When you’re putting your house on the market, there’s obviously a lot that needs to be done in preparation, such as rearranging, cleaning, and landscaping in order to maximize your house’s interior and curb appeal. But in today’s market, perhaps touching up the paint and making the minor repairs isn’t quite enough to make your house stand out.

This is why sometimes it might be best to upgrade when you’re putting your house on the market, especially when it comes to home lighting.

This might seem counter intuitive at first; why buy additional lighting that you won’t be using and that might be removed or altered by the eventual buyers? Certainly both points are valid, but a few changes can drastically help improve the appearance of your house and might in the process enable you and your Realtor to sell it at the asking price.

How to Get the best “Bang for your Buck”
When upgrading your lighting in this manner, it is worth noting that you want your upgrades to be based on functionality, not style. After all, you don’t want to purchase lighting based on what looks good to you but rather what you think would work for any future occupants.

Above all it is important to find lighting that will illuminate areas that previously didn’t have much light cover, as you don’t want to turn on your lights when showing your house only to have some unappealing dim spots. A few simple and inexpensive ways of rectifying this would be upgrading your vanity lights for your bathroom or purchasing kitchen island pendants and under-cabinet lighting for your kitchen.
You also need to consider the exterior of your house as well. Flood lights do an excellent job of accentuating the front of you house at nighttime, while path lighting can help highlight your landscaping while also providing safe and easy access to the house.

Both of these types of lighting will also make your house easier to find for the prospective buyers and will help its curb appeal as well.

Don’t forget about Sunlight!

Lastly, it is important not to overlook natural light, as this can be important during daytime visits. In this case, the littlest things, such as cleaning your windows and keeping all curtains and shades drawn up, can make a huge difference. Sunlight is always more appealing than artificial lighting, so it is important to utilize it whenever possible.

It goes without saying that the better you present your house, the better the chances of being able to sell it the asking price. Maximizing both artificial and natural lighting goes a long way in creating the right look and atmosphere for potential buyers.

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 – office
301-653-8116 – cell

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