One of the most powerful tools you have when marketing your home for sale is amazing listing photography. No matter how fabulous your home is, it won't sell if the listing photos don't do their job. Your photos should be light, bright and welcoming so that potential buyers jump in and schedule a showing. Here are some simple ways to get the most out of these incredibly important home photos.
In the listing, include only photos of your most attractive rooms. Include the description and dimensions of the other rooms in the home, but you aren't doing yourself any favors by including bad photos or poorly staged rooms. Lure potential buyers in with lovely spaces; don't show them anything that might keep them from scheduling a showing. Hire a Professional to Stage Your Home
Your photos should focus on the architecture of the house rather than the decor. The shot taken of this living room captures both the architecture (the paneled fireplace and the bookcases) and the view from the large windows. The sailboat above the mantel draws buyers' eyes to the focal point of the room — the fireplace. If I were staging this room for real estate photography, the only thing I might add here would be some pillows in on-trend colors and patterns to make the conversation area more welcoming.
Taking photos from the far corners of rooms and low to the ground gets more flooring into the photo. The more flooring you see, the larger the room will appear. Removing all rugs from a space adds square footage — at least in a buyer's mind. Unbroken floor space makes any room appear larger, and square footage is king.
Take photos at a time of day when you have the best natural light in the most important rooms of the house, such as the living room, the kitchen and the master bedroom. Make sure you open every window covering and even doors to let more light in. Don't use a flash if you don't have to — it will distort colors and appear harsh.
Although most interior photos in magazines are shot with the lights off, it is usually best to turn on all lights for listing photos. That means every overhead, pot light and lamp in the room. Those spots of light draw your eye to every corner of the space, so that a buyer may linger a bit longer on the photo. Get Picture-Perfect Lighting
Light a fire in the fireplace to create a sense of intimacy and hominess. See how light is streaming in from the left side of the room? As I mentioned earlier, make sure you open all the windows and doors to let in light so a cozy room like this doesn't appear dark. For a listing photo, I'd also remove the rug to make the room appear larger. Consider taking a few unconventional photos rather than just the old shoot-from-the-entry standards. Open the French doors, throw open a window or move the chairs out from the table to create a photo that entices and captures the imagination of a would-be buyer.
It's pretty standard to take a photo from the front door into the entry, right? But try taking a shot of the entry from the interior toward the front door and open the door, as in this photo. It's much more interesting and may be a better vantage point. Bring Your Pictures to Life With These Extra Tips
The post was written by Kristie Barnett, Houzz and posted by RealBird with permission
Leave a Reply