Santa Cruz Real Estate News & Information

Why would you want to bring more natural light into your Santa Cruz home? Any time you don’t need to turn on a light switch, it saves energy and money. It discourages mold and mildew. It’s cheering and feels expansive. Even if your power goes out, you can see and possibly even read by natural light. Here are some ways to do it:

• Paint it bright. You may be amazed at how much brighter a room becomes when the walls are a lighter color. Try it.

• Use mirrors. Hanging a mirror on the wall opposite a window will not only make the room seem bigger, it will bounce the light around and banish dark corners.

• Install a skylight. This is a good solution if your Santa Cruz home is wide and light from windows can’t reach the interior. 

• Install a tubular skylight. This is not your father’s skylight. This is a smaller, better insulated version that does not afford a view of the sky, but resembles a ceiling light. Tubular skylights emit a surprising amount of light for their size, due to the reflective surface of the tube that comes down from the roof, intensifying the light. They’re great for internal rooms with no windows or even for closets. Be aware that they also emit moonlight. Some people love to be in touch with the phases of the moon in their bedroom, others do not.

• Install bigger windows. If it’s time to upgrade to tighter, better insulated windows, consider making them larger on the south side of your Santa Cruz home. Windows on the south side allow more light inside in winter, while keeping sun out in summer. Keep windows on the north side small, as they do the opposite.

• Open up your floor plan. Many homes have interior walls that block sunlight from penetrating into the living area. If you can remove walls that do so, or cut openings in them, it makes the area feel much more spacious. This works especially well if you have a wall between the kitchen and dining room. Some dark hallways can be eliminated entirely.

If you’re looking for a Santa Cruz home with lots of natural light, or a fixer-upper you can work on, I can help. Call me today at 831662-6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com.

Please visit my website for more information at www.MySantaCruzRealEstate.com.