When you’re preparing to sell your home, not all improvements need to cost a lot to make a big impact. The best example of this is lightbulbs.
What? Lightbulbs aren’t that big a deal, right? I just need to make sure they’re installed and in working order, right? Unfortunately, no, there’s a little more to it than that but never fear, I can explain the basics.
First, if you have a light fixture or lamp with more than one bulb, the bulbs should all match, like identical twins.
Same shape, same color, same everything. As a rule of thumb, when they go out, replace
them all, or replace the one that went out with the exact same type of bulb. See the picture of a mismatched situation, this should be avoided at all costs.
Second, you need to have the right type of bulb in your fixture. Some bulbs are decorative, and some are plain and simple, and some bulbs are more focused on function over looks. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and go with plain and simple. A twist bulb, more technically called a compact fluorescent bulb, does not look attractive sticking out of an exposed vanity light. Just no, please.
And finally, and to me, most importantly, is lightbulb color. When I say lightbulb color, I don’t mean the color of the glass like you see at Christmas with red and green bulbs, I’m talking about the color temperature of the bulb. When you’re browsing at your local hardware store, it’s the description like warm white, daylight and so on that you want to pay attention to. For you nerdy types, this temperature is the bulb’s Kelvin rating, indicated by the symbol K. If that measure is low, the light color is more warm or yellow. If the measure is too high, the light color can appear blue.
If your bulbs are too bluish, your room can feel cold and uninviting. Not really the look you want when you have prospective home buyers touring your home. On the flip side, if your bulbs are too warm, your home can feel dated or overly traditional, though this tends to be less of a turn off.
The best thing to do is to select natural white or warm white colors for a welcoming tone in your home. But remembering the matching comment from earlier, pick one or the other, not both. If you have a mix of bulbs that you need to use up, try to use the same color bulbs in the same room.
To summarize, lightbulbs should always match, should be the right type of bulb, and should be a natural or warm white color. Attention to this detail will give you the best chance to get top dollar for your home, without breaking the bank.
If you have any lighting, staging, or any other questions, drop me a line!
Rebecca Robertson is a Realtor who gets hung up on little details like light color. She may have even excused herself from a meeting because the light bulbs didn't match and she couldn't take it. But she's really very normal. Really.