Showing a House? Get Ready For a Light Show

Let There Be Light

I just got back from a free consultation with a potential home seller.

The house was amazing. Remodeled throughout with mid to high end finishes. It was a truly amazing house.

Except one thing… It was dark!

They had heavy wood blinds with HUGE curtains over them.

Not one bit of light was coming in. It was like I was visiting the bat cave.

Easy solution: tie those curtains back and open the louvers on the blinds.

Voila! Instantly the house went from dark and dreary to light, bright and airy.

When selling a home keep in mind every home showing is a light show. When you break down statistics (whether you look on NAR, Trulia, Inman, or Zillow) they all say the same thing about what buyers are looking at, and it’s plain and clear. The house has to grab their attention at first sight! You could say a buyer has to feel “love at first sight”. Whether they’re viewing the home online, driving by and see the “for sale” sign in the front or come across a flyer. At the end of the day “the eyes have it”.

Where do we start when marketing a home for sale? It always starts with photos. All of the prep work is intended to ensure the property shows at it’s best both on photos and in person. Keeping in mind that almost 100% of home-buyers are looking at the pictures online before they even consider looking at the house in person, those photos better be top-notch.

A professional photographer will know exactly how and where to direct their camera to get the best photos. To ensure they’re capturing the home in the “best light” they know, lighting is just as important as the subject. When we meet our photographers we often hear them talk about the “shape” of the light, or if the light is “hard’ (prominent shadows), or “soft” (innocuous shadows).  For the same reason it’s why the best agents and photographers will time a photo-shoot of the house when the sun is in the most flattering position for the property. Proper timing of light for your “photo session” is crucial. In fact, sometimes when the photographer cannot get proper interior lighting you may see them use additional lights to brighten rooms to even out the lighting.

Light and bright is the general rule of thumb for success when taking photos to sell a house. Because of that rule, it’s easy to understand why most people agree the preferred interior wall colors are some variation of pale or light something. You’ll see colors like pale taupe, light beige and pale blue- grays as frequent favorites. Common factors you want to look for when choosing paint no matter what color you choose are high to moderate reflectivity. In other words “light and bright”. Recently an analysis was published with over 32,000 photos of homes sold. In hindsight the analysis was for the most part unnecessary because the leading color people chose as favorites were: (Drum roll please) PALE GRAY BLUE AND LIGHT BEIGE.

Similar thinking will lead to the conclusion, before every showing and open house take a trip through the home to open curtains, blinds and window coverings. As well as turn on all lights, including lamps. We at Miranda Executive Realty show every one of our listings at every appointment. We always arrive early to ensure the house shows it’s best, every time. You only get one chance at your first impression. So we want to impress buyers on first impression.

That being said, there are always an exceptions to every rule. Many of the larger new homes are now being constructed with media rooms. Even pre-existing homes are having media rooms added when owners decide to upgrade. These room benefit from dim lighting that will accentuate the large media screens. Similar to media rooms you may find an office with rich, dark wood paneling. Rooms like these provide an excellent contrast to the rest of the home. As well as a nice break in the presentation. When we show our properties we lead the potential buyers and their agents on a predetermined route through the property. Presentation matters. In our progression of impressions we work the for maximum “awe” effect.

When considering selling your home, whether in Coral Springs or anywhere in Southeast Florida, even if you’re not currently planning to sell for a while, we hope you’ll give Miranda Executive Realty a call. We would be happy to visit to discuss low-intensity preparations that will prepare you for a quick and easy sale when you’re finally ready. There is never an obligation or expectation to these meetings. However, there are always steps you can begin taking now to ensure meaningful results. It’s better to consult with a sales professional before making any modifications or changes when contemplating sales. Not all repairs and upgrades are created equal. Some will give you a much higher return on investment. While some will end up losing you money. We can help you make money, and prevent you losing money on unnecessary repairs. Feel free to contact us anytime.

Want to read more about some home hacks to help organize you when you’re ready to sell? Check out our blog about our favorite home hacks.