Don't forget to turn the lights ON

With the shorter days here again it's time to look at lighting throughout the house. I decided to rerun the original blog from last Feb as a reminder of the different lighting Dos and Don'ts.

Last week I was at a client's house to give a consultation. They were getting ready to sell. The house was in nice shape and I could see right away the pride of ownership.
After my initial walk through I had an average size 'To Do' List for these vendors - minor repairs, a little furniture reconfiguration and some sprucing up. One thing topped the list: LIGHTING.
Several rooms were really dim.These rooms had shadows, seemed smaller and had an overall gloomy feel. The vendors had been living in these dimly lit rooms for so long they didn't notice anymore. Their furniture was stylish and accessories were contemporary but the poor lighting affected the whole ambiance of the house.
Look at your lighting from a visitor's perspective. 
Remember to make the most of natural light then add accent lighting and task lighting.
Update light fixtures and lamps.
Use maximum allowed wattage in overhead lights - especially small hallways.
If there is no overhead light in a room, use a floor lamp with maximum wattage and ideally more than one bulb.The bulbs should face downward and out - not straight up.
Leave bedside lamps on for showings and photos
Now this is extremely important....be sure to leave lights on in front walkways, verandahs, front porch, etc.
A soft lamp or light that can be seen in a front window or two gives the house a warm welcoming glow.
Proper lighting is an economical way to improve the look and feel of a home when selling.
You can make a hohum regular room seem spectacular for a relatively low investment.