5 Affordable Lighting Features that Boost Home Value

When it comes to highlighting your home’s best features to increase your home value, lighting is just as crucial in home staging as it is in movie productions or live performances. Whether you’re setting the stage for real estate photography, 3D tours, or in-person viewings, illuminating your home with the right lights will enhance your listing’s appeal. 

Light fixtures not only serve as practical elements but they set the mood. The fixtures themselves, as well as the glow they produce, enhance homes’ interior design and exterior curb appeal. From accent lamps to outdoor path lights, here are some of our favorite, achievable lighting options for the interior and outside of your home.

Basic lighting feature rules for well-staged home interior and exterior design

Stay current with light fixtures that boost home value

There are some basic lighting rules to follow as you select light features to increase your home value before selling. Firstly, out-of-date lights should be replaced with modern versions, regardless of where they are inside or outside your home. Replacing out-of-fashion, older, and less functional fixtures will instantly make your home easier to sell. Certainly, aesthetics are important, but updated lights are typically safer and less costly to power. As you make those updates, replace burnt-out bulbs, loose wiring, or any deferred electrical maintenance. 

Leverage light layering features

Illuminate your home (and lighting upgrades) intelligently with light layering. This home design practice considers the light required for the tasks and activities in each area of your home. Successful light layering makes spaces more functional, cozy, and inviting at different times of the day. For instance, a kitchen may require bright, overhead lighting when meals are prepared, but perhaps more of a faint glow under cabinets or over the sink in the evenings, once dinner is over, and the kitchen is clean. 

There are usually fewer recessed and overhead fixtures in older homes and therefore require more thoughtful light layer additions. If you own an older property, use both freestanding and plug-in options or consider electrical upgrades to wire light fixtures into ceilings and walls. 

Be intentional about your light features’ bulbs

Make lighting throughout your home cohesive by using the same tones for each light layer. Overhead and main lights may require brighter bulbs with neutral tones, whereas pendant or task lighting is usually softer and warmer; homeowners or real estate photographers rarely choose a cool or blue-tinged light in the interior or exterior (though cooler-toned bulbs may flatter specific outdoor settings). Consistency is key: all the overhead lights should have the same wattage and color.

5 light features that increase home value for sellers

So what are the best lighting features to layer when you’re making pre-listing home improvements? Let’s shine a light on some of our favorite fixtures and styles for indoor and outdoor illumination.

#1: Pendant and task lighting

Pendant lighting is a chic design function and incredibly useful; you can change existing overhead lights (perhaps with the help of an electrician). Alternatively, you can set up a DIY suspended pendant light, a stylish yet easy and practical solution in rooms without overhead lighting. They come in various styles and can be integrated into any room. Another perk: they free up floor space, so they’re exceptionally functional in tight quarters.

#2: Cordless, portable lamps

Cordless lamps are awesome when you want to add more lights next to seats or in areas far away from an electrical outlet. The options are endless, and most cordless lamps are rechargeable, with LED, energy-efficient bulbs. Some are even designed for the elements and are ideal for patio or deck table lighting.

#3: Fashionable, flush-mounted fixtures

Flush mount lighting isn’t usually considered an “upgrade” because it’s generally very basic and lacks intentional design. In smaller spaces, however, simplicity is required, and these days, plenty of affordable flush mount lighting covers add style or polish to rooms, hallways, bathrooms, porches, and more. Gold is a popular flush mount finish, as are geometrically shaped options. Sleek, subtle, and budget-friendly upgrades are always a better option than the dreaded “boob light” so many of us commonly picture when we conjure images of traditional flush mount lighting.

#4: Outdoor solar lighting

Give your home’s exterior and curb appeal a glow-up with outdoor solar lighting; illuminate pathways, entryways, and garden features with pretty, energy-efficient fixtures that give your home the perfect evening ambiance. 

There are endless options that use LED bulbs and require very little to stay powered through the night. Many are affordable – even those with decorative features that cast exciting shadow patterns and add a touch of magic to your yard. We love this motion sensor, wall-mounted exterior solar light!

#5: Modern ceiling fans

The ceiling fan can make or break any room, and the right ceiling fan looks as refreshing as it feels. Upgrading from out-of-date to sleek and modern ceiling fan designs is worthwhile. Update your ceiling fans with desirable features like minimalist blades, LED bulbs, and remote control. This upgrade can be expensive but has a great return on investment for home sellers. So, understand the work and costs of buying and installing a new ceiling fan.

Illuminate your home value with Curbio

Make the whole house shine with Curbio’s pre-listing home improvement solutions. We’ll recommend the updates that add the most value to your home, from lighting and minor upgrades to complete renovations. Then, we’ll manage projects to completion. Light up your listing with Curbio!