If you’re selling a home, some of your most important assets are going to be the photos you take of your property. If you’re listing the home on an online platform or showcasing it with the help of a real estate agent, photos are going to form the first impressions of your prospective buyers. People will get excited about your home or instantly pass on it, depending on what they see—regardless of how attractive your home is under usual circumstances.
There are a few useful strategies you can employ when taking and managing photos in anticipation of a home sale.
Hire a Professional
You may have a decent camera and some experience shooting photographs, but it’s usually
Stage the Home as Neutrally as Possible
In anticipation of your photo session, try to stage your home as naturally and neutrally as possible. You likely have lots of personal affects, including artwork on the walls, personal items, and shelves stocked with your favorite books and movies. However, in the interest of appealing to the widest possible range of demographics, it’s best to remove these features and stick to a “basic” version of your home. You may also want to work to arrange the furniture to show off the best aspects of your rooms.
Add a Few Decorative Items
That said, you can make your photos pop by adding a few, well-placed decorative items. For example, you could install a
Frame the Photos to Maximize Perception of Space
Next, make sure you’re taking photos in a way that maximizes the subjective perception of space. For example, it’s usually better to take a photo of a room in the doorway, giving you the widest possible angle of the room’s contents. It’s also wise to take a knee, and snap some photos closer to ground level; it can make the room seem bigger, and show off the room from a unique angle.
Take Photos With the Right Lighting
Lighting can make or break your home’s photos, so
Take Some Close-Ups
While many of your shots will be from a distance, there’s an advantage in taking a few closeups. For example, you might take a close-up photo of a unique mantle, or of the new cabinetry in the kitchen. When these shots are mixed into your wider room shots, it can really make the personality of your home come alive.
Always Take More Than You Need
This is a general rule in photography, but always take
Don’t Be Afraid to Touch Things Up
Finally, don’t hesitate to jump into a photo editor and touch things up. Tweaking the lighting, smoothing over a blemish that you plan to repair, or removing something unsightly can make any image instantly better. Just make sure you don’t doctor the photos so intensely that they unfairly represent your property.
With the right photos, your home is going to attract much more positive attention—and hopefully, sell for a higher price. You may need to experiment a bit, relying on multiple photography sessions and a rotating roster of photos, but eventually you’ll land on a lineup that shows the best possible side of your home.
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