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Lighten and Brighten Your Way to a Successful Sale of Your Home

By
Home Stager with Designed to Appeal, LLC

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

IMG_2274 - cropped - 70FPR bdrm

  • 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
  • IMG_1005

  • 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.

Comments (2)

Chris Hill
Century 21 New Millennium - California, MD
Your Southern Maryland Real Estate Professional

I am a firm believer that making the room more appealing with simple accessories will help you to sell in a down market. Thanks for the post.

Oct 16, 2009 02:24 AM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

Very nice post. I always remove the screens-makes such a difference when the windows are cleaned before listing the home. We place the screens in the garage for the new owners.    

Oct 16, 2009 11:53 AM