Rebecca Southard - SELLING SECRETS YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS

entire set. If you can find matching pieces, you can paint the old and new to match.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Whether natural or artificial, good, bright light is one of the most effective ways to show off your home. Using light to enhance your home’s appeal can make a difference. Oddly, this is an aspect of staging that is often overlooked. Light that is too dim or too harsh is unflattering to the finest furnishings and best features of the house. Dim lighting gives everything in the house a dingy feel. Assess the lighting in each area of your home for ideas on where to bring in more light. Rooms with abundant windows greatly benefit from natural light, as your home will be seen during the day. Supplemental light is necessary for rooms with smaller windows or limited natural light. One quick, easy fix is to 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. 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.

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