In a recent study, photographers advise home sellers to “clean your house.”
If you’re looking to sell your home, it’s important to spruce up the place before putting it on the market. But what items should you put in a potential buyer’s mind while they walk through your house? When looking for inspiration, photographers often turn to their own work as an example of what they want their buyers to know they can expect while they consider purchasing a home.
Luckily, you are in Real Estate Heaven. Find out how to make your real estate photography stand out in this video by increasing your chances of getting more offers.
The main worries photographers have while dealing with sellers are revealed by HomeJab, a real estate photography and video service, in a recent study of 100 vendors.
95 percent of photographers said they wished home sellers would clean up their place before a photo shoot, according to the “Rants & Raves” survey. Not removing huge, standalone things like bikes, hoses, and children’s toys was the second-highest rated issue, as expressed by 86% of respondents. Following that, the house needed to be cleaned generally, lightbulbs needed to be changed, and roads and outdoor paths needed to be cleaned.
In order to facilitate the search, hiring, and production of images, videos, and 3D tours, HomeJab acts as a bridge between real estate agents and visual specialists. Various types of advanced editing are available for purchase by users.
HomeJab recently entered the marketing data space by using the activity of its nationwide network of real estate and photography creatives as a source to gain a better understanding of the sector.
HomeJab and Restb.ai, a provider of picture metadata, teamed up in June to compile a list of the most prominent highlights and any content that is intentionally left out of listings. The most successful staging strategies were examined in January.
The issues brought up won’t likely come as a surprise to many, but it’s important for agents to be reminded of them so they can remind their sellers until multiple listing services across the nation stop publishing pictures of bedrooms with clothes on the floor, kitchens with pots in the sink, and backyards with broken sheds.
HomeJab founder and CEO Joe Jesuele said in a statement that while the majority of sellers are cooperative—67 percent, according to his survey—far too many continue to be unwilling to heed listing agents’ recommendations.
Despite the fact that “evidence consistently demonstrates that professional real estate photography helps sell homes more quickly and for more money,” Jesuele stated.
Naturally, the results of HomeJab’s poll show that sellers may greatly simplify the task of a photographer by reducing the number of complaints that are referred to as “rants.”
One suggestion a seller can make to make their tasks simpler was asked of the respondents. According to the notification, there were a variety of answers.
While real estate photographers require sellers to keep out of the way of their shoots, some argue that sellers should leave while the session is taking place, according to HomeJab. However, other photographers want them to be in earshot so they can get permission before making any small alterations to improve a picture.
Sellers, through their agents, should ask vendors what they can do to ease and speed up picture shoots, such as restraining pets, relocating cars, and allowing access to the entire house, even if specific rooms won’t be included in the final product.
If you’re selling your house, taking attractive images for your house listing will be the most crucial part of promoting your property to potential buyers. Great images showcase your home’s best features and entice prospective buyers to come in for viewings, which result in offers. Those photographs you upload online with your listing are especially crucial because more and more individuals are purchasing houses without ever seeing them. A really keen buyer may even base their offer solely on those photos.
Real estate agent Patsy Rios Franzi of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Universal says, “I’ve had many individuals buy without walking into a property, and a lot of it is based on those tours and photographs online.
Spend time capturing high-quality images of your home’s best characteristics and your property if you intend to list it on your own so that the listing pops. These pointers from real estate professionals and photographers can help you take the best images on your own (if you’re working with a real estate agent, they’ll probably help arrange this for you).
Here are 4 Tips for Taking Beautiful Real Estate Photos to Make Your Home and Listing Shine
- Prep Your Home
Good house staging is the first step in preparing your property for stunning selling photographs; you don’t want high-quality photos to be destroyed by an untidy environment.
According to Rios Franzi, “Eight out of ten purchasers look online first, so having those fantastic photographs online is a tremendous, huge issue.” “That’s why you should get it ready before someone takes pictures of the property.”
By taking out personal items and clearing all surfaces of clutter, you may stage your own home. According to Rios Franzi, this entails getting rid of personal photos, fridge magnets, and trinkets. Clear the counters in the kitchen, as well as any side tables, consoles, and workstations. Consider keeping some items in a particularly congested space to give the impression that it is larger.
The Columbus, Ohio-based real estate photographer Lyuda Dehlendorf advises her clients to keep their bedrooms organized by putting their shoes and clothes in closets and making their beds. Remove the rugs from the house to reveal the flooring, fluff the pillows on the couch in the living room, and think about adding some decorative elements.
Dehlendorf advises bringing in fresh flowers and fruits to the kitchen to make it appear welcoming and fresh. And use your potted plants if you have them instead of leaving any empty planters about.
If you’re not sure about your styling choices, don’t go overboard with staging.
“If you’re questioning your decorating skills, just minimize the decoration,” Dehlendorf says. “If you have a side table, for example, make sure there are not more than three items on that side table.”
Make sure your house is tidy even though it may appear ordered. Pay close attention to reflective surfaces including mirrors, windows, and appliances as well as other surfaces.
When we brush our teeth, little toothpaste droplets land on the mirror. Sometimes we don’t even notice or see them, but when I take a picture and flash it, you can see all the smudges and everything, explains Dehlendorf.
Additionally, dust the furnishings.
The need for cleanliness cannot be emphasized enough, according to Dehlendorf. “It’s not a large investment to spend $200 or $250 to hire a professional cleaner to come to your property.”
Make sure your television and computer are turned off before taking your photos. Also shut off the overhead ceiling fans to prevent them from appearing to be moving in pictures. Remove your toothbrushes and everything from your vanity, but put your toilet seats down and your shower curtains aside so you can see the fittings in the bathroom. Place your vehicles elsewhere so that photos can be taken with an empty driveway and garage. Outdoor garbage cans and recycling bins should be hidden for the time being.
Finally, conceal any signs of children or animals. Clean up the backyard, hide any toys, and tuck Fido’s food and water dishes. Even if it is obvious that the rest of the room is being used as a nursery, do the same with children’s toys and get rid of things like your diaper pail.
- Work the Angles
Your home should look its utmost finest in the images. In light of this, you should be careful to play with angles and utilize other standard photographic techniques to make your area stand out. You might notice that some of the lines become twisted if you’re utilizing the wide angle lens option that is now included on the majority of smartphones, according to Dehlendorf.
Make sure that the verticals, such as the walls, are truly vertical and that they aren’t leaning or falling in any direction, advises the woman.
Avoid this by taking shots far away from any furniture or other room-containing objects. For instance, if you’re in a dining area, avoid standing too close to the table because the legs can appear at an awkward angle. According to Dehlendorf, one approach to avoid this is by snapping pictures of a room from a threshold or doorway.
She adds that it is also helpful to view each picture frame as a scenic, lovely snapshot. Get an overall impression of the space rather than concentrating on individual pieces, such a couch or chair.
Instead of concentrating on the furnishings, she advises, “focus on the size of the room, how the house is laid up, and the floorplan.”
Take pictures at eye level or above in rooms that are larger. Take pictures in or below eye level when photographing small spaces.
The same applies to restrooms; you must descend at a certain inclination to prevent distortion of low objects, explains Dehlendorf.
With a focus on important areas like the kitchen, main bathroom, and living room, Dehlendorf advises taking at least two shots of each room. Include a picture of any unique features your house may have, such as an unusual staircase.
The same goes for images of unattractive rooms; this is especially true if one of your home’s four bedrooms is used for storage. Don’t be scared to skip them.
You don’t need to snap pictures of all the trash, according to Dehlendorf. Everybody is aware that a bedroom consists of four walls and a closet.
- Discover the Best Lighting
Another important element in taking good images is lighting. Verify that each of your bulbs is in working order to guarantee that yours has excellent lighting. To get the lighting in each room to be the same temperature, Dehlendorf advises changing the bulbs. Consider altering one or the other so that they are all the same color if your bathroom has warm vanity lights but a cool fluorescent ceiling light. In order to make the rooms appear spacious and welcoming, open all blinds and drapes.
Don’t use the windows as a backdrop when taking pictures.
Dehlendorf advises using a different perspective while shooting away from the window, perhaps at a corner. “It’s going to be challenging to shoot against a bright window because of the contrast between the darkness of the room and the brightness of the window,” he adds.
Dehlendorf prefers to capture outdoor pictures on cloudy days since the shadows on the house and lawn are reduced by doing so, however sunny days still work well. If she happens to shoot on a wet day, she can edit the photos to eliminate the rain, but not every home seller will be skilled in that area.
Speaking about editing, avoid over-editing images if you have any. Dehlendorf will occasionally remove smudges from windows or mirrors and boost an image’s brightness, but going beyond cosmetic repairs when you’re analyzing and editing your images won’t benefit you in the long run. If you remove damage from a wall, for instance, it will still be visible during an inspection or showing, making potential buyers suspicious about other things your images might be concealing.
Recently, when I took pictures of a property, the rear had electricity lines, recalls Dehlendorf. “They don’t look nice, but removing them would be misleading because people would still come and be disappointed to see them.”
- Consider Hiring a Pro
Even if you believe your listing images are perfect, it may be time to think about hiring a professional if you find that you aren’t receiving many showings. It might not be as expensive as you think: Dehlendorf’s prices for full listing images, for instance, start at $150, and, as with most things related to selling a property, you’ll recoup your costs quickly with the right lighting and tools, such wide-angle lenses and drones for aerial shots.
Regarding typical rates for residential photography, Rios Franzi reveals, “The other day it was $275, but I’ve seen it for as little as $100.”
Rios Franzi and Dehlendorf concur that it is still cost-effective even though most real estate agents will pay for it. If yours doesn’t, though, you should still get it.
The goal here, according to Dehlendorf, is to eventually help you receive a better price for your property.
Pay attention to the staging and photography suggestions of your agent, if you are utilizing one. They’re usually right if they recommend decorating changes for your home or think hiring an expert photographer is the best course of action. Selecting this path initially will ultimately save you time and effort.
According to Dehlendorf, a new set of eyes is always beneficial.
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