When selling a home, it is very important that it be light and bright.  Buyers do not respond well to dark spaces. 

Here are a few home staging tips and tricks to brighten up your home: 

• Remove screens from windows - this lets more of the natural light through
• Wash the windows - seems to be common sense, but you'd be surprised at what a difference it makes!
• Remove awnings from windows and over doors
• Trim or remove overgrown bushes and trees that are in front of windows

• Replace drapes with sheers where possible - sheers provide warmth and softness to a room but still let the light show through
• Swap out low wattage bulbs for higher wattage ones
• Keep all lights turned on during an open house or showings
• Use uplighting in dark corners - either a tall floor lamp called a torchiere or a can light placed on the floor
• Place wall and floor mirrors where they can reflect natural light



• Use neutral paint colors on the walls
• Brighten up dark furnishings with throw pillows or a table runner in bright colors

Doing these simple and inexpensive changes when selling your home can reap its rewards - a 370% return on your investment, according to a Home Gain survey from 2007.