You only have one chance to make a first impression and impress buyers when it comes to selling your home. In today’s high-tech world, a buyer’s first impression is almost always based on the online listing. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, over 90% of homebuyers search for their next home online.
So how can you captivate and entice a potential buyer in just a few seconds before they click to the next home? The answer is great photos! Web appeal is the new curb appeal. Work alongside an excellent real estate agent and follow these tips on staging your home for a photo shoot to ensure your home looks its very best.
Clean, clean, and CLEAN
We’re talking an overall deep clean here. Think “spring cleaning” level! The outside of your windows, baseboards, ceiling fans, you name it, every square inch of your home should be spotless. While you’re cleaning, be sure to remove any scuff marks and use touch-up paint for any marks or stains on your walls and doors. Don’t forget the backyard either. Be sure that the lawn is cut, toys are put away, leaves are raked, hedges are trimmed, and pool cleaned.
When you are finished cleaning, have a friend, neighbor, or even your realtor pop by to do an inspection. Sometimes we can overlook things in our house because we’ve become so used to them.
Declutter
If your home looks cluttered and overrun, it sends a message to the buyer that you don’t care. While this probably isn’t the case, you need to do everything in your power to ‘wow’ the buyer, including decluttering your home. When staging your home for a photo shoot, make sure you have the right amount of empty space and enough items to keep things interesting.
A small stack of design books on the coffee table looks nice, but overstuffed shelves with years of magazines, nine candles, and numerous knickknacks creates a visual nightmare. The same goes for the kitchen. Keep counters clear, but add just the right amount of flair with spices, bowls, or wine bottles. Keep in mind that groupings look best in odd numbers and at varying sizes.
Lastly, remember that less is more; including furniture. If your rooms are feeling tight and small, try removing pieces of furniture from the room and placing them in the garage or a storage unit. It will give the room a much larger, roomier feel.
Don’t Forget the Small Stuff 
When staging your home for a photo shoot, you can often overlook small, but key elements that can make or break your photos. Here are a few of our essentials to remember on the day of your photo shoot:
- Hide your wires and cords. To put it bluntly, they’re ugly! You can always plug everything back in after the photo shoot.
- Put down the toilet lid! Bathrooms are full of shot-ruining opportunities, don’t make leaving the lid up one of yours.
- If you have a fireplace, turn it on. A crackling fire adds to the overall ambiance of the room.
- If you have a pool, fountain, or any water feature, turn it on too! Once again it will add to the overall ambiance of your property.
- Avoid taking photos with the TV on in the background. It will distract from the room.
- Move vehicles out of the driveway and away from the home.
- Remember that dusk or dawn make for the best, most balanced photos. If it’s too bright, the photos may look washed out.
Always work with a professional real estate photographer and realtor for the best outcome!
Cesi Pagano
Leave a Reply