1. Declutter and set the stage
Just as you wouldn’t want houseguests or friends to see your home in disarray, you definitely don’t want potential buyers to know what brand of cereal you buy or to spot an old stack of newspapers. This is where staging comes in. Apply some time on the particulars: Organize bookshelves, reorganize desks, and get rid of rugs or decorative furniture that will block the view in your photos. Place yourself in the area where you plan on snapping the pic…… What do you see that distracts you? Remove it to get the finest shots.
2. Arrange images to tell a story
When buyers come across your online listing, you have only a few seconds to capture their attention — randomly arranged photos can be confusing. Organize your photos like a virtual tour of your home. First, welcome them through the front door and around the first floor before proceeding to other parts of the home. This will help the buyer get a better sense of the layout of the house. Sometimes less is more. Listing photos are an invitation to a potential home for the customer. Don’t make the mistake when trying to completely sell it online. A useful idea is also, to post pictures of garage, gazebo, pergola and additional amenities to the house story.
3. Focus on choice parts of your listing
While you may love the three freshly painted bathrooms, make sure to photograph the spaces you think will catch a potential buyer’s interest — and leave out the rest. For instance, if you have an amazing spa bathroom, use an image of that to put viewers in a relaxed mindset, as opposed to overwhelming them with multiple shots of similar spaces.
4. Don’t take unrealistic photos
Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to listing photos. “I like the photos to be accurately representative of the house, so people come and they either see exactly what they thought they’d see or they comment that the house looks better in life than it does in the photos,” says Sheri a RE agent in Los Angeles, CA. Save experimental new lenses for your next art project, and be sure to shoot rooms from the corner as opposed to straight on.
5. Show off architectural details
Now is the time to really brag about the crown molding, coffered ceiling, and large bay window you’ve always loved about your home. Potential buyers are drawn in by interesting architectural details that add to the value of the property (not to mention the home’s character), so show them off in the listing photos!
6. Take aerial photos
Really want to make a great impression? Show off your home and acreage from above. Try drone photography!!! The ‘wow’ factor alone is usually worth the cost.
7. Let in natural light
Selling a home is about creating a feeling for potential buyers, and nothing says this more than bright, happy images. Natural sunlight can have a tremendous impact on the presence of the property, One of the best things about natural sunlight is that it’s free! Dark and gray light can produce very dull photos that won’t draw people into your property. With that in mind, try to schedule picture taking on sunny days, which will highlight your home.