No matter how great your home looks in person, if it doesn’t stand out online, you won’t attract buyers to your front door for a closer look. While your real estate agent may offer professional photography services as part of their listing services, here are five great tips for making sure you’re getting the best possible photos of your home.
Get a good camera. This is not a job for your smartphone. Invest in or borrow a good digital camera to get the highest quality photos of your home. Make sure you also have access to proper editing software to retouch the photos as needed.
Use as much light as possible. The more light, the more open and airy the rooms in your home will look. Therefore, be sure to take photos when the most natural light is available, open all the curtains, shades and blinds, and turn on all interior lights as well. Try not to use your camera’s flash, which can bounce off mirrors and windows.
Stage each room. Before taking photos, remove all clutter and extraneous objects from each room, leaving just one or two well-placed decorative accessories for effect (i.e., a vase of fresh flowers on the dining room table or a small stack of art books on the coffee table). Also remove all personal objects and any unnecessary pieces of furniture.
Shoot from the best angle. To show off the best perspective, and get as much of the room into the shot as possible, photograph each room from a corner or doorway. When photographing the outside of your home, shoot from an angle as opposed to straight on. Try to avoid capturing unsightly objects in the photo, such as electrical wires and parked cars.
Don’t shoot in bright sunlight. Photograph the exterior of your home on a cloudy day or during twilight hours. Taking photos during bright sunlight will create awkward shadows that could obscure important characteristics of your home.
Remember, the old adage is never more true then when selling your home: a picture is worth a thousand words. Make sure your snaps do your home justice.
