Real estate appraisers don't have a box "recessed lighting: add $500 to value". They make a rough assessment of the interior of your house (poor, fair, good, excellent) to adjust the value of your property relative to comparable, recently sold properties in your neighborhood / condo building.

I doubt anyone ever bought one house instead of another because one had or lacked recessed lighting - however a poor installation of any type of lighting will certainly detract from your home's appeal when it comes time to resell.

While you'll never get 100% or more of the cost to install recessed lighting back when it comes time to resell, you'll get even less of a percentage back if you do a cheaper installation such as track lighting.

I have recessed fixtures throughout my entire condo. I like the look but find the replacement annoying - both physically hard to change but also very expensive bulbs ($4-$8 each).

my fixtures are high quality commercial. If i were to design a building myself, i'd have recessed fixtures but use something easier to change and cheaper.

I agree with 'bklndsgn'. having worked in a real estate office for a number of years, I haven't seen a single person that has chosen one property over another due to recessed lighting...

nor have i seen a property that has appraised at a higher value.

most homeowners that we had that listed the homes, in the initial listing meeting, they stated they were expensive to maintain.

plus you have to remember that recessed lighting is more expensive to 'cover-up' for a new buyer than say, a normal light fixture.

if anything, i would go with some modern track lighting options, as these can be removed and covered up more easily.

I think recessed lighting looks horrible, and would choose a home without it over one with it. aprilheartsaaron is right about the "cover-up".

If all things were equal among properties, you bet your @ss I would go with recessed lighting.

I am flabbergasted that anyone would say otherwise. The comments above are shocking to me. Modern track lighitng over recessed??? No!!!!

Consider the fact that they will probably compromise any soundproofing between your unit and the one above yours.

I wouldn't put in recessed lighting for resale value - I would put it in because you need light. And if you need light, presumably a future owner would too, so that would seem to be a step in the right direction. Some people have a hang-up about any type of overhead lighting - recessed or not. I've just never understood it. I like to be able to see. But, with that in mind, you might keep recessed lighting in places where everyone wants light: kitchen, bathroom, and a hallway (which rarely has room for other lighting options.) The tricky thing is placing recessed lighting in rooms where the furniture layout might change - like a living room. Having a row of recessed lights up against a bookshelf area might make more sense then out in the middle of the room where you have your furniture, but where someone else might want a different layout.

my solar installer pals hate them because they are are more expensive to use-- most of the light goes into the recess, so you need more fixtures to get the same amount of illumination. also, the bulbs burn out faster because they run hotter in the enclosed area.

i had them in my last house and loved the way it looked.

Another thought - Depending on your building's construction, you may not even be able to install recessed lighting at all...

In many a concrete and steel highrise - if one were to decide to install recessed lighting, the ceiling would actually have to be lowered to do so as the ceiling may actually be the underside of the concrete slab floor of the unit above.

good point mattab. I never thought about that. Sound travels through any open space so punching holes in the ceiling and partially covering them will partially let sound through.

As far as the practicality of installing recessed lighting goes, I think it's up to you. Are you going to do it yourself, hire someone? Could be pretty tedious and messy cutting the drywall and fishing the wire. I have to wonder why the place wasn't built with recessed lighting in the first place? Did you ask? There might be a reason for it.

Also, if you want recessed lighting you should get it! Who cares about resale value. It's certainly not going to drop your resale.

If you're going to go through the hassle of putting the lighting up I would kill two birds with one stone and also install ceiling speakers have them running to your hi-fi system. Do you have a cooking island? Does it have a ventilation hood? If you're going to be up there...

"Most of the light goes into the recess?" Seriously?? I think you are not using the right kind of bulbs.

"You need more fixtures to get the same amount of illumination"... as what? Car headlights???

And most recessed lighting should be on dimmers, and used dimmed, which actually extends bulb life, and runs them cooler.

Recessed lighting is only PART of a lighting plan.

Recessed lighting, in a larger room, should ring the edges of it, assuming the center of the room will be illuminated by lamps.

And seriously, y'all would rather have a center overhead fixture than recessed? Seriously?? Are you all thinking of the ugly, dated, gaping-hole recessed lighting?

I think there is nothing sexier than recessed halogen lighting. Well, the soccer players on the cover of Vanity Fair. But recessed lighting comes in second.

Thank you so much for asking this. I just settled on a condo today and was wondering the same thing.

We're in the process of updating our existing recessed lighting to LED lights. The bulbs are ridiculously expensive but last up to 20 years. Only 8 watts! Something to look into.

Clearly, recessed lighting matters to you. If it's going to make your life better and make you, go for it and don't worry if it will add value.

I love recessed lighting. You can get the can lights in large (6 inches) or small (4 inches), and you can get lamps ("bulbs") in standard, halogen, and CF varieties. This kind of lighting gives a nice overall illumination and I really think every room needs to have a light fixture (even if it's a table lamp) that is operated by a switch at the entry: so for some spaces this is it.

We have recessed lighting in our kitchen, living room, and hallways. I'm not sure I'd choose recessed for bedrooms where a more luxurious fixture might be desired (or, in our case, lighted ceiling fans to reduce the need for AC.) And the dining room would need to be pretty large to require it if you also had a chandelier of some kind.

I wish we'd installed a light over our breakfast table, in a hall space next to the kitchen. Never realized how dark that spot would be in the evening or rainy days! Might still do it, though...

There are fluorescent bulbs that can go into recessed lights to decrease costs. Also if the ceiling is tall there is a contraption you can buy to change the bulbs. They are no harder to change then any other type of light attached to the ceiling, and they are easier then some. We like them, as they add enough light to the room without having to buy lamps and side tables, so if you like less furniture it's a good way to go.

I have recessed lighting in my dining/family room area. I really like it and think it looks expensive (probably because it was, although a previous owner put it in so I can't say for sure what it cost). It's all on dimmer switches so that is nice, too. Having said that, I don't use it much because I am afraid of having to change the bulbs in the high, angled ceilings. It's mostly for show when people come over.

Recessed lighting is as much decor as is paint color. En vogue diameters and finishes change frequently, and aren't considered architectural or functional enhancements. Do it because you love the look and have a plan to change the bulbs, not because you think you'll get your money back.

"Well, the soccer players on the cover of Vanity Fair."

Patrick -
You haven't seen the cover of the May Architectural Digest, have you?
;-)

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/features/2010/05/gerard_butler_article

I don't know why questions about "what does it do to the resale?" value align in my head with "buy disposable furniture."

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but does anyone plan to buy a place, live there a long time, improve it over the years as you can afford to and focus on enjoying it?

I realize that folks need to buy "starter" homes and work up, but there's never a question of balancing re-sale implications with quality of life.

I think I actually did buy my apartment because if the recessed lighting! I should actually be fair and say that the overall lighting scheme is what really sold me on this place. I probably was willing to pay a little more because I felt like a lot of work had been done for me with the installation of recessed lighting and sconces in the living room and bedroom. It's true, they do look "expensive." The glitter of the faceted halogen bulbs is really sexy.

I see recessed lighting as a trend. It will come and go with other trends. Personally, I don't care for the look, but (currently, anyway) plenty of people do. So I say put it in if you want it, but it should be about what you want, not about what you think a hypothetical future owner will want.

If i had to choose between a place that has it and one doesn't, I'd pick the one that does have ( which our place doesn't). But I also like bright rooms.

I don't really think it matters. It is just personal taste. I seriously doubt it wouldby itself provide a good ROI (like, say, updating a kitchen or bathroom would) if that is the intent.

Buyers are expecting a lot these days -- hardwood, granite countertops, stainless appliances, etc. Recessed lighting is definitely not even on that level. It's more along the lines of having freshly painted walls... most people probably don't even notice it but it does make a good impression.

My loft had recessed lighting when I moved in. Although I wasn't really a fan of that look before, it makes a lot of sense in an open layout. Otherwise, you need a LOT of ceiling fixtures, sconces, or lamps all in the same room -- and for us non-designers, that can be a challenge to pull off.

I personally hate recessed lighting and given the choice of similar places, one with and one without recessed lighting, I would definitely choose the one without. Especially as it's a big job to uninstall recessed lighting without being left with big holes in your ceiling.

But as is clear from the comments here it is a matter of taste. If you love them then get them for yourself, not resale.

@Taureg, I think (and I could be wrong) that most people leave their homes not simply because they want to buy up but because they must change jobs or relocate to another city. As a side effect, they buy up. ;) Many people no longer have long careers with one employer. :\

I personally LOVE everything about recessed lighting- particularly the part about them being recessed. I think they are about how you live, not about what you can resell them for, but I'd certainly pick a house with over one without. So when I decided on a 1987 townhouse with the usual brass entryway light, one ceiling fan in the kitchen, and an overhead light in the GUEST ROOM and basement rec room, I was so nonplussed. I, too, am a woman who likes to see, and believe you should light a candle for "ambiance". Otherwise, I want to walk in a room, flip a switch, and be able to see what the heck is going on. I changed out all of the dated overhead fixtures and promptly added a chandelier to the master bedroom, but it still wasn't enough. I couldn't believe my luck a year later when I met my current boyfriend- an ELECTRICIAN! Now I have recessed light AND ceiling fans with lights in the kitchen and living room, and recessed lights in the basement hallway. The lights in the fans are low voltage, and the recessed lights are on dimmers. I love the flexibility- but I really love the assurance that I can always see what's going on around me.

I think that recessed lighting has become passe', but you should certainly do what you like in your home. I, too, have never understood making home improvement decisions based on potential impact on re-sale, but to each his own.

I was at Lowe's recently looking for pendant lights for my kitchen and noticed that they have kits that allow you (or an electrician -- I didn't notice how involved they were, just that they existed) to convert a recessed light fixture to a hanging pendant.

So if you want the recessed lights and worry about others not liking them, maybe you can throw in some pendant kits with the condo for prospective buyers.

LED recessed lighting.
12 watts of power, kids.
You want an ROI? Invest in quality energy-saving lighting solutions and i'll betcha you'll be able to increase your resale.

just saying.

basically, every single new construction house i have seen has recessed lighting in the not luxury but still upper middle class level of housing. i won't talk prices because I live in Vancouver and housing prices don't make sense here. My thinking is that recessed lighting won't increase the value of your condo but any future buyers may say something to themselves along the lines of "well I really like this condo but it's missing stuff that the other 10 similar condos we saw today. They all have recessed lighting but this one doesn't" In fact, it may be extremely noticeable if the floorplans of condos in your building are the exact same on each floor because if another similar (or exact same)condo in your building is selling and they have the extras...people will notice. Like some other posters, I suggest putting them in places kitchens and high traffic, mood lighting not necessary areas.

However, when I lived in a then brand new condo (now 3 years old), it had recessed lighting and very expensive to replace lightbulbs. In fact, the specific light bulbs used in the recessed lights could only be found in two stores in Toronto and one didn't even have them in stock. The building had a facebook group and there was even a discussion on the light bulb issues. It was basically a big pain and very annoying. So make sure you choose lights wisely if you have a choice.

I'll second the idea of recessed lighting for any area where it would be hard to place floor lamps or table lamps and you need light. We have it in the kitchen, and it's nice.

I will say this, since you are doing new construction, you might ask for over head lighting boxes for any room that has an occupied floor. Basically, it gives your the suppport and wiring for an over head light, like a ceiling fan or chandelier. We just bought a new house, and we wish we had done this in the whole first floor.