Terry Naber, REALTOR® - TERRY'S GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOME FOR TOP DOLLAR

Using light to enhance your home’s appeal can make a difference. Harsh light is unflattering, even to the best furnishings and features. LED lighting is notorious in this way. Make sure that the bulbs are not too blue or yellow. Dim lighting gives everything in the house a dingy, small feel. Assessing the lighting in each area of your home will give you a quick idea where to bring in more light. Rooms with abundant windows greatly impress buyers with the abundance of natural light, as your home will be seen during the day. Supplemental light is necessary for rooms with smaller windows or little natural light coming in. Increase the wattage of light bulbs in your lamps to improve artificial light. As a rule of thumb, there should be 100 watts for each 50 square feet of space. Some light fixtures are not rated for over 60 watts, so use LEDs to get that equivalent. There are three kinds of lighting. General lighting or overhead is typically ambient. The pendant light is good for tasks like food preparation or reading. Accent lights are usually on tables or mounted on walls. You can use all three to bring out the best your home has to offer. Key areas, such as foyers, can set the stage by impressing buyers with a dramatic light source. If you do not have an abundance of natural light coming in, a chandelier-type light works if your ceilings are high. Otherwise, wall sconces are impressive in smaller spaces. Do not assume you need to buy new fixtures if you can update existing ones. The goal is to make sure each area of the home is effectively lit, but dated light fixtures can firmly place your home in the 1980's-or other decades. Updated light fixtures in current styles will reduce the apparent age of your home. Kitchen and bathrooms are pivotal rooms. These two areas can make or break a sale. The combination of ambient, natural, and

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