On my first day of school at the old Shannon & Luchs Academy of Real Estate, they instructor talked about how important is is to have a house you are showing as bright as possible. To do this, you either make the most of whatever natural light shines into the house, or you up the wattage on the light bulbs. Or perhaps both.
Many homes in the District are old row houses with windows on the fronts and backs. But unless they are end units, there are no windows on the side of the house. And there are usually big front porches, so that you have the light flow into the living room somewhat blocked off. Finally, these homes can be quite deep - on my block they measure about 54 feet from front to back.
If you are trying to sell a house that may be light impaired, here are some steps you can take to brighten the place up:
- Pull back the curtains, or remove them altogether. If you feel like you have to have something on the windows, stick to very sheer fabric.
- Up the wattage in your ceiling fixtures, and if you have any sort of chandelier, make sure there are no burnt out bulbs.
- Avoid dark paint colors, especially in the dining room. They may seem cozy or dramatic while you live in the house, but while it's on the market, bright trumps cozy and dramatic.
- If you are having your floors refinished, don't have a dark stain put on the wood.
- Add a few extra lamps, and again, don't try to use energy saving light bulbs. You can save them for your new place.
- If you know there is a showing scheduled for your home, turn on the lights before you leave.
Throughout my long real estate career, I've followed the advice of that wise instructor at "The Academy", as the alum still fondly call it. And along with "The Realtor® always knocks twice," it's one of the most important things we learned.
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