My neighbor recently had her house staged for selling purposes. The stager (sp) didn't like the brass ceiling fans she had. So she spray painted them with a rubbed bronze spray paint. It looks pretty good and she didn't have shell out the money for new light fixtures (she did ceiling fans and a couple of brass lamps). It may be worth a try if you decide to replace.

I'm a Realtor and can honestly say sometimes it's the smallest of changes that have the biggest impact. In a market like we have now, small changes is all you want to do. Stick to changes that you can enjoy if you decide to stay. Changing a light fixture is a great inexpensive change that can make a lot of difference.

Let me clarify mustangsh, I HATE this light fixture, LOL. If I take it down to paint it, it *might* break! ;)

Guess I s/b asking for suggestions on what to replace it with, since we would be leaving it here. Nothing too expensive, universally appealing.

Good call on the spray paint, I will use it on the brass ceiling fan, antique bronze would be perfect! Maybe...

lukkiirish~I didn't see your post, thanks for the encouragement. I will be updating this light fixture.

What are the biggest impact "small changes" in your opinion?

I had the same fixture and painted it antique bronze. I don't have pictures but the realtor said people commented on the nice lighting fixtures and fan which I had also painted and stained the blades.

You might want to look at your kitchen and bathroom faucets also to see if they need updating.

What would you do?

One option would be to take it down, tape it off, and spray paint it a bronze color, then put it back up. No more shiny brass. Cost, about $3?

So, the brass finish needs to be changed. But the fixture itself is okay? That's really the question I'm asking.

It would seem to depend on what your dining room is like. If it is casual, then the fixture would be fine if it is in good condition. If the dining room is the type that a Schonbek crystal chandelier would feel at home in, then you might consider changing it. Or something in between. Do you have any pictures of your home to show here?

The brass finish is probably a larger issue than the actual fixture.
You could maybe paint it, but you also might want to look on Craigslist or at a Habitat For Humanity store for somebody's "Take-Off" chandelier. We have sold a bunch of light fixtures on CL that we replaced not because we hated them but because we already had some location-specific fixtures that we brought with us to our new home.
In my experience Bright Brass seems to really convey a "dated" feeling, at least in our market (Triangle NC). People compare homes that are 5 to 10 years old to new construction, and they really tune in to the finishes that builders are using most recently as being the must-haves.

We're in the same boat....10 yr old home, needing to sell soon. What to spend money on--updating--or not, etc....

trk65--what general area in the Triangle do you live? That's where we're moving to (from central IL). It'll be a big change for us, and I'm trying to look forward to it. Hubby will be working in RTP.

Tracey

trk~We're moving (back) to NC too, someday, we're practically neighbors already! :)

I'll post the only photo I have, here I was asking about WT. I can't remember why the loveseat & bookcase were in here, but I'll rent DR furniture for staging if I have to (still looking). I've decided to re-use curtains that came with the house when we go to sell, which is plain white muslin panels on each window. If we were staying, I would do a red & white toile. As you can see, I was also trying different hardware on the built-in china cabinet. This house is 100+ years old, so I have no idea what fixture to use, only that this is not it! Thanks for all the help you guys.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I think that once you knock off the bright brass, the fixture won't stand out so much. It's a nice room.

Thanks liz. :)

I'm in the same boat, planning to put the house for sale in Spring. I replaced most of my fixtures. My house was full of brass from the 80's. Replaced the dining room fixture with a nice updated one. Did the same in the kitchen and bathrooms. Replaced the bathroom faucets but did spray paint one shower head because I didn't want to take a chance of damaging the tile. The spray paint worked. It looks like brushed stainless and works perfectly (still use it every day).

I feel the market is so bad that I need to update as much as possible without 'breaking the bank.'

Here's my question to the realtor. How many of the people looking to buy a house are even aware that shiny brass has gone out of style? From the looks of all the houses I walk into that are for sale they're not even aware that the 70s have passed us by. How come when sellers become buyers all of sudden they know what's in fashion regarding interiors?

I second Habitat for Humanity.
When we were selling our home, I wanted to take my DR chandelier with me.
To replace my chandelier ,I found a 5 light chandelier for $15 at habitat. I sprayed it a deep bronze and added shades.
I had about $30 total in it.

FFlower...I agree! When we were house hunting, every home in our price point was so 'typical'. We weren't in a low price point, either. It did seem to me that the homes that matched the trends of today were overpriced, and THOSE are the ones that have dropped in price to be comparable to ours was when we bought it.

I'm in a similar boat here in New England- about to put our 1950 Cape on the market which has a variety of dated fixtures and a friend who is helping me stage is encouraging me to update them but DH doesnt think its worth it.
So we are doing the no cost fix-ups first and then Im going to see what our broker says before we list. Im hoping for some tough love from her to convince DH. So far my staging pal helped me update some softgoods and she edited out most of my wall art and decorative items.
Wish I could post before and after photos but house was broken into and camera and computer (with our photos) were stolen. not having a good week here in snowy new england...

I think staging makes your house stand out from all the dated ones. I think it make it sell faster. If a shopper thinks they can move right in without a lot of updating, they will choose that house above the one which needs a lot of updating. I know I would.

gwent ((hugs))!! That is awful, I have been through a break-in, and know how violated you feel, on top of losing your valuables.

My other fixtures are passable, except maybe the ceiling fan in the LR, it has multiple glass shades and I've always thought it would have more presence with a new light kit that has a single bowl. We have exposed wooden beams on the ceiling, so a more masculine look would be more complementary IMO.

Brass doesn't bother me, we have a brass and silver glass door frame on the FP. In fact, we have brass doorknobs throughout the house, all PO's doing. I'm not going to change them!

I do hate my DR light fixture, the brass clashes with the antique hinges and hardware on the windows and built-in. Plus I think it's too small and informal for a formal DR. You've convinced me to change it.

Flyingflower: In response your question to the Realtor, I can't say how many are or aren't "aware" that brass is out of style. What I can say is that depending on where you live, there could be as many as 40 homes or more listed within .5 mile radius that are ALL comparable to yours and priced to sell. I HAVE sellers with that problem. A buyer may not know what is or isn't in style but most tend to gravitate to the cleanest, most updated home they can find for their money and like to have as much of the work already done so the house is essentially "move in ready".

Prairiegirls5, I apologize, I didn't see your quesiton until now. Like I said in my first response, it's the little things that can make a big difference. Yes definately, changing a light fixture is an inexpensive way to give a fresh feel to a home as well as fresh paint in neutral colors, and clean trim. Small things a lot of people never think to do and are FREE are to clean their windows & window treatments or even the entry. Updating window treatments is another inexpensive way to update a room, or even changing out some old picture frames for new ones. In this market though, you don't want to go overboard, you just want your home to be clean, fresh and uncluttered more than anything.

I don't know where you're located, but in the area that I'm in, we have lots of 50's bungalows, 2 story colornials and ranch homes that are older builds. No one is going to expect them to be perfect inside, but it's the clean, well kept home that definately sells before one that's not.

If you have doubts about how it will fare once it's listed, now when you're in the process of preparation is the best time to call your Realtor and ask what buyers specifically in your area are looking for. I'd actually call more than one, so you'll get a variety of ideas.

I hope that's some help, good luck! -- Lukki

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