PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

Most people start their home search on the internet. With this in mind, it is important to take quality photos of your home and ensure that they are aesthetically pleasing to the buyer’s eyes. Great photos will make your listing stand out!

For this reason, I always hire a professional photographer to take beautiful photos of my clients’ homes - at no additional cost to my clients. Hiring a photographer who is an expert in the field offers a more proficient output for home photos. Before coming to the shoot, I always share several tips on how to prepare your home for professional photos so that the output will be picture-perfect.

Clean – A clean home is a must. Start with dusting and vacuuming, cleaning sinks and countertops, hiding trash cans and, most importantly, cleaning the bathroom. Afterwards, proceed with decluttering unnecessary items. A clean house is very pleasing in photos and prospective buyers can appreciate the beauty of the house even more.

Remove personal items – We want the house to feel as "homey" as possible for potential buyers, and having your personal items such as toiletries, towels, collections, and personal photographs on display won’t do the trick. Depersonalizing your home makes interested buyers imagine themselves living in the house with their own belongings and increases the chance of selling quickly.

Remove seasonal items – We take photos that are good year-round so that even if there is a change of season and the listing is still up, the photos will not be outdated.

No pets – Pets are loveable, but when it comes to taking professional photos of your home, they can cause a stir. It is best to remove pets for a few hours while doing the photo shoot. You can ask a friend or a family member to take care of your pets for a few hours, or hire a pet-sitter for a short period. Taking photos does not take long, so you will be back with your pet friend in no time.

Lights on – Lights are an essential part of all photos. It is important that we have the correct lighting in every room, hallway and space in the house. Before we arrive, I always ask my clients to double check their light bulbs and replace those that are burnt out or not working properly.

Prepare the lawn – Most potential buyers are fond of beautiful lawns. A well-kept and trimmed lawn or yard is aesthetically pleasing for photographs. Lush green grass, well-maintained plants and beautiful blooms surely add extra splendor to the exterior of your house.

No cars – Remove cars from the garage and driveway. We want to capture how beautiful the house is, and cars or any other unnecessary items within the scope of the picture will ruin an otherwise perfect shot.

Organize outdoor furniture – If you have outdoor furniture such as patio sets, umbrellas, cushions, or grills, make sure to clean them and prepare them in a way that it is pleasing to a viewer’s eyes. If you think that an outdoor item is dreadful to display, remove it from sight until the photo session is done.

The tips I have provided above will help stage your house for professional photos that will appeal to any buyer.

When you work with me to sell your property, I always provide an in-home consultation prior to the photo shoot where I personally go room-by-room to ensure that your house is looking its best and is photo-ready. In addition, I offer a unique service for my clients known as "twilight shots" - professional photos taken at dusk that bring out the true beauty of your home.

If you are thinking about selling this spring I'd love to work with you!