Some Creative Ways to Make Your Home Brighter

There are a number of creative ways for homeowners selling their home to make it brighter, which makes it more appealing to home buyers.

Common advice for home sellers is to turn all the lights on for showings and open houses. That is great advice. Home buyers find bright homes more appealing. But what if that’s not enough?

If your house is cursed with dark spaces, here are five ways to use mirrors to bring in more natural light without breaking holes in the walls or roof.

  • Got a dark hallway? Use mirrors opposite one another to reflect what little light there is back into one another and increase the sense of brigh to schedule space.
  • If you have a single window abutting a corner, add a mirror to the adjacent (windowless) corner, creating the effect that you have one large corner window.
  • Use a floor-to-ceiling mirror in an area behind furniture, such as sofa table, or chest. Add a lamp in front of the mirror to reflect more light at night, too.
  • Use a mirrored backsplash in the kitchen.
  • Use a strategically placed mirror outside to reflect sunlight directly into a window at the angle you want. Alternatively, use a white surface, such as painting a fence white, to reflect light into the home.

There are other ways to brighten your home. One way is to open all the blinds, about 1/4 – 1/3 of the way up the window (all even), then open the slats all the way. This is especially important if you have windows that show an awesome view of the pool, a natural body of water, or a conservation area.

Is there something you don’t care to highlight to buyers, such as  the side of your neighbor’s home? No problem. Open those blinds to 45 degrees or just a little more, but with the opening towards the sky, not the ground. That would still allow a lot of natural light into the home without accentuating the view.

For a home that’s vacant, how do we make it bright for buyers ahead of showing without wasting power or showing the world that it’s vacant? Here are a couple of techniques we use:

  • Note in the showing instructions a reminder for buyer agents to please turn on all the lights, then turn them off when done. They want to sell the home, too, if it’s otherwise right for their buyers.
  • Set the blinds to about 45 degrees open with the opening facing the sky. The outside world can’t see that the home is vacant, but still allows a lot of natural light into the home.

When you list your home for sale with us, this is just a small sample of the kind of professional advice we provide to make your home attractive to buyers. Please call us today at 407-564-2758 to schedule a no-obligation, no-cost consultation. We will answer all your questions so you can make the best decision for your family.

Thomas Scott, REALTOR
Thomas Scott REALTOR®, GRI®

Additional Home Owner Resources

The Value of Solar Panels on a Resale Single Family Home

The Value of Solar Panels on a Resale Home

Valuing solar panels on a resale home can be difficult. This is new in real estate, comparable sales are sparse, and research didn’t turn up any definitive standards. Let’s take a look at the situation and some ways to come to a value 

Home Remodeling for Seniors with Disabilities

As seniors age, they may face a number of physical disabilities that can limit their daily activities. This can make it difficult for them to perform necessary tasks such as cooking and cleaning around the house. Fortunately, many home remodeling solutions are available to help seniors with disabilities improve their quality of life. This guide provides helpful advice on how to make home renovations for seniors with disabilities, from installing accessibility features to choosing the right materials. With these tips, seniors with disabilities can create a home environment that is safe and comfortable for their needs.

Home Sellers Also Should Hire a Home Inspector

One idea is to hire a home inspector about a month before the home goes on the market, then use his report as a punch list of things to repair. Once the repairs are completed, the home inspector will come back for a nominal fee, check those items, and update the report. This accomplishes two things. Homeowners have no surprises when the buyer comes back with their inspection results and the clean inspection report can be included in the MLS showing buyers that the home is in good condition. Even if a few items are not repaired, disclosing this to buyers sets everyone’s expectations correctly and everyone sails through the inspection period.

Florida Homeowners Insurance Update

The homeowners insurance industry is currently going through some fairly major changes here in Florida and I wanted to provide some highlights as to what is occurring. There are multiple things in play that are impacting the state as a whole. The article linked below explains exactly what is going on.