Professor Von Helsing approaches the house with trepidation. The lone light from the moon barely illuminates the entryway, leaving him to wonder what horrors hide in the shadows. A potential buyer of Count Dracula’s castle might also question what lurks in its dark corners.

Bram Stoker and old Hollywood horror directors knew the power of lighting – a multitude of dirty, dangerous surprises can hide, waiting to appear. But while Von Helsing pressed on, potential buyers may never get past an unlit foyer. If they can’t see it, they can’t love it, and may fear what’s unseen, even if the home is perfect for them.

Lighting can be a relatively inexpensive but effective way to highlight the positive qualities of your home or downplay areas that are less attractive.

The best and cheapest lighting is natural sunlight. To take advantage of it, show your home during the day, open blinds or shades, clear window sills, and clean panes to let light in. Move furniture away from windows to keep light flowing freely.

Unless your view is unpleasant, keep curtains open to make rooms look larger and more welcoming. If the view isn’t great, use sheer curtains to allow light in while downplaying the unsightly scene.

If your house is dark with few or narrow windows, don’t worry. A trip to your local home improvement store can brighten things up..

Even naturally lit homes benefit from adding the right lighting. Start by walking through your house, flipping switches and checking each fixture and lamp. Are there burnt-out bulbs? Make a list of all the bulb sizes you need to buy.

Do shades or domes have dust or dead insects? Clean them to brighten the room. Are fixtures scratched, dented, or tarnished? If they can’t be cleaned or buffed, consider replacing them.

When replacing fixtures, consider your target buyer and your home’s style. For example, modern polished gunmetal fixtures may clash with a traditionally styled home.

Similarly, if you’re aiming at younger buyers, that original 1970s pea green mod-style lamp might need to be replaced.

Lighting can create optical illusions, making a room seem wider, a ceiling higher, or a hallway longer. Long, narrow hallways, common in condos, can become art galleries with track lighting. If a room feels cramped, use floor can lights that direct light up the walls to make the ceiling seem higher.

Conversely, downward lighting can draw attention away from ceiling flaws by directing the eye toward the floor.

On the other hand, bowing walls of older houses require lighting that moves straight from floor to ceiling without hitting the wall. Here, the lamps or fixtures must be placed away from the wall and face the ceiling.

You can often repurpose fixtures already in your home, relocating them to better areas.

Got a small room? A mirrored wall can make it look twice as large as when it was just painted. If placed across from a window, it reflects natural light, brightening the space.

Remember, it’s not enough to have the right fixtures – you need to use them. Keep lights on in every room, even during the day, including hallways, closets, and under cabinets. At night, light up rooms facing the street. After all, folks need to know that Dracula isn’t lurking in the shadows.

Spend a Little, Get a Lot

✅ If you have more than two cars in your driveway, park the extras at a neighbour’s to make the area look more spacious.

✅ Remove oil and rust stains from concrete with commercial cleaners from automotive or home improvement stores.

✅ The basement doesn’t need to be spotless, but replace bulbs and clear cobwebs before showing the house.

✅ Change air conditioning and furnace filters for better efficiency.

✅ If the washer and dryer are in the basement, add a rug and shelves to create a cozy laundry area.

✅ Check for termites by using a pocketknife to jab the support beams near the foundation. If it penetrates easily, there may be termites.

Want to know what your home is worth?

Before you put your house on the market, you need to find out how much it’s worth in today’s market, so you can make your plans based on the most current information available.

We can prepare a detailed Pin-Point Price Analysis for you that shows the most current market activity in your area for homes like yours, and we can recommend an optimal marketing price range that will give you the best odds of selling quickly – and for top dollar!