Whether it is buying or selling a house, most people begin first with a cursory search online. And the pictures they see of the listed properties are very often instrumental in determining the eventual sales or purchase. With the bulk of residential properties currently listed online for sale, taking good pictures or hiring a professional to do so has become even more important for making a great first impression and ensuring a profitable sale.
As we head into late summer, it is highly recommended that if you plan to sell your home this year—whether it is your primary residence or secondary one—now is the time to get your home into ship shape to highlight its most appealing features. Here’s how you can go about doing that.
DIY or hire a professional?
If you are someone with reasonably good photography skills, you could consider taking the pictures yourself but would have to prepare in advance on how best to showcase your home. Make sure you are mindful of the lighting, camera angles, general set-up, and background to ensure the pictures bring out the best in your home.
However, viewers can generally tell if the home pictures have been taken professionally or shot by an amateur. This can potentially impact initial buyer interest. More often than not, most prospective buyers and sellers work with a licensed real estate professional, who can easily arrange for a professional to do the job. This can free you up to focus on other aspects of what can be a long-drawn-out sales or purchase process.
Existing sales data also favors engaging a professional photographer. Home listings with professional pictures sell faster and for a higher price than others.
Is staging your home for photography important?
If you want to showcase your home in its best light, it is important to prepare your home to spotlight its most attractive qualities. Start by cleaning and decluttering your home or better still remove all your personal belongings. Hire a professional stager who can add just about enough furnishings to help prospective buyers get a sense, and potential, of the living space and to imagine themselves living there.
Similarly, boost your home’s curb appeal by tidying your outdoor space, including the yard, fences, and your garden. Spruce it up with some seasonal planters and flowers, and patio furniture for the perfect outdoor shot.
What is the best time of day to take pictures?
The right lighting—both interior and exterior—is crucial for good home pictures. For inside your home, make sure that all your lighting fixtures work. Let in as much natural light as possible; ideally remove the window curtains or blinds, if possible, to ensure that the interiors are awash in natural light.
For the exteriors, just after sunrise or dusk is usually considered the best time to take pictures as the lighting is softer, allowing for more layered and vibrant shots. Homes also photograph well on cloudy days contrary to a widely held belief that a bright and sunny day might be better. On an overcast day, there is just enough light to reduce any harsh shadows cropping up in the pictures, which can be expected when shooting in bright sunlight.
Which parts of your home should you photograph?
Rather than photographing every room, nook, or cranny of your house, focus on taking pictures of the spaces that are the most inviting. That usually includes the living room, dining area(s), den, master bedroom, kitchen, and your yard or patio. If you have an outdoor pool, a covered porch or gazebo, or an attractive garden arbor, take lots of pictures of them. Make sure that all these spaces are decluttered, well-lit, and set up to maximize their appeal.
It is advisable to take multiple shots and use different angles so that you have room to work with in case a picture needs to be touched up or modified later for better visual appeal. Taking pictures at different times of the day is also a good idea because you never know for sure what light your home looks best in. Drone shots of residential properties are also in vogue as they allow you to get a birds-eye view of the neighborhood layout and the broader community.
If you need more information on photographing your home at its best or hiring a professional photographer, do get in touch with the RE/MAX Royal Team Sachdeva Realty for more information.
Have a good weekend!