Why is Light So Important in Real Estate?
Why is Light So Important In Real Estate?
Light is one of the most important factors in real estate.
It can be the difference between a dark, dreary and depressing room and one with lots of light and warmth. It can also make or break a sale.
Every time we wrap around to the winter months where people start to talk about seasonal affective disorder, people bring up the importance of sunlight and its health benefits. The thing is that light in general, not just natural daylight, affects our health in more ways than one throughout the year, and not just in the cold half of the year.
If we were moles that spend all our time underground, then the real estate market would be very different. Houses that allow for better lighting and more sunlight into the living space are sought after for a reason.
Some people even have preferences for the direction they want their biggest windows to face. "South-facing windows", "kitchen facing west," or "large windows perfect to catch the light as the sun rises" are common things you will see in listings on every real estate website.
Light, be it artificial light or natural light, works against making a home feel gloomy. A dark house is the perfect setting for horror movies or a drama series but no one wants Sunday morning light to filter through slits of glass posing as windows. Well-lit homes help elevate the mood of the people that live in them and it can help with sleep cycles, lets you absorb vitamins and more.
It's often what first attracts potential buyers to a house.
Who wouldn't want to wake up to natural light and watch the world go by outside their window? It's an inviting prospect and can be one of the selling points of a home. Light has only become increasingly important in recent years for people looking for new houses. More natural light means more natural health benefits for your body as it needs vitamin D, and your mind to combat the effects of the burden of our modern lives.
Sunny days give a home a happier feel for the buyers. More open space helps the light reach into the rooms to spread its beneficial effects.
It's also a good way to optimize energy efficiency, the orientation of your house can mean that people will naturally spend more time in the eastern section of the house in the morning and in the western section towards sunset because people are naturally attracted to sunlight. This means you don't need to turn the lights on quite as soon compared to having a house with smaller windows.
Bright areas in a new house will also make potential homeowners feel like the house is cleaner. It's much easier to hide floating dust in a darker environment than a bright one illuminating everything.
What are the different types of light sources?
Natural light.
Natural light is important for a variety of reasons. It boosts serotonin production, the chemical that allows you to be calm, composed, and positive. There's a chemical reason why being in the sun just 'feels' good. There are other benefits like the health of your eyes and your bones, on top of even healing some skin conditions.
It's always nice to wake up to a bright new day and buildings and houses that allow for sunlight to fill the house help with this. Open plan living spaces can serve as a way to get more natural light through in homes where there is less separation between the inside and outside of a building.
Artificial light.
The sun, thankfully, sets at night, thankfully because if it didn't we would only be able to live on a very narrow strip of civilization in perpetual twilight. But even that civilization would use artificial lights from time to time.
Artificial light is a staple of modern life. It's what helps you not bump into furniture once the sun has set. Of course, everyone is familiar with turning the lights on at night but this type of lighting is also very important in a home.
Different people like different types of lighting at night, some will like lamps with warm light while others will prefer bright lights illuminating rooms like its daytime. Different types of light work for different interior spaces. The important thing is to find the right balance.
Task-oriented lighting.
On the other hand, having lighting built around a task is also very important. An office or a kitchen requires different types of light compared to a living room. In an office, you need bright light to see what you're doing but not so much that it becomes uncomfortable. You'll also want that type of illumination around your work area so that you don't have to strain your eyes.
In the kitchen, it's important to have a balance of light. Too much light will create too many shadows and make it difficult to see what you're cooking. But too little light will create an unsafe environment as you'll be unable to see where you're going. You'll also want to have task lighting near the stove and oven to help with cooking.
The best homes will have a mix of all kinds of lighting because they make the life of their occupants better. Both in physical and mental capacity.
How do you ensure that you have enough natural light in your home?
One way is to have larger windows in your home. This will allow more light to enter the house and help brighten up the space. You can also make use of skylights to bring natural light into the home. It might involve some remodelling but it will be worth it in the end. Not to mention that if you want to sell the house eventually, these renovations will pump up the price.
Another way is to use light colours for the paint on the walls and ceilings. Light colours will reflect more light and make the space feel brighter. You can also use mirrors to reflect light into spaces that don't have a lot of windows. Just make sure that lighting at night is not too intense. To help your family keep their circadian rhythms in check, softer lights with more warmth and less brightness can do wonders.
There is no perfect solution for every home that works both in the summer months and the dead of winter, but it's worth checking out what you can do in your house to give each light its time to shine. You can create spaces where specific types of light are more important than offers and buy the right bulbs or use the right fixtures.
What about sunlamps?
All of this is well and good but if you're not in the market for a whole new home, what can you do?
Aside from renovations or moving furniture around, it might be a good idea to looking the benefits of CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) that mimic the natural light of the sun. They can help alleviate the harshness that other lightbulbs create.
But if you're looking for something to give you the benefits of sunlight in the winter without having to relocate closer to the equator, a sunlamp could help too.
Keep in mind that these are medical devices and should be used according to their instructions. Sunlamps emit some of the same type of light that the sun does, making it a great way to boost your mood or deal with the other issues described above that natural light can help with. It is mostly used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and though it is not a replacement for the myriad of uses for natural light, it's was still worth mentioning here. It bears repeating, these are not meant to replace normal lighting lamps or to be left on for a long amount of time.
Conclusion
Extra natural light will make your home seem brighter and more welcoming to visitors. This is especially true for kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms or any other room that has a lot of traffic during the day.
And if you can't afford expensive renovations or don’t have enough space in your current place? You might want to look into using CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). These mimic sunlight better than typical bulbs do which means they're great at alleviating harsh lighting conditions.
When dealing with artificial lights in task-oriented rooms like an office, for example, brighter lights positioned correctly will be incredibly helpful.
If you're looking for a new home, don't underestimate the impact of light on the house and its effects on your family. Be sure to look at homes with plenty of windows and natural lighting!
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