Preparing for a Successful Home Sale: Dealing With Little Natural Light

Natural light is a big benefit when it comes to staging your property, so selling a home with little natural light can take extra effort. Lighting your home from within can help, as can making smart decorating choices. With a little extra effort, your home's interior can look bright and beautiful for buyers.

Thin Trees Around the Property

If surrounding trees are casting your home in darkness, thinning those trees can allow some sunlight in through your home's windows. Tree trimming is simple enough when the trees are small, but large trees often require special equipment. Hire a tree service to thin your largest trees, to ensure that the branches are cut down safely and effectively.

Clean Windows

Dirty windows make a difference when light filters through the glass. Clean your home's windows with vinegar and water, and use a squeegee to leave a streak-free shine. Dirty screens can cast your home's interior in shade as well, so use a gentle spray of water from a hose to wash your screens.

Get Rid of Heavy Curtains

Heavy drapes cut back on the amount of daylight that reaches your home's interior. Take down all heavy drapes in your home and replace them with light filtering cotton curtains, and/or lightweight sheers. During showings, leave your curtains, blinds and sheers wide open to allow as much light as possible into the room.

Cut Back on Clutter

One of the problems with dark rooms is that they tend to look claustrophobic to home buyers. Dark rooms often look small, and look much smaller when the space is cluttered and full. Cutting back the clutter in your home can help open up the space and allow light to filter through.

To remove your home's clutter, clear off all countertops and tables, and cut back on paper clutter in your home. Remove knick knacks and miscellaneous items from shelves and bookcases, leaving empty spaces on the shelves in between books and decorative items.

Once you've gotten rid of clutter, cut back on extra furniture to open up floor space and create a feeling of spaciousness in your home. This won't actually increase the amount of light in your home, but will cut back on shadows to make the room seem brighter.

Use Track and Recessed Lighting

Track lighting and recessed lighting can be used to aim focused, directed beams of light at dark corners of the room. Track and recessed lighting can be used to draw attention to parts of the room where you would like potential buyers to focus their attention.

If you're on a budget, carefully pick and choose the parts of your homeNortheast Calgary home where you install track and recessed lighting. The darkest parts of the house, like hallways, are good places to start.

Invest In Lamps

Buy lamps for all surfaces, including floor lamps, large tabletop lamps, tiny night stand lamps and more. Spread the lamps out in each room to give yourself lighting options and to ensure that all corners are well-lit. During showings, turn on all lamps. This will bring a sense of lightness to your home's interior and will help home buyers see the potential of each room of your property.

Repaint

Painting is a relatively inexpensive way of changing the look of your home's interior. Dark and medium toned paint colors can make your home appear darker and smaller than it really is. White and off-white are common, but can be harsh and may also seem generic or bland to some home buyers. Instead, try painting your home in soft earthy neutrals, like beige, gray, or gray-green.

Install Mirrors

Mirrors can create a sense of lightness by reflecting light from windows and from artificial light sources. Large mirrors can also help obscure the dimensions of a room and make a room look slightly larger and more spacious. Position mirrors in walls opposite of windows so they'll reflect outdoor light.

Light a Fire During Showings

If you have a gas fireplace, talk to your agent about lighting a fire for showings that happen when the weather is cool. Lighting a fire will help lighten the room, making the space seem homier and brighter. As an added bonus, keeping a fire lit in the fireplace will also show buyers that the fireplace is in good working condition.

Work With Your Real Estate Agent

Your agent can help you identify the areas where your home needs the most light, and may also have some affordable solutions that can help. As you're choosing a agent to work with, ask him or her what you should do to address any issues before the home goes on the market.