Evening Curb Appeal: Night-time Lighting to Sell Your HomeThis article was printed by one of our local realtors, Aaron Hoffman of Keller Williams Realty here in Smyrna, Ga.I have been a subscriber of his news letter for a very long time and found this article to be a great idea whether you are a buyer or a seller. Photo: © M. Eric Honeycutt – iStockphoto
You’ve trimmed and tidied, clipped and pruned, swept and raked. Your front yard looks like a feature from Better Homes and Gardens and eager buyers are sure to be lining up first thing in the morning. It’s dusk; time to head indoors, put up your feet and look forward to that imminent house sale.Not quite. Buyers are savvy and will want to view the house in which they are thinking of investing thousands of dollars, from every possible angle. And that includes in the dark.It is common for potential buyers to drive by the property in the evening, perhaps on a whim or maybe just to check there are no undesirable elements that they missed during the day. While your house is for sale, you should maximize your evening curb appeal for those unscheduled drive-by viewings.Lighting is the key to evening curb appeal -
At dusk, strategically placed outdoor lights add a new dimension to your property. Investing in some simple lighting for your front yard could increase your chance of a sale. So, go back outside and look at your house in the dark. What can you see? Or more importantly, what can’t you see?Can a homebuyer see your home’s entrance?
If a prospective homebuyer drives by your house at night, is the sidewalk well-lit enough for them to clearly see the entrance to the property? Consider a gatepost or lantern-style light to define the start of your driveway.

Is the route to your front door well-lit?
Are your buyers going to trip over an unlit step, or brush past a prickly shrub in the dark? Add ground lighting or bollards to light the pathway. Low voltage string lighting along path edges is an effective and inexpensive solution.

Show off your front porch with accent lights.
This is the entrance to your house and is where the buyer’s eye will be drawn. If your porch flooring is made from an attractive material such as quality hardwood, cut stone or mosaic tiles, use lighting to make your doorstep a desirable night-time feature.

Bring your front yard to life with lights.
Strings of garden lights are a low cost and appealing way to bring your front yard to life at night. They can be used all year long and add a magical touch. Solar garden lights are easy to install and can be taken with you when you move house. Up-lighters can turn an interesting tree or rock into an enchanting night-time feature. Consider underwater lights to give a pond an ethereal quality.

Keep the porch light on.
While your house is for sale, remember to leave on your porch lights at night. An inside hall light gives a warm glow through any glass panels in the front door. Switch on at least one small lamp in each of your front rooms. You can set timers to have your lamps turn on at dusk and off at dawn. Potential buyers driving by will see a welcoming glow at any time night.

Keep decorations and furnishings crisp and classic for universal appeal

And don’t forget, if you get interested prospects who come calling, the inside of your home needs to be in tip top condition. That means mechanically repaired, freshly painted, clean carpet and polished floors. Decorations are are okay, but don’t over do it. Here are some other pointers: based on my observations here are some ideas that may help you sell your home during the holidays:

1. Create an attractive environment that will allow buyers to view your home during warm and friendly season.

2. Spruce up your home by cleaning and decorating to give your home that “picture postcard” look.

3. Make sure that your decorations are elegant and inviting and not intimidating or “over the top”.

4. Keep decorations mostly in the living area

5. Vacuum everyday

6. Leave the radio on a station that plays Christmas music during the holidays with minimal advertising or better yet satellite radio

Clean daily, especially in high traffic areas.

• Keep all counter tops free of “clutter”

• Make sure your home “smells” like Christmas – Insert plug-ins with a mild Christmas/apple/cinnamon scent or light evergreen scent

• Make sure that Christmas decorations don’t interfere with the floor plan or spacing in the home and keep walkway areas open

• Keep Christmas decorations simple and elegant

• Keep the personal photos to a minimum so that buyers can see themselves living cozily in the home

• Keep furnishings crisp, clean and neutral again without “clutter”

• The potential buyers want to envision their own things inside the home and by now crowding the space it gives your home a better chance to show it’s potential

• Last, don’t forget good dramatic lighting inside too. Lighting a room with drama can evoke a sense of warmth and desire and assist in landing that buyer.

Use simple, elegant holiday decorations when your house is on the market

There are some great interior ideas as well by fellow blogger and home stage designer at baerhomedesign.com to help you get your home ready for sale.

Happy Holidays .

Wishing you and yours a Healthy Prosperous New Year

Patricia and Tom Scott

Aaron Hofmann – (770) 874-6383

The H2 Realty Group News – December 2010