Staging like a pro brings out the best of the home.
Whether you are listing or renting your home, the presentation and staging of every room is vital.
In this short video from Realtor.com, the agent offers some great tips to staging a home for a real estate photo shoot.
What makes it important to present the home well?
In today’s world, people buying a home use the internet as their first choice in finding what they like. The photos online create the first impression of the home. The first impression has to be striking enough to grab the buyer’s attention. They will scroll to the next home if they are not impressed by the photos. While price is always a consideration, the first impression online is what calls a buyer to action.
Here is what one agent in Virginia says about quality photos:
A great photographer is critical to our marketing plan. They can make every property, no matter what the price range, stand out … and this makes our phones ring!
What can you do to grab the attention of online buyers and get more appointments? These may be simple but have an impact online and will get those real estate images working hard for you:
Brighter is better
Great photographers can balance the light and dark areas of any room. You can create a warm feeling for your online prospects by making the room lighter and brighter. Brighten the room by turning on all the lights. Replace burned out light bulbs so nothing looks broken. Open the curtains and blinds. Don’t worry about the window being too bright, your photographer should be trained to handle the brightness. With the blinds and curtains open, the room looks more inviting. But if they are closed it can look like you’re hiding something.
Clutter is a deal breaker
Clutter in the photos will cause an online buyer to move on to the next home. It’s a deal breaker. If your goal is to get people making appointments, then you must remove the clutter. Clutter makes rooms will look smaller, and the buyer’s first impression is that it’s not a nice home.
When browsing online, people are imagining their perfect home. The place they escape too. Their sanctuary. A cluttered home does not create a feeling of sanctuary.
What to do with furniture
The right furniture can create a feeling of welcomeness. Too little furniture can make a room feel cold. Remember, the photos online are creating the first impression of the home. You’ll want a balance of furniture with some staging so that the home is inviting. Here’s a tip from Realtor Magazine:
Spotlight the flow of your space by creating a focal point on the furthest wall from the doorway and arranging the other pieces of furniture to make a triangle shape. The focal point may be a bed in a bedroom or a China cabinet in a dining room.
A clean home is a happy home
The cleanliness of a home in photos is not the same as what the buyer sees when walking through it in person. It is important that the home be clean and tidy for the buyer when you get that appointment.
- Remove everything from the floor and clean them.
- Put small appliances away to open counter space in the kitchen
- Pet toys, dog beds, cat poles and feeding bowls should all be picked up and stored.
- Minimize bathroom items by storing them away. Add some decorative pieces so the room is not bare.
- Mirrors and windows should be cleaned without streaks. Clear windows make rooms look bigger.
Curb appeal
Seems like everyone knows about curb appeal. However, we still see the exterior of homes not taken care of. Some of the simplest things you can do for staging the exterior is trim bushes, cut the grass and edge the lawn. Patchy spots in the lawn can be fixed a month before putting the home on the market. A well-maintained lawn creates a great first impression, make it look incredible.
The sides of the home are also important. Remember to put away any tools, pots, debris and other things stored on the outside of the home.
We love our seasons
Holiday seasons are great. We celebrate by decorating our home for that warm seasonal feeling. However, for selling a home, we can run into concerns. If the home doesn’t sell before the season is over, the photos become outdated, and buyer may get the impression there is something wrong with the home. Zillow.com say this about décor:
Instead, consider ways to decorate for the season as a whole and take photos of rooms without themed décor.
In Colorado Spring your real estate photos must be the best. I hope this helps move you to better photos of your listings.
For all your Colorado Springs real estate photography, call Effective Photography – (719) 344-4041
See samples of my work here.
About the author : Jim Jones
I use my years of experience and technical knowledge to bring a calm and professional approach to photography. My goal is to produce clear and creative images that build respect and brand awareness for my clients.