Tactical lighting tips to help you sell your home

But were you aware of the more subtle lighting tactics to help you sell your home quicker? Proven strategies to make your property appear larger, brighter and more inviting. Once you consider them rationally, they seem so obvious you’ll kick yourself for not thinking of them sooner.  Don’t worry, read on, because our team at Elektra never judge! Just learn from our experience as we’re always on hand and happy to help!

First up, we want you to leave your property.  Don’t worry, you’re coming back straight away only this time wearing your ‘buyers goggles’.  Take a step by step journey from the outside into your home trying to visualize the immediate impression it gives to first-time viewers.  Also, remember our days are darker visitors will be viewing your property during daylight and in the dark.  

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So, how brightly lit is your home from the outside?  Well placed outdoor lighting appeals to buyers and discourages burglars, and people moving to a new property ultimately want to feel safe.  Often property owners put so much emphasis on their interiors, they tend to ignore the outside, yet this is the crucial first thing viewers will see that all important first impression.   

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Are your pathways well lit?   Path lighting prevents tripping hazards and lights up the way beckoning buyers in to discover more.  Is your house number easy to see? Does your property have what Estate Agents call ‘curb appeal’.   Exterior lighting must be welcoming and practical. Would initial viewers be impressed and want to find out what’s beyond your front door?

Now that you are inside, we urge you to carry out the same kind of ‘light audit’ with rooms inside your home too.  A badly lit, shadowy home is an immediate turn off for buyers as dark rooms make your property appear colder and unwelcoming, as if you’ve something to hide.   

Open your curtains or shutters and assess how much natural light you get streaming in.  Natural light is a natural asset making your rooms look larger, more appealing and natural light is always a big plus for home buyers.  There’s normally a reason why Estate Agent photographers take photos during certain times of the day, when the natural light helps visually sell your property in their photos.  Also, turn the lights on and off in each room, to assess how they look with your available lighting.  

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How do the light fixtures and bulbs look in your rooms?   If you have any spotlights which are out, then immediately replace them.  If you have dark walls maybe consider introducing some diffused lighting to create ambient light that will highlight any décor detailing and bring more visual warmth into the room.  

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Although outdated fixtures and fittings aren’t going to completely rule out your property, it could mean yours is overlooked IF competing against a similar property of similar price which already has more contemporary styling and will involve less outlay for prospective buyers.  If you are installing new lighting, opt for LED lights as these will give you more lumens whilst using up less energy.

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Mounted ceiling lights, recessed lights, pendant lighting or chandelier lights provide great task lighting  for hallways and also for individual rooms, such as your living room or kitchens.  

You can then support these using accent lighting, like floor lamps, table lamps or wall lighting to layer up the level of light into the room, this ‘layering light’ technique makes the room look visually bigger, warmer and more appealing, and can be used to draw attention towards any decor details too, like your mantlepiece, shelving, or decorative back-splash.  

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Also, a well-placed wall-light in your bathroom can highlight the luxurious detail of your vintage bathroom mirror, adding brightness and glamour to a room, which may or may not have a window.  

 If your rooms have high ceilings, compliment your overhead lighting, pendant lighting works great here –   with recessed lighting to accentuate the height of the room whilst also offsetting any potential for shadows.  

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Another suggestion, and one which involves using light tactically for small or windowless rooms.  If you have big mirrors in a room, these are a great way of making the room appear bigger, as long as you position them so they reflect or refract the light that is available.  Position these to catch the light and you will be amazed at how bigger the room seems to the eye.

An important point before we finish, don’t neglect your access points.  So, in the case of dark staircases – why not consider lightening up this area with either tread lighting or wall lighting.

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We hope this blog has given you some useful insight and tactical tips to get your property out of the Estate Agent’s window and into the hands of its happy future owner.  We look forward to seeing you back at Elektra soon! Visit our store in Qormi, where our staff are always happy to help.