Lighting tips to help sell your home..

What is the one thing everybody wants in a home? Lots of light. And what’s the one free thing we all have access to? Daylight.

Interior designers tell every one of their clients that getting the lighting right is key to a successful décor scheme. And natural light is essential to this process. 

The first thing to consider is the photography your estate agent will do for your home – both stills and video. If your home is south facing, you will have an abundance of natural light pouring into the rooms on that side. If it’s not south facing, book the photographer to come at the time of day when those most important rooms are well lit by daylight – the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom (nobody wants a dingy bathroom) and the dining area. 

Make sure you pull up all the blinds, tuck to one side any sheer curtains or voiles, and draw the fabric curtains right back to expose as much window as possible. 

You can’t always plan for a fine bright day during viewings, of course, which is where understanding the power of layering light will really help present your home to its best advantage.

Layering light simply means placing lighting to create the right ambience, or help you perform a function. There are three distinct categories of layered lighting.

1. Ambient lighting, also known as general lighting. 

In short, this is the ‘big light’ set in the centre of most rooms and used to allow occupants to see the entire space. These days, the ‘big light’ is only really useful in spaces such as utility rooms, loos or bathrooms, or when you’ve lost the remote control in the sitting room. The centre light is generally not great at creating a homely ambience; it can cast shadows and create dull corners. This is not one to use when viewings are in progress, unless it’s in a functional space, as above.

2. Accent lighting

Accent lighting is how you add style to a space. Think table lamps, wall lights, floor lamps or pendant lights hung in a specific area to create a pool of light from above. Use these lights to create atmosphere, to draw attention to art or collectables and to add a glow to otherwise dull corners of the room.

3. Task lighting

This is your practical lighting – the lighting you need to help you complete a task. In the home office, or designated work area, a desk lamp is needed to light the keyboard as the day draws in. In the  bathroom, lights above the mirror help with makeup application, finding that eyelash in your eye and checking the spinach is out from your teeth, and in the kitchen well lit work surfaces ensure safe food preparation.

Back in the day, all light bulbs were one colour. Today, you can choose from warm white or cool white. While you might like a warm white light, there are rooms where these are a no-no for viewings. The bathroom for example needs clear white light, as does the kitchen. You could choose warm lights for your accent lighting in the living room, but actually while you’re selling your home, we recommend standard white light bulbs, which give more a feel of natural daylight. All task lighting should be white lights. Whatever you do, don’t mix light bulb tones in a single space. It’s confusing to the eye and can create a sense of disharmony you really don’t need.

Finally, when preparing for a viewing, visit each room and choose what lights you need on to greet visitors. You don’t want to be flicking on the big light in the lounge when you have a beautifully designed accent lighting set up! In the bedroom, unless the room is flooded with daylight, pop the bedside lights on rather than the overhead light – it’s more inviting and cosy. In the bathroom, switch all the lights on! In the kitchen, make sure task lighting is switched on, and any accent lighting too, such as under-cupboard LEDs. Visit each room and decide which lights show it to its best advantage at the time of day the viewing is planned for. 

While the right lighting won’t add value to your home, it can add value to viewings, creating the right atmosphere and encouraging positive vibes.

Eddie – Friday 24th February 2023 – (Picture used from Groby Road, Chorlton).