How to Prep a Home for Photos That Will Sell
5 minute read for Realtors and Home Sellers
When trying to sell a home, the importance of amazing photos can’t be overstated. They are usually the first thing a potential buyer sees. Great photographs lead to more showings, and that, in turn, leads to more offers. That’s why photos shouldn’t be an afterthought! They are the most important piece of your marketing strategy to sell a house—especially during a pandemic that keeps more and more people at home and searching online. More about Covid later.
Professional photographers like us know how to make a home look it’s very brightest, biggest, and most beautiful. Just like realtors and homeowners, we want to showcase a house in its best light. We’re all on the same team! Photographers have worked hard to hone their artistry, and that’s really what it is. Taking photos is more than just pointing and clicking; it’s an art form. With our training and experience, we can make a home absolutely stand out in the crowded market—but only when the house is ready to be photographed.
We want to take as many photos as possible to ensure that we highlight all of the amazing features that a home boasts. Because we shoot back-to-back appointments, we have to make every minute count while on location. When homeowners have their house showing-ready before we arrive, we can do just that.
Realtors can help by making sure homeowners know exactly what they need to do to prepare. Luckily, we have some tips and a handy checklist that makes it easy to get a home ready for photos and looking its best.
EXTERIORS
Buyers want their new home to be inviting, and that means the outside of the house—especially the front—is extremely important to make a good first impression. The first photo showcased is almost always the front exterior shot and can entice a potential buyer to click for more photos and info. So how do you wow with just one photo? Tidy up your exterior so that viewers aren’t distracted. Mow the lawn, clean out flower beds, and trim bushes, trees, or large plants. Hide your cars, garbage cans, hoses, and any other clutter. A well-kept yard, free of distractions, will allow the actual house to shine.
INTERIORS
Moving inside, keep up that tidying work! Less is more when it comes to staging for real estate photos. Put away toys, pet beds and bowls and litter boxes, cords, clothes, and personal photos. Again, you want no distractions for the viewer. After giving everything a good clean or dusting, especially the windows, open the curtains, pull up blinds, turn on all of the lights and shut off ceiling fans. Since we often face gloomy Pacific Northwest days when we shoot, we want as much natural light as possible to create bright, well-lit photos.
KITCHEN
Staging by Modern Luxury Stage
Because kitchens are such an important part of selling a home, pay extra attention to decluttering this space. Clear off the fridge and countertops, even your paper towel holder, toaster, and coffee maker. Hide anything unsightly like the garbage can. No distractions in the kitchen is key!
BATHROOM
Another big selling point for buyers is the bathroom. Remove anything in the shower or on the countertop, the trash can, the toilet brush, and used bath towels. After cleaning, you can leave a full roll of toilet paper and a clean hand towel.
COVID-19
Staging by Modern Luxury Stage
Incredible photographs are even more important than usual right now during Covid-19. More and more buyers’ decisions are being based on online photos, tours, and videos. Not only do you want your home to shine in photographs, but there are also precautions that need to be taken. When that comes to photography, that means that we need houses ready to shoot so that we aren’t interacting with homeowners any more than absolutely necessary. It’s important to us that everyone stays healthy!
FINAL THOUGHTS
When realtors and homeowners can plan ahead and prepare their homes to be photo-ready, we as photographers can take up less of everyone’s time by getting in and out quickly and produce stunning photographs that will highlight the home’s best features, wow buyers, and increase the likelihood of an offer within weeks versus months. Now more than ever, don’t skip out on making the home picture perfect. We gaurantee a little investment in time upfront will make a huge difference down the line.