The housing market isn’t what it used to be, and if you’re looking to sell or refinance your home, you’re facing an uphill battle. Any investment you can make to increase your home’s value in a down market could have a huge impact- not just on your net worth, but on your financial future.
Most people in the landscape lighting or outdoor lighting business claim that installing landscape and architectural accent lighting outside your home will increase your property value- but most stop there. In this article, I will describe how you can turn a bit of practical lighting knowledge into real property value.
“Light the Way” and Buyers Will Beat a Path to Your Door
Before you can use landscape lighting or outdoor lighting to improve your property value, you must understand the role that lighting plays in valuing a property. In the real estate market, no two pieces of property are identical. This fact contributes to all the confusion in the real estate market, undoubtedly, and represents an opportunity.
Since no two properties are the same, and no buyer can get to know the stuff well enough to understand the nuances that contribute to its actual value, most buyers are forced to offer a property based on their perceived value. This “perceived value,” in essence, is a combination of local factors–the school district, neighborhood quality, etc.– and “curb appeal.”
An adequate landscape lighting or outdoor lighting by landscape lighting Houston works to increase your property’s value by making it stand out from similar or identical properties. landscape lighting or outdoor lighting, therefore, shouldn’t just strive to “keep up with the Joneses.” Your landscape and architectural lights should make a subtle, classy statement that sets your property a cut above the competition.
Use landscape lighting or outdoor Lights to Accent, Not Overwhelm.
When non-professionals install lights on the outside of their homes, many make the faulty assumption that more lighting is inherently better. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. We’ve all walked or driven by houses with too much exterior lighting; even on the warmest summer nights, they’re lit up like Christmas trees. The impression that you take away from an over-lit property isn’t one of class or value, but one of showiness, pretentiousness, and, well, cheesiness.
Drowning your house in light is just a way of showing the world how expensive your utility bills must be. Instead, choose low-wattage lights, and position them in places where they make a powerful and accenting statement on your home’s facade. Corners, entryways, and bay windows are all excellent places to situate landscape lighting or outdoor lights.
When strategically placed, architectural lights can accent your home’s most notable features– or add visual interest, if your house doesn’t offer much to work with. However, the key is to make sure that you keep your baseline level of lighting low enough that landscape lighting or outdoor accent lights can be noticed at low power levels. You’ll make a stronger impression on passersby, and you’ll save money on your electricity bills.