I was at a home yesterday doing a Home Staging Consultation and I ran into an issue that I see over and over again. Lack of light!
Plain and simple…..buyers do not like dark houses. I think you could look at hundreds of feedback comments on homes and never see “The house just had too much natural light.” or “The house was just too bright.” You just never hear that.
But you do hear, “The house was so dark.” or “Boy there just wasn’t any natural light.”
Perhaps your home has all of it’s windows facing north or it was built in the decades when installing ceiling/recessed lighting wasn’t a common practice. It’s okay. It’s an easy fix!!
Lamps, lamps and more lamps. An easy and inexpensive fix to any room.
A Few Tips:
- In a living area such as a family room, great room or living room: Use 3 lamps in a triangular pattern. This will spread the light well throughout the room.
- One floor lamp is okay but don’t use three floor lamps. Table lamps are needed on the end tables.
- In a Master Bedroom two lamps on either side of the bed on the nightstands is a must. Make these large lamps to frame out and accent the bed nicely.
- All other bedrooms at least one nightstand with a lamp on it.
- Use as high of wattage as possible in all lamps. A minimum of 100 watts (or equivalent lumens) and even better a lamp with a 3 way bulb up to 150 watts (or equivalent lumens). Watts and lumens are another whole topic so stay tuned!
- Use white or cream lampshades that will allow a lot of light through. Dark colored lamp shades are great ambiance lighting but not great for selling.
- If you have ceiling lights as the only light source in the room where lamps cannot be added (such as a kitchen, dining room or hallway), make sure your light fixture allows a lot of wattage. You may need to get a new light fixture or buy LED light bulbs that have more lumens.
My advice to you if you are selling your home. Walk through your home on a dreary day and in the evening. Is it bright and well lit in every room? How many lamps do you have? You may need to put a lamp buying trip on your to do list!
Shar Sitter, owner Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN.
CHSE and APSD Home Stager Pro Trainer
www.RoomsWithStyle.com
952-567-1124