Staging your home for viewings is an important part of selling a home.
But before you do this, you also need to stage it for photos.
In the blog below, we’ve outlined how you can do this well.
The importance of photos when selling homes
When you are advertising your property, photo of it are the first thing potential buyers see.
This is essential since they have not yet visited your house in-person.
Make sure that your photos are an accurate representation of the property. This guarantees that you don’t attract time wasters in your viewings.
For example, using angles to make your house seem larger may seem useful. But people may be disappointed when they see it in-person.
(Most home sellers attach a floor plan for this reason.)
Your photos must show the best of your property, but without misleading. All unique and attractive features should be visible.
There should be a variety of rooms and angles included. This gives viewers on the open market a full understanding of your house.
When photos are not needed for selling
Selling your house through an estate agent is not the only option available to you. If you opt for a different route, you might not need photos at all.
When you sell to a cash buying company. They will arrange for someone to visit your house in-person and make a judgement on its value.
At an auction house bidders will arrange to visit your house in-person before bidding day.
In both these instances, photos might not be needed.
Photographers argue that not all parts of your property must be included. Hallways and staircases are two common examples.
These are not the most attractive spaces. And they aren’t as important for buyers compared to bedrooms and bathrooms.
Expert photographers
Part of an estate agent’s service is paying a photographer to visit and take pictures.
These will be sent to you for you to choose your favourite ones.
Once you decide, these appear in your printed brochure and online property platforms.
Online estate agencies let you take control of aspects of the selling process. Photography is a common example. Modern day phone cameras are often good enough.
The same applies if you sell your house by yourself, without an estate agent. You may want to take the photographs yourself, as part of your cost-cutting.
However, only do this if you are confident and experienced at it!
If you have a friend who does photography as a hobby, you could pay them a small fee to take the pictures.
This can be a win-win, as your friend gets money out of the job, and you can reduce your costs.
How to prepare your house before photos
To prepare your property, first tidy and clean it. Discarded clothes or unwashed plates should not be anywhere.
These first impressions last for potential buyers.
Clean the windows, and sweep the floor. Cut the grass in your garden and focus on the kerb appeal of your property.
If paint is fading on the front door, or a gutter has fallen down at the front of the house, this should be addressed.
You can take this opportunity to cut away weeds from your front or back garden. And if you have any of the following lying in the garden, clear it away:
- Toys
- Garden tools
- Hosepipes.
Or more!
According to the homeowner’s alliance, kerb appeal was a big factor in 68% of homeowners’ house choice.
Photos of your house should utilise natural light as much as possible.
Ensure that blinds are up, curtains are open, and windows are clean. A professional photographer will know how to use this to your advantage.
Bathrooms
Bathroom surfaces are notorious for showing every little mark. Clean them in advance of photos.
Scrub your toilet and shower, and remove items from the shelves or cistern.
Try to reduce the number of items in your bathroom in other ways, too.
If there are cleaning products on the side of your bath or shower, put them in a box and store them away. Only have one towel hanging in the bathroom, rather than several different ones.
Keep the toilet lid down and mop the floor.
You may want to remove shower curtain if it is dirty, broken, or clashing with the colour scheme.
Kitchens
Like with your bathroom: the less clutter in your kitchen that’s on show, the better.
Hide unneeded appliances, especially if they are old or discoloured. Shut cupboards and drawers and keep every surface clean.
Move bins out of shot when taking your photos, and clear the sink so there are no dishes or cutlery left in there.
If you have a fruit bowl, you should top it up with fresh fruit, or at least hide old or rotten ones. The colours make a difference.
If your kitchen has natural lighting, then take advantage of it. Clear all the worktops and make sure you sweep the floor.
Bedrooms
No matter how many bedrooms are in the house, they should be kept clean and tidy.
Remove items from bedside tables, such as beauty products, and put these away in cupboards.
Make your bed so it is clean, and select a duvet cover that is attractive and matches the room’s colour scheme.
Clean any mirrors and surfaces, including sweeping the floor. You should use stain remover to clean your carpet if necessary.
Any clothes should be hung up and tucked away into your wardrobe or drawers.
Living rooms
Arrange your furniture so it shows off the space in the best possible way. You can always move things back after the photos.
Remove large items from coffee tables and limit the number of items on display. Close your draws and cupboards and clean your television and floor. Keep the natural light by opening curtains and blinds.
