When selling your home, it is important to remember that most potential buyers will get their first impression of you property on the internet. With that said, representing your property in the best way possible is absolutely essential to your success as a seller. There is no greater tool available to sellers than high quality photos of their home. A skilled photographer is the key, but making sure that your home is in pristine condition before the photo shoot is half the battle! Real Living Karapasha Realty’s friends over at Next Listing have put together a list of tips regarding ways to maximize the effectiveness of your property photos. Let’s examine some of their suggestions so that you are more than prepared for photo day!
For All Areas
There are some things that you can do to all of the areas of your home to make sure they are perfectly photogenic. These tips apply to any room that you desired to have photographed.
- Make sure your home is thoroughly cleaned.
- Turn on ALL of your lights.
- Make sure all of your blinds/window treatments are open.
- Turn off ceiling fans as well as any screens (TV, computer, etc.) that are in the room.
- Reduce any clutter to the best of your ability.
Front Exterior
The phrase “curb appeal” is a big one in the world of real estate! The front of your home can either make or break a potential buyer’s interest in your property. To make sure that your home’s beautiful front exterior translates well in photos you will want to be sure to keep the tips below in mind.
- Close garage doors.
- Remove cars from driveway and front of home.
- Make sure things like toys, balls, goals, water hoses, etc. are not in sight.
- Mow, trim shrubs, clear leaves, and anything else to clean up your landscaping.
- Remove any empty planters you may have out.
Kitchen
A clean looking kitchen goes a long way in catching the interest of any potential buyers. Making sure that your kitchen comes across as sparkling in photos is very important.
- Clear your counters completely.
- Remove any magnets, photos, or other personal items from your refrigerator.
- Leave out a max of one small appliance.
- Hide any garbage cans that you may have out.
- Put away any stray dishes.
Family/Living/Game Room
Communal rooms tend to be where families spend most of their time together when at home. Conveying this space as somewhere perfect for time spent with family and friends will keep your property in the front of buyers’ minds!
- Remove visible electronics/remote controls.
- Fluff and arrange photos.
- Dust and polish the tops of furniture.
- Evenly space furniture to the best of your ability.
- If need be, refer to professional stager.
Bedrooms
One’s bedroom is their sanctuary. As a seller, you want the photos of your bedrooms to give potential buyers a feeling of comfort and warmth. A buyer should be able to visualize themselves making the bedrooms their own!
- Make beds, including decorative pillows/shams when available.
- Press bed linens and bed skirts.
- Clear nightstands of all personal items.
- Remove any family photos you don’t want on the internet.
- Clean underneath the beds.
Bathrooms
An untidy bathroom can be a major deterrent to a buyer’s interest in your property. Whipping the bathrooms in your house into immaculate condition before the photos will pay off in a major way once your property is listed.
- Clear counters of soap, medication, toothbrushes, etc.
- Put all toilet seats down.
- Remove shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs.
- Only leave out clean/unused towels and make sure they are property hung.
- Remove floor mats from view.
Backyard
Different buyers look for different things when it comes to their desired backyard, but largely they are looking for a space that is perfect for unwinding with family and friends. Maximizing the things that make your backyard unique will truly make it seem like one of a kind!
- Clean porch and tidy up any outdoor furniture.
- If your pillows/cushions are faded put out some fresh ones.
- Remove any toy items from pools.
- Keep pool vacuum and cleaning supplies out of sight.
- Turn on pool fountains and water features.
Following the tips above will put you on solid ground when it comes time to list your property. Houston is an expansive market, but sellers with appealing photos of their home are sure to stand out. Jumping on any advantage you can provide yourself when going on the market will put you ahead of the pack. If you keep the importance of great photos in the front of your mind then you will be beyond ready to hit the ground running when you decide to sell!