Preparing Your Home for Photos
A good quality photo of the front of a home makes a lasting impression. Buyers use them to narrow down the properties they would absolutely not want to see from those that they can’t wait to see and that saves you time, which let’s face it, your time is money. Home buyers want to see more than the front of the house. They want to see the properties best features and if poor photos or a poor visual tour doesn’t convey how beautiful the home you’re selling is, they will most likely move on to the next one.
Step 1. Un-Clutter This is the first and most important part of the process. It can also be the most difficult. It is recommended to remove most if not all family photos. Remove excess magazines, movies, remotes, coasters, knick knacks & other items from entertainment centers & tables. You don’t need to leave shelves bare, but you do need to organize what remains. A few picture frames and books, nice artwork, plants would be acceptable to leave for staging purposes. This will open up the buyers imagination to what they can do with the space. You want to create the look of functional space without it looking cluttered or awkwardly bare. Also, it is important to note that the less clutter the camera sees, the higher quality the images will look once they are online. Clutter distracts the eye from the size and beauty of your home.
Step 2. Fix-Up You don’t want buyers thinking about what they will have to fix or replace upon entering your home for the first time. Replace all light bulbs along with broken or missing fixtures such as outlet covers, switch plates, etc. Inspect every room in your home to ensure that it looks great.
Step 3. Vacuum, Sweep, Mop & Clean A little dust usually doesn’t show up in photos. However, having a nice shiny surface makes your photos crisp and sharp. This also helps tremendously when showing in person. If a home buyer sees two identical homes and one is particularly clean….that person is much more likely to keep in mind the home that is obviously more cared for by the current owners.
Step 4. Outside Don’t forget about the outside! A freshly mowed lawn, trimmed hedges & a clean driveway makes your home more inviting and adds great curb appeal. Remove trash cans from view, Sweep the sidewalk, driveway and porch. Consider planting flowers & adding fresh mulch or watering the mulch the day that pictures will be taken.
Written by: Jason Collins Against the Grain Photography 210-725-0596