Brighten up your home sale prospects

When a home is listed for sale, the owners usually try to ensure that it looks its best. Paintwork is touched up, carpets are shampooed, surfaces are cleaned and the garden is trimmed.

But familiarity breeds...well, familiarity and, says Berry Everitt, CEO of the Chas Everitt International property group, long-time owners can easily miss one of the most important factors in creating a great first impression on potential buyers: good lighting.

"If a home is dark, prospective buyers will be hard-pressed to notice how clean, fresh or neat it is. The correct lighting, on the other hand, can change the appearance of a room from dull and even a little gloomy to bright and airy."

Writing in the Property Signposts newsletter https://www.chaseveritt.co.za/newsletter/, he also says home sellers can use the following "designer ideas" to make their homes look exceptional, both in the listing photographs and in person:

**Use bright wall sconces and a well-placed lamp to make a small room appear much larger;

**Use localised lighting in a very large room to create several discrete areas;

**Use down lighters to shorten very high ceilings;

**Wash one wall with light to visually push it away if you need to make a room look longer, and illuminate the wide sides of a long, narrow room to make it look shorter; and

**Use accent or spot lighting to accentuate a feature you want to show off, such as a fireplace.

What is more, says Everitt, changing or modernising the lighting in a home is relatively inexpensive, especially when compared with other home improvement or renovation options.

"Indeed, the range of modern light fittings available and new systems such as low-voltage lighting, track-mounted spots and LED bulbs, which last much longer than normal bulbs and use less electricity, means that no homeowner needs to be in the dark.

"And if you are planning to sell, a little imagination and the correct advice on what fittings to use to create the effects you want can really boost the appeal and value of your home to a potential buyer."

Issued by Chas Everitt International