There are so many different tasks to take care of when selling your home in Bromley, from getting all the paperwork done to packing your old home up, to finding the right estate agent to help you sell it. Just when you think you’ve got everything covered, you find something else that needs taking care of.
Selling a property requires some effort on your part! After all your hard work into preparing your home for sale, you don’t then want your work to be sabotaged by the one little detail that so many people overlook: the lighting in your home.
When you’re trying to sell your home, first impressions make all the difference. Homes that are poorly lit and dark are less appealing to potential buyers. Low lighting makes the space look and feel smaller, colder, uninviting, and dingy, even if it isn’t. It can also look as though you are trying to conceal some kind of flaws in the shadows, which can be a huge turn off for buyers.
Good lighting is crucial, but if you don’t have the time or the budget to overhaul the lighting in every room of your home, have no fear. You can still improve your lighting situation and in turn, increase the likelihood of your home being sold sooner.
Here are five great lighting tips to help sell your home.
1. Audit each room’s lighting
The first step to take is to check out how each room in your home fares when it comes to it’s current lighting. Open all the blinds, pull back the curtains and turn on all the lights, then do a walk-through of every room in your home. You also might want to do this at a few different times during the day since viewings can happen from day right through to the evening when it’s darker. Try it in the morning with the morning sun, in the afternoon in full sun, in the evening at sunset, and then once the sun has completely set. It’s also a good idea to try it on rainy or cloudy days.
While you’re conducting your audit, put yourself in your potential buyer’s shoes and think about what they would think if they were walking through. Take note of any areas that are lit very well and any areas that need more lighting. If it helps, use your phone camera to take photos to highlight which spaces need some work.
2. Remember exterior lighting
Don’t forget about your home’s exterior lighting! Your home’s kerb appeal is important no matter what time of day. Consider that potential buyers could drive past your home at any time, or evening passers by could see the ‘for sale’ sign in your front garden. You want to make a good impression on these people, so keeping the exterior of your home well lit is crucial. The front porch and path leading to the door should be lit well to make your home look warm and welcoming. If you have a garden or patio, it should also be lit to help make the space look inviting and to highlight any features that are worth seeing.
3. Upgrade your current fixtures
Most home buyers are willing to accept that there will be some improvements needed once they move in, but the more work you’ve done for them, the more appealing your home is. This includes any dated light fixtures or fittings that don’t work anymore.
You also may want to consider upgrading your lightbulbs to LED lights which have less of an environmental impact, generate less heat, and allow you to get longer use out of your bulbs.
4. Use tricks to help brighten dark spaces
Sometimes your lighting may be fine but wall colours or decoration dark, making the rest of the room feel gloomier and smaller than it actually is. To combat this, you can address those problems directly by repainting and changing the colours. If you don’t have the time or the budget to go that far, you can take a few other steps that are quicker and easier.
Strategically placing mirrors to help reflect light can help the room seem brighter and more open, especially in rooms with small windows or windows that don’t actually offer much natural light. Additionally, adding bright or light coloured cushions, blankets, pictures, or rugs can help brighten up your space in an instant.
5. Add more lighting if needed
When all else fails, adding extra lighting in dark spaces will be sure to do the trick. Table lamps and desk lamps can be stylish ways to bring more light into the room while adding accent lighting can help create or highlight an existing focal point. If you want to take it to the next level, under cabinet lighting, tread lighting for dark stairways and track lighting for shadowed ceilings will definitely brighten up the whole space.
If your property is for sale or you are thinking of selling your home, why not try some of these lighting tips today and ensure you create a lighter, brighter space ready for viewers. For further property related advice, contact the team at David James on 0208 467 8304 and we will be delighted to offer you professional guidance.