7 Lighting Tips to Keep Your Flip from Flopping

Per a recent Wall Street Journal article, the house flipping trend is back on the upswing with rising home prices. It’s a sellers’ market again, so - with all the would-be house flippers in mind - the pros at LampsUSA.com have brainstormed a list of all things lighting to consider when flipping a house. In other words, don’t let your lighting be a flop!

Before you can put some lighting in place, you need to have a flip-worthy home. According to Investopedia, there are five key mistakes people make when dabbling into flipping for the first time. Basically, they underestimate the time, money, skill, knowledge, and patience it takes to flip a home and make money doing it. If you’re sure this is your route, or if you’re looking to stage your home for sale, then here are the tips you need to consider when lighting your flip.

1. Quality Matters!

Sure, you can buy cheap, big box lighting fixtures that look OK, but they are so commoditized and so average in construction that you'll miss an opportunity to add perceived value through lighting.

This isn't a plea for you to break the bank, but more of a consideration to find something non-generic. Something that evokes the emotions that make sales happen.

Also, house flippers who use cheap lighting become known among regional realtors who have their clients’ best interest in mind when buying a home.

2. Less isn’t more

This isn’t one of those times where having less will mean having more. Minimal lighting will not save enough money to make it worth it. In fact, many realtors point to ‘cheap measures’ such as this as factoring into choosing one house over another.

This means layer your lighting.

Many homes have only overhead lighting in many rooms. Overhead lighting is a great primary source of light, but without task lighting, your eyes will become strained when doing a litany of things.

Without accent lighting, you won’t create the warm, at home feeling that can push people into buying mode.

3. Include wall sconces

Wall sconce lighting is about as classy as it gets. It’s also surprisingly affordable. You can elevate the look of any space with some beautifully simple and stunning wall mounted fixtures that bounce a nice soft light that creates an unmistakable charm.

Designer’s tip: Rather than a harsh, contrast-heavy central light fixture above the bathroom mirror, opt for the even lighting of dual sconces on each side. This high-end look won't cost much more but will leave a lasting impression synonymous with an upscale bathroom.

See also: Wall Lighting

4. Dimmers are smart

Set the mood when you’re showing your home. Get the right balance of lighting for the time of day.

Life is busy, and, thus a lot of showings happen in the evening when the light changes drastically in the span of 30 minutes. 

Also, having a dimmer in place is a great selling point as most people don’t know how to install them.

5. Here’s the part where we talk up LED

Yes, every blog post about lighting anymore will eventually hit the LED spectrum. For good reason, though, as LED technology has created mass upheaval in lighting design.

You can go about as big as you want here to make a huge splash that will stick out in the minds of any would-be buyer, but you can also opt for LED bulbs and other less expensive, yet impactful, uses of LED lighting throughout your home. 

Designer’s Tip: Don’t consider LED lights under your cabinets, mandate them! This is a must for any good kitchen lighting design, and will automatically modernize your kitchen.

6. Edison Bulbs

Edison bulbs are cool as heck (literally with a lower heat output than traditional bulbs), can be made to look good with multiple styles, and they can be super affordable. For a mere $200, you can turn a midcentury farmhouse kitchen into a vintage esc space that beckons back to a time when America made heavy duty things from metal and iron.

Designer's Tip: If you have a setting that's rustic, industrial era or certain types of revival, these bulbs might be the perfect pendants to hang over your kitchen counter. In fact, there are various fixtures that are intended for that exact purpose.

See Also: Get the Look: Industrial Era Bulbs

7. Stage the Scene

If you're staging a vacant house, use big lamps to help cozy up the feel.

If you’re using older lamps, consider a brand-new shade. If it’s an older home, don’t make the negative aspects of age abundantly obvious.

Follow the three sources rule of thumb. Layer and mix your lighting up to fill in shadows by having three sources of light in a room. In other words, have an accent lamp, overhead lighting, and wall light or floor lamp.