PDF Lighting is one of the best ways to add intrigue and drama to your home. The right lighting is magic- it can help make a room appear larger, or taller. It can highlight, accent, define and contribute to the ambiance of a room. When it comes to selling your home, the right kind of lighting can be extremely helpful in augmenting its attractiveness and appeal. Good lighting will impress potential buyers and can make the crucial difference in whether they come back for a second viewing or not.
Let us look at how you can light up your house to ensure that a great impression is made on potential buyers.
Step 1 – The Outside
Let us start from the outside of the house. In the evening, or those dark winter afternoons, ensure that your gate is properly lit. People should be able to see your gate, whether it is open or locked, when they reach it. Even if visitors are coming during the day, they will notice whether or not there is lighting arrangement near the gate. If you have a long driveway, ensure that even that is properly lit. Finally, make sure that the outside of your house is brightly lit and has a good lighting fixture.
Step 2 – Creating the right Ambience
All the rooms of your house should be lit according to the mood you want to create in that room. However, it is important to also keep their functionality in mind. For instance, many people spend a lot of their time in the living room. It is also where most viewers to your home will enter into, it is important that it is brightly lit.
It is not advisable to create a cosy feeling in the living room with dim lighting. However, you can surely have a cosy corner in the room with a nice lamp which allows for dim lighting, but ensure that there is an alternative available for bright light, if one desires it. Another wee tip…always turn the fire on…
Similarly, in the bathroom, it may be a good idea to have both options of dim and bright light available. People need bright light when they are using the mirror, whether for shaving, putting make up, etc. but, they may like to have the option of dim lighting to be able to have a long and relaxing baths. Another wee tip…candles in this room will definitely add to that sense of Zen and relaxation.
In the kitchen, there should definitely be bright light. You may have dim lights behind glass cabinets or under unit lighting is also very effective in creating a homely ambience. Always ensure that the cooking area is brightly lit.
The bedroom is somewhere you can really play around with your lighting scheme, using everything from twinkling fairy lights to garish neon depending on your mood. The most important bedroom light is the one beside your bed – useful for when one of you wants to read or watch TV and the other wants to sleep. You can mount bedside lights on the wall, hotel-style, or fix them behind or into the bedhead, use wall-mounted downlighters or simple table lamps beside the bed. Choose shades that are white on the inside and a warm colour outside, and fit them with a clear bulb to give off warm tones of light.
Step 3 – What sort of light bulbs should I use?
Firstly, it is always recommended to buy the highest wattage permitted, then control it, by installing a dimmer. This is always a great feature, as you can adjust the light according to the time of day, or the mood you wish to set. Of course, never insert a bulb that exceeds the maximum wattage that the fitting instructions suggest. TIP: If you are selling your home in Scotland, ensure you install energy saving bulbs before your Home Report is carried out, as this will affect your Energy Performance Rating. You can change the lightbulb to higher voltage once the survery has been carried out. Below are some different types of lighting and their associated properties:
Incandescents
- Throws a light warm, golden yellow light.
- Are ideal for creating warmth, cosiness and intimacy.
The advantages to these lights are the nice light that they throw, alongside the fact that they are inexpensive and easy to find. Some disadvantages are that they can scorch delicate paper shades. They also have a tendency to blow suddenly, and compared with other lighting solutions, incandescent bulbs tend to be energy hogs.
Halogens
- Throw a whiter, more pure and bright light than the incandescent.
- These lights are ideal for up lighters.
Some advantages to halogen lights, are that they are indeed an energy efficient choice. The design of the bulbs can be slim and compact. The mains-voltage types can be used in conventional fittings without a transformer, but ask an electrician first. The main disadvantage, is that they are expensive to replace.
Fluorescents
Typically associated with the harsh buzzing lights in factories, offices and classrooms, these light have much improved in recent years. They are available in many new varieties that are ideal for:
- Mini strip lights in kitchens
- Desk lamps, display lights and under cabinets
To put it simply, you should look for areas where you can use compact fluorescents for energy savings, without hurting the aesthetic aspects of your home. In places where you still need to have a dimming capability or greater lighting control, you may want to incorporate halogen as a part of your total lighting strategy.
LEDs
These lights are typically associated with Christmas lights. Essentially they are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But LEDs can also be used in certain interior and exterior lighting solutions.
- LEDs are cool bright lights and best used as an indirect light source. Have them bounce off your warmer colored surfaces for a soothing, homey effect
- LEDs are ideal for: under cup-boards, under valences, around a bathroom vanity, as night lights, for driveway lighting, and in different mood lighting solutions.
In terms of becoming a light magician there are a couple tricks to keep in your bag. To make a room appear taller, use vertical beams from low hanging pendant lights. Making a room appear larger can be achieved with the use of mirrors skillfully placed where they will serve to open up a room. Accent lighting can also help create the illusion of space and set a unique mood in a room. Be sure to add lighting with up lights, recessed lighting, smaller lamps and artwork spot lighting. If you are wanting a large, high room to feel more cosy, consider setting up several table lamps to create smaller, low pools of light.
Thoughtful lighting choices will serve to maximise your homes attributes and minimize its flaws. So, consider the role of lighting as you go about preparing your home for potential buyers, and dare to stage your home in the most attractive light!
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