Light the Night to Sell Your Home Faster

Have you ever thought about what your home for sale looks like at night?  You should, because potential buyers certainly do.

Imagine a potential buyer driving by your home after sunset.  What will they see – a beautifully lit walkway leading to a welcoming front door – or a house that’s dark and dreary?

Many potential buyers want a home that looks lovely both day and night.  Why do they care what it looks like in the dark?  They entertain primarily at night, they frequently come home from a long day at work after dark, and they want the added level of security provided by a well-lit home.

Here are some ideas to light the night to help your home sell faster:

• Add landscape lighting.  Create a gentle moon-glow lighting effect on flowers, trees and other landscaping features.  To do this, conceal the light source behind shrubs or other foliage.  Unless the light fixture is the decorative element, you want it to disappear when the lights are on.
• Put in path or walkway lighting.  This adds a measure of safety.  For the best results, use light sparingly.  When you place too many lights along walkways and borders, it creates an unattractive runway effect.  Instead, use taller path- or spread-light fixtures to create pools of light that illuminate the walkway and the surrounding flowers, shrubs or trees.
• Improve security lighting.  A well-lit home is more secure.  Use spot lights and flood lights to spread light across a wide area and light up a work or play area.  Place flood lights above garage doors, sheds and patios.
• Keep the outdoor and indoor lights on.  While your home is on the market, leave the lights on during the evening hours. If you don’t get home until after dark, put the lights on a timer.  You never know when a potential buyer will drive around the area at night checking things out, so be prepared.

Pathway lights, flood lights and accent lights aren’t overly expensive, and provide a dramatic effect. Choose “green” outdoor lighting options to keep your electric bills down.

Links:

Landscape lighting

http://landscapelightingideas.org/

Security lighting

http://blog.smarthome.com/2011/03/11/diy-project-add-security-lighting-to-your-home-it-will-help-keep-your-family-and-valuables-safe/

“Green” outdoor lighting

http://www.getgreenliving.com/going-green-with-eco-friendly-outdoor-lighting/