Illuminating Lighting Tips for your Home Staging
The purpose of home staging is clear - to present the home in an appealing way, the ultimate goal being to sell as close to the asking price as possible. While there are many things that go into preparing a home for a staging, one of the most important is lighting.
Given the importance of first impressions, home lighting really can make or break a sale. You want the lighting in each room to be flattering and not overwhelming. Here's a brief room by room guide on illuminating your space before home staging.
- Outdoor Lighting & Nightscaping
Your home needs to look presentable, both inside and out. Make sure your entryway is adequately lit, either by installing a fixture if there isn't one there or replacing a light bulb where needed. Install some inexpensive solar path lighting along the walkway up to your front door. You can purchase a pack of 6 path lights for less than $30.00.
Another important detail is making sure that your address is clearly visible from the street. Add some reflecting address numbers to your curbside. You also want to make sure that your deck and backyard are adequately lit. Whether you will be showing the place in the evening or not, outdoor lighting helps make a good first impression.
You want prospective home buyers to be greeted with a welcoming, warm and homey glow from the moment they walk in the door. Depending on the size of your entryway and the height of your ceiling, a chandelier of some kind might be a nice touch. If you don't want to spend the money on a chandelier, consider a small table lamp or two on your console table.
Since the living room is predominantly used for entertaining, the lighting needs to be functional and stylish. Bring out extra table and floor lamps that you have lying around. While you don't have to bathe the living room in a sea of incandescent, you want it to appear bright and cheerful. It's also a good idea to remove any heavy curtains. Natural light does wonders for a space.
Like the living room, dining rooms are also used mainly for entertaining. A nice pendant light or chandelier hanging over the dining table is a great way to accentuate the table and draw focus in the room. Depending on the size of your dining room, all you're likely to need is one light over or near the dining room table; one with a dimmer switch would be preferable. If you have windows in your dining room, let there be natural light!
Task lighting is especially important in the kitchen. Under cabinet lighting goes a long way, showing off both your workspace and your countertops. You also want some pendant lights over your kitchen island bar and table. Natural light is also a great thing to have in the kitchen so show it off if you have it.
Your bathroom needs to be brighter than other rooms but not unnaturally so. A vanity light over the mirror, as well as an overhead light of some kind is a smart move.
You need to highlight any sources of natural light you have in the bedrooms - windows, skylights, doors to the balcony, etc. As far as supplemental fixtures, an overhead fixture is a good idea but not necessary. Perhaps a floor lamp in the corner and a couple of small table lamps on the end tables will suffice. If you're showing off a kid's bedroom or nursery, some cute, colorful kids' lamps would be a nice touch.
The important thing to keep in mind is not to overdo it. You don't want to load up every room with 10 lamps. You want the lighting to showcase each room in an appealing and attractive way, highlighting both the functionality of your space as well as the hominess of the space. Just remember to utilize natural light whenever it's available and you're home will be ready to show in no time.
Courtesty of my friends at CSN Lighting, they have quite the selection and fantastic prices!
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Redesign Etc. of Houston is a Full-Service real estate staging company. We stage vacant, occupied, builders specs, condos, townhomes, vacation rentals and commercial property. We offer furniture & accessory rentals at competitive rates. Insured & Incorporated with the State of TX.
Owner, Cindy Bryant has earned the RESA-PROTM designation, holding professional home stagers to the highest industry standards, ethics, integrity and proficiency in staging techniques while protecting Homeowners and Real Estate Agents.
Please visit our portfolio of before and afters and website for more information. Check out our profile page too! Check out our sister sites for the Houston Bay Area League City Home Staging and Galveston Home Staging. Please contact Cindy Bryant for more information or call 281-748-2170.
Areas Served: Houston, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Bellaire, Piney Point, Mid-Town, The Heights, Montrose, Texas Medical Center, The East End, West Loop/Galleria/Memorial, Downtown, Museum District, West University, Spring Branch, Royal Oaks-Lakeside, League City, Clear Lake City, Friendswood, Kemah, Seabrook, Pearland, Sugar Land, Spring, Cypress, Tomball, The Woodlands, Kingwood. And all areas down to Galveston Island.
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