How to Prepare Your Home for Real Estate Photos and Why It Matters

Real estate photography ensures it looks its best and draws more buyers in. Before the photographer arrives, some steps must be taken to prepare your house properly. Here is a simple guide that outlines these tasks so they're completed before photo shoot day!

Photography Tips
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4
 Min read
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July 21, 2024

First impressions matter when selling a home. Real estate photography ensures it looks its best and draws more buyers in. Before the photographer arrives, some steps must be taken to prepare your house properly. Here is a simple guide that outlines these tasks so they're completed before photo shoot day!

Clean and Declutter

The first step in properly preparing your home for photos is cleaning and decluttering. This involves more than simply tidying up. Your goal should be for it to appear pristine and organized.

Dust and vacuum every room. Wipe down all surfaces, such as countertops, tables, and shelves, before putting items such as family photos, toys, and trinkets away for good.

Organize closets and cabinets as potential buyers may investigate them. A clean home appears more spacious and welcoming in photos, thus enabling buyers to focus on its features instead of being overwhelmed by clutter.

Focus on Key Features

Reflect upon what sets your home apart—perhaps its stunning fireplace, expansive backyard, or modern kitchen—and ensure these key components stand out prominently in photos.

 Furniture should be placed to draw the eye towards these areas. Add fresh flowers or fruit bowls in the kitchen, turn on lights, open curtains, and switch them on for additional lighting, making your home more desirable to buyers. Emphasizing its positive features could make your home more desirable to buyers.

Depersonalize Your Space

Prospective buyers want to imagine living in your real estate photos, but this can be difficult when your items are everywhere. Depersonalizing your space could help buyers visualize themselves living there.

 Depersonalizing helps create an ideal setting where buyers can envision filling it up with their belongings. Take down family photos and personal artwork. Pack away personalized items like monogrammed towels or custom signs. Depersonalization creates an appealing blank slate where potential buyers can envision filling their belongings.

Enhance Curb Appeal

Your curb appeal is essential—prospective homebuyers often first encounter your house through its exterior. So take steps to make sure its appearance matches that of its interior!

●     Mow the lawn and trim bushes

●     Clean windows and doors

●     Sweep the porch

●     Tidy the yard

●     Add a welcome mat or potted plants at the entrance—an attractive exterior will draw buyers further in, creating a positive first impression that sets a positive tone throughout all photos of the home for sale.

Staging Each Room

Staging involves placing furniture and decor to enhance a room's visual aesthetics. Following these simple tips, you can doit without hiring professional stagers!

 Keep it simple when staging. It is best to utilize neutral hues that appeal to many buyers while creating focal points in each room—an inviting reading nook or dining space.

 Before staging, make sure all rooms in your home serve a purpose. For instance, if an extra space serves no other function, turn it into an office or guest bedroom to show potential buyers how they could utilize each area. Staging helps potential buyers understand precisely how each space in their potential home could benefit them and their finances.

Why Prep Matters

You might wonder why all this preparation is necessary. The answer lies within photography: better photos attract more buyers. Since most buyers now begin their searches online, what pictures they see could ultimately determine whether or not they visit in person.

 Good photos make an important first impression about your home and highlight all its best features, helping it outshine its competition and stand out.

 Spending extra time prepping your home for photos could increase interest, showings, and faster sales at a better price.

Final Tips

Communicate clearly and openly with your photographer about any specific areas or concerns you want highlighted or any changes that must occur when scheduling photos in natural lighting conditions.Be prepared to adjust when planning for the best results.

 Before posting online, ensure the photos accurately portray your home.

 By following these tips, you can ensure your home looks its absolute best in photos and is appealing to prospective buyers.Remember, taking steps like these before listing it can result in faster sales at a higher price! Good luck selling!

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