Why You Shouldn’t Skimp on Lighting, Ever

Before we start any rehab, Tarek and I always take a look at the area comps to see what we need to do to get a good market price on our property. Sometimes we see well-designed flips with a lot of beautiful rehabs, and sometimes we see houses that have barely had anything done to them at all. The biggest thing I notice that other flippers skimp on is lighting, and it’s kind of a big deal. Here’s why…

Good Lighting Changes Everything

First of all, think about the last time someone took your picture. In warm, natural light, you look younger and more beautiful. Under harsh fluorescents, you look washed-out and tired. If there’s not enough light, then the picture won’t come out well at all. So what does that have to do with the lighting in your flips? Everything.

Light affects the way a room looks and feels in the same way that it affects your face in a picture. If you don’t have enough light in a room, it’s going to look smaller, dimmer, and less inviting. On the other hand, you can overpower a room with too much lighting or lighting that is too bright, making the space look clinical and, again, uninviting.

If you spend just a little bit of time and energy to find the right lighting fixtures for each room of a flip house, you will immediately increase its market value simply because your buyers will be able to see what they’re buying.

Lighting Fixtures Can Be Statement Pieces

As you know if you’ve read my blog or seen the fixtures I choose for our flips, I love glam lighting. I love beautiful chandeliers, as well as decorative wall and ceiling fixtures. However, if none of these work for your flips or you’re feeling hesitant about choosing sparkly, glitzy chandeliers for your buyers, you still have a lot of really great options for lighting that will make your flips look upscale and give them a finished quality.

For example, industrial-looking lighting is really popular across the housing market right now. These fixtures have a classic, stripped down quality that lends itself to almost any design. Whether your flip has a traditional style, a rustic country design, or is ultra-modern and polished, these fixtures fit right in and are sure to wow your buyers.

Ceiling Fans Sell Houses

Another way to add more lighting and really impress your buyers is to add ceiling fans with attractive light fixtures to the bedrooms. Ceiling fans help move air through the house, and they make it feel more finished. While your kitchen and bathroom are usually your biggest assets in any flip, you might be surprised at how much something as simple as a couple of ceiling fans can improve the value of a home in buyers’ eyes.

Good Lighting Improves Market Value

Finally, if you invest money in lighting, your buyers won’t have to consider the expenses they’ll have to make on lights and lamps when they buy your property. Because this is already taken care of, they’ll be more likely to make an offer on the property at your asking price instead of trying to negotiate and get you to accept a lower price.

In addition to all of that, lighting is also just a lot of fun. I love finding great deals on high-quality fixtures and picking out the perfect ones for each room of the houses that Tarek and I flip. Then, when all of our rehab work is done, our houses look amazing and are really ready to show off to our potential buyers.

Published by Christina El Moussa

Original Article: https://www.redfin.com/blog/why-you-shouldnt-skimp-on-lighting-ever/