One of the most important features of kitchen lighting is task lighting. It is important to have proper lighting for important tasks performed in the kitchen to avoid any injury. Cutting, cooking and washing are important tasks that need their own lighting. The best thing to do for these spaces is to install pendant lights above them. Pendant lights will provide adequate light to the task area without bathing the whole kitchen in harsh, bright light.

The second important feature in kitchen lighting is accent lighting. These lights add a bit of their own charm to the kitchen. They also provide additional light in areas that need light, albeit not as large or bright as the task lights. So, you may want to consider installing accent lighting behind the doors of glass cabinets.

This will not only provide light into the cabinet, so you can easily find what you are looking for; they will also add to the overall lighting scheme of the kitchen. You can also add accent lights under overhanging cabinets to light the area that is covered in their shadow.The ambient light is, of course, not to be forgotten. It has to be a soft warm glow, to create an atmosphere of cheer.

It is important to realize that today we live in a buyer’s market. The buyer has an upper hand in negotiating because they are aware that qualified buyers are in shortfall, whereas there are literally thousands of houses for sale that fit almost everyone’s budget and requirement.

No wonder a buyer will want to get their money’s worth and if  they feel they are being charged more than the value of the property, your buyer won’t hesitate in backing out of the deal entirely. And, once a buyer backs out of a deal, it is virtually impossible to interest him again without dramatically reducing the price.

Once you have a buyer back out, you have to go through the whole process of house sale all over again and there is no saying when you will find another interested and qualified buyer. Additionally, if the word get out that the house is over-priced, you will never be able to sell it anywhere close to the asking price. Only a drastic cut to the asking price will get people interested again. All of this is not in your interest, if you are looking at a quick, easy and profitable sale. That is why it is critical that you set the asking price of your house accurately.

Use the opinions of real estate professionals. Even consider getting your home inspected by a qualified home inspector so that you know the exact condition of your house and are not in for any bad surprises after you have entered negotiations. This will also help you set the price of your house correctly.

Finally, ask around to find out what houses similar to yours have been sold for in the recent past in your locality. This will also play a big role in deciding your asking price.

As you are no doubt aware, today the real estate market is essentially a buyer’s market. There are far more houses on sale than there are qualified buyers to buy them. This gives the buyers an upper hand in any deal. Also, given the number of choices and deals a buyer has, it becomes extremely important for a home seller to be able to actually close the sale once he finds an interested buyer.

If the deal doesn’t get through, there is no saying when the seller will get another opportunity actually sell the house. One of the ways to ensure that you are able to close the sale is by preparing for it beforehand. And, one of the ways of preparing beforehand is by getting your home inspected by a professional home inspector even before you put your house on the market.

There are two big advantages of doing this. One is that you will find out the accurate condition of your house as well and this will help you set an accurate price for it. Overpriced houses tend to stay on the market forever and the better you know your own house, the more reasonable your asking price will be. It will also give you the opportunity to fix the flaws of your house before interested home buyers come upon them.

The second big advantage of getting your home inspected beforehand is at the negotiation stage. If there are any unseemly surprises in store for you regarding the condition of your house, you lose even more ground when negotiating its selling price. On the other hand, if you have had a chance to fix the flaws or reduce your asking price according to the condition, it is unlikely that you will have an deal breakers popping out of the closet.

Sometimes home owners leave small repairs to lie around for months together. Repairing broken windows before you show the house to buyers is very important. A broken window is enough to give the buyer the impression that more things might be broken or will need repairing in the house.

Check every window of the house to make sure it opens and closes properly. Any creaking windows that require oiling has to be oiled. There are several products available in the market that will fix tight windows instantly. Go out and buy one of these if you need to get rid of the squeaky windows. Broken windowpanes are an absolute no-no. These have to be fixed before the house is shown to buyers.

Just as your windows are important, so are your doors. In fact, the doors are very important because it marks the entrance of every room. Your main door is the most important and it needs to be sturdy and reliable. A bad front door will give the impression of weakness to the house because it is one of the first things that a buyer will see before entering the house. Make sure every door opens and closes properly.

Creaking doors are a turn off and give the impression of a house that is not taken care of. Ger rid of your creaky doors and make them smooth and noiseless. Another important part you need to check up on is the door knobs. Polish these to give your door a new look. If the doors look drab, give them a good painting to make them shine. Also check all the locks and hatches attached to every door in the house. Everything needs to be sturdy and has to function properly.

Be thoroughly involved in all the legal proceedings and pricing issues with your agent and attorneys. Do not leave it up to them solely because their main aim is to earn profits- which need not necessarily be after due consideration of your needs and best interests. So be a hands-on seller.

Though selling by owner is common, it is most advisable to engage the services of a professional real estate agent. You may think you are saving money by not paying fees to an agent but in actual terms, you would gain much more by seeking estate counseling. Getting your house better marketed, more effective and constant communication with buyers, professionalism where conducting open house and negotiating is concerned etc. are just a few of the perks an agent can offer you.

Make sure that you do not stick around by the buyers constantly when they are checking the house. Obviously, they would have their own private notes to make and conversations to hold, so it would be intrusive and uncomfortable if you were to tag along behind them all the time. A little outline of the room should be enough on your part once you’ve taken them in that room.

Always study your buyer’s credentials and financial solvency before concreting deals. You don’t want to waste your time on unqualified buyers or get rude surprises later on!

Hallway in 1920's house

There is also a psychological impact of good lighting on potential buyers of the house. When you have adequate and proper lighting in the house, the message it sends to the buyer is that you have nothing to hide- no defects, no stains, no marks.

Too little lighting can make the buyer suspicious of what you have to hide, even if there may be nothing at all. Especially if you have spent time and effort and even money on sprucing up your house before staging it, it is important that you have good lighting to ensure that there is not even an inkling of suspicion in the mind of the buyer that you are trying to use dim lighting to cover up the flaws of the house.

This does not mean that you bathe your house in bright jarring light. There is nothing against using dim lighting in places like the bedroom, bathroom or in a cozy corner in one of the rooms to create the most enhancing effect. However, even if you want to show the room in this kind of lighting, ensure that all the lights have dimmers and that you brighten the light in all these dim places, so that visitors are allowed a view of how the place looks in bright light.

It will also do you good to let your potential home buyer to know that both options of dim and bright light are available to them, depending on their preference. This way you are not imposing your personal taste on potential buyers and that will also go a long way in impressing your buyers.

So, what are the three most important things that buyers are looking for in your house? Well, to answer that question, just ask yourself what are the basic things that anyone wants from his house. The answer is that they need to know that they can eat well, sleep well and unwind when they want to. How do you address this? Well, when these basic needs are translated to your house, it means that what potential buyers are looking for is a good kitchen, good bedrooms and good bathrooms. How these look to the potential buyer can make or break the sale prospects of your house.

There are many ways in which you can make your kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms look attractive and appealing to prospective buyers. One important thing to remember is that they should have good energy. They should feel alive and fresh and not stale and tired. Of course, to begin with, they should all be spotlessly clean and clutter-free.

As far as your kitchen it concerned, ensure that you allow as much natural light to come in as possible. A bright kitchen looks cheerful. If there isn’t much natural light, then use light fixtures cleverly to create the impression of cheer. Have the kitchen smell nice at all times. Decorate minimally with a nice table cloth and other kitchen linen.

For your bedrooms, ensure that no personal memorabilia is visible. The bedrooms should look Spartan and ready for occupation, as if in a hotel. For most people, this is highly comforting. Place fresh flowers and ensure that a good fragrance prevails in the bedroom.

Fresh flowers would also do wonders in the bathroom. You may even keep a potted plant in the bathroom, if you have the space for it. Create a spa like look in the bathroom with rolled hand towels, etc. People will find relaxing and inviting. Use light fixtures as well as mirrors well to create a sense of space.

Obviously, it is not in your best interests if you are a seller and are being forced to sell in a buyer’s market! Here are a few tips for you as well as the buyer to be happy with the transactions. First and foremost, forget the sentimental value attached to your house.  If you are in a buyer’s market, you would have to concede to the buyer’s wishes and they would definitely not opt for a high-priced house when there are so many others in the market. [..more....]