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If you’re thinking of putting your house on the market or are simply looking to increase its curb appeal, one improvement worth considering is adding exterior lighting.

It takes just a few accentuating fixtures to raise a home’s value and desirability. If you’re looking for specific tips, we compiled some of the betters ones we have found online below — we think these ideas for installing outdoor illumination will make a bright impact on your home.

1. Outdoor Lighting Trends Can Add Value to Home
(link:http://www.4029tv.com/Outdoor-lighting-trends-can-add-value-to-home/4702932#!bk3Zr9)
Source: KHBS/KHOG TV – Arkansas

Exterior lighting comes in many shapes and sizes, and this article provides a rundown of your options, from recessed lighting to post caps to lanterns and beyond. Consider solar landscaping lighting, for example. It’s environmentally friendly and best of all, doesn’t require multiple trenches to be dug across your property because it’s wireless.
Solar lighting is portable and requires no additional infrastructure because each light has its own photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell absorbs sunlight during the day, which it stores in a battery. At night, the light draws power from the battery. You can install solar landscape lighting yourself.

2. Simple Outdoor Lighting Techniques to Increase the Value of Your Home
Source: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Austin
(http://outdoorlightingaustin.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/does-outdoor-landscape-lighting-increase-home-value/)

There’s little doubt that exterior lighting can add to the value of a home. But it takes more than simply installing a light post at the end of the driveway. Most realtors agree that adding light to outdoor space not only ups the value of the property but creates the perception that the overall square footage of the home is greater because you’ve extended the livable space.

In a scenario where a potential buyer might drive through your neighborhood at night, complementary outdoor lighting allows them to better assess the property.
You can’t really see the other landscaping features at night, but look how the lighting makes that house stands out on its own. Now ask yourself – do prospective buyers do this before purchasing? In today’s market, you bet.
Exterior lighting is a great way to furbish your landscape. But how much of a return can you expect on your investment?
The consensus is that a properly landscaped yard does in fact increase the value of a home somewhere between 15 and 20 percent. Just like investing in a kitchen remodel and expecting a certain return, a total landscape remodel that includes a well-designed and implemented outdoor lighting plan, is well worth the investment when it comes time to sell that home.
Read the full article here.

If you live in the Washington-Baltimore area and want to discuss options for home outdoor lighting or need an estimate, call Hawkins Electric at 1-877-927-0900 — or click here to contact Hawkins online.