’ll see before, during, and after pictures of my beadboard accent wall project. I completed the entire project in a few hours and was able to do all the work myself. The room was transformed from a cold, sterile basement into a warmer, more inviting space. This is now something that makes a home memorable and it will stand out to potential buyers.