Chicagoland Home Staging Tip: Update Light Fixtures

When preparing a Chicagoland home for sale, one of our home staging professionals may recommend that you change out light fixtures. If the fixtures are brass, very old, in poor condition, or overly personal swapping them out for more modern fixtures can instantly transform a space.

Often times we’ll hear the excuse of how expensive a particular fixture is, that it has leaded glass or expensive crystals, so of course it should stay. The truth is that if the light fixture doesn’t appeal to today’s home buyers, the update will be considered as just one more thing on the honey-do list, and one more expense when purchasing the home.

Transforming a Home with Light Fixture Updates

Trends change over time and so do home buyer desires. Updating, even with relatively inexpensive fixtures can help pull decades off the perceived age, and cost of maintenance, of a home. Consider a woman who has worn the same hair style since the 80s. If she has “mall bangs” and she’s in her 40s, it just doesn’t work anymore. It’s time for a new “do”. The same holds true when it comes to lighting design.

Take this dining room in Naperville. The home had great bones, including hardwood floors, large open windows, and French doors. The traditional design style found in the before picture above doesn’t necessarily speak to today’s modern buyer. The woven dining chairs, faux finish paint and large chandelier made the space feel outdated and dark.

Swapping out the paint and chairs with a neutral color, along with hanging a sleek, modern light fixture with helped to create this style, which is appealing to most buyers today. Can you imagine the diminished impact of the home staging if it had not been done? The end result would have been completely different.

What Light Fixtures Are Trending…

Lighting trends range from overhead pendants, elegant sculptural shapes and styles and bespoke fittings, that are meant to be a design focal point in the room. Try choosing bold designs featuring sculptural shapes, interesting texture or even colored glass to make as style statement. The best part about trending lighting these days is that it looks amazing even when the light is switched off.

New Light Fixtures Do Not Have to Be Expensive

Lighting is an essential part of the home staging process, especially when it comes time to show the space to potential buyers. You can find affordable, yet stylish lighting in stores like Amazon.com, Home Depot or Wayfair. Plus, a bright way to increase the value of a home, and get a return on your investment is to add more lighting. A well-lit room makes a space feel larger and cleaner. Bright rooms also show you have nothing to hide, so prospective buyers will feel at ease when touring the space.

For more information on how to prepare your home for sale in today’s market, contact our team today!