The importance of light when selling in the winter months
By Team Tepilo | 17th December 2015
During the winter months the number of daylight hours are drastically reduced, which can make things difficult when it comes to showing off your home in its best light. Of course, viewings can still be carried out when the light fades, but buyers might not be so eager to view homes when it’s cold and dark outside.
As such, sellers will want to make the absolute most of the daylight hours that are available to them. Given the mildness of this year’s winter, sellers should find it easier than normal to get people to view their property in these traditionally colder and gloomier months.
Sellers should be scientific in their approach, showing off the rooms that receive the most direct sunlight and pushing the virtues of these rooms at a time when daylight is at a premium. Gardens might not be used so frequently in winter, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored or neglected, quite the opposite. Buyers will want to see a garden that is in good condition – for one, gardens can be given a unique beauty by the harsher conditions of winter; secondly, they’ll want to visualise how they can use the garden when the weather starts to get warmer again.
Generally speaking, people prefer morning light in the bedrooms, helping them to wake naturally from sleep. By contrast, afternoon and evening light is most desired in the kitchen and living room, as this is where people tend to socialise and entertain. If your property offers this, tell prospective buyers about it. It could be a major selling point.
Windows, of course, play a vital role in flooding natural light into your home. Larger windows, as you would expect, let in plenty of light. Smaller windows are unlikely to bring in as much light as you might require. In some cases, this is not such a bad thing. Rooms that want to give off a warm, cosy vibe might not need as much light as others.
However, light and airy rooms will have significant appeal to many, particularly because they are so versatile. They can work equally well in winter, summer, spring and autumn. Big rooms with high ceilings will allow you to achieve a lighter and airier atmosphere, because of the extra natural light that can be flooded in. By contrast, smaller rooms with low ceilings will give off a more intimate ambience.
As usual, it will come down to the demographic you are targeting your property towards to determine how you make use of the light in your home. There will be things that are out of your control, too – the weather, for one; surrounding trees, buildings and hedges which could shield light from entering your home for another – but if you are able to get viewings conducted when the conditions are ideal then your chances of selling are likely to go up.
As we mentioned, people tend to prefer viewing homes when it is light outside. This is more difficult when there aren’t as many daylight hours, but not impossible. With a bit of planning and innovation, your home can be shown off at its best even when the weather outside might not be.
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