Why Sunlight Sells Homes

The science of serotonin and home viewings

While exciting, viewing a property can be hugely stressful for those looking for a new home whether they are prospective buyers or tenants. There’s endless scouring of the market, viewings to undertake and big decisions to be made. As a seller or landlord, you’ll want to minimise the stress and improve the mood of your prospective buyers or tenants when they come to view your property. One way is to literally bring a little (or rather a lot) of light into their lives.  Let’s find out why sunlight sells homes.

Sound crazy? It’s not. Exposure to sunlight has a direct impact on the increased production of serotonin, often referred to as the ‘happy hormone’. It boosts mood and energy, reviving those tired house hunters.

Sunlight also helps to regulate sleep by controlling our circadian rhythms. These tell us when to wake up and when to sleep and so have a direct impact on how well-rested we feel. Getting a daily dose of sunlight also helps prevent us from reaching for the vitamin supplements.  Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, deficiencies in which can cause low mood, fatigue and muscle pain.

It makes sense, therefore, that by taking action to maximise exposure to sunlight on a viewing, prospective buyers or tenants are more likely to walk away feeling happy and contented. Providing the rest of the property meets their needs, that could boost your chances of a sale or a letting. Here are a few ways to help.

Maximise light exposure into your home

Firstly, concentrate on maximising the amount of light filtering into your property. Open curtains wide, perhaps replacing heavy winter drapes with lighter summer options. Opening doors and windows will also boost the sunlight that can enter.

Check that you don’t have furniture or other objects blocking natural light sources and move them if they are. Positioning a desk or sofa near a window – rather than blocking it – allows your prospective buyers or tenants to visualise themselves working or relaxing while basking in the sun. Creative use of mirrors can also help you to bounce natural light around rooms, further illuminating the good points of your home.

Ensure windows are clean and smear-free

You’ll want to maximise the quality of light into your property by ensuring that windows are sparkling clean. A smeary, dirty window won’t impress anyway – since it hints at uncleanliness in the rest of the property – but it will also impact the light that can enter. Make sure windows are gleaming inside and out or get a professional to clean them for you.

Take viewings outside

If it’s a glorious day then guide buyers outside early on in their viewing, boosting their serotonin levels further. Even just ten minutes of exposure to sunlight is enough to boost mood – which gives you just about enough time to explain how your outside space works. You may want to cut back trees and shrubs that could block the amount of light getting into your garden or house beforehand.

Time viewings around the best natural light

You’ll also want to time viewings around the best natural light, which is usually in the morning or early afternoon. If there’s a particular time and room which is accentuated by natural light – such as the spectacle of a beautifully-lit dining space, for example – then try to incorporate this.

Have you experienced a ‘light-bulb’ moment, when sunlight, or lack of sunlight, has influenced your decision on a home?

For more info about what we can offer, please get in touch with us today. You can also get a free, instant online valuation of your home, to give you an idea of how much your property is worth, by clicking here.