Photos are one of the most useful tools for selling your home. They allow buyers to peek inside it from anywhere — their couch, their office or on the bus while they are commuting to work. It’s like having an open house without opening your house.
Because photos provide buyers with their first impressions of a home, sellers shouldn’t overlook this crucial marketing tool. It’s worth noting:
- 84 percent of home buyers said they wouldn’t even consider a property that didn’t have listing photos, according to Trulia.
- 87 percent of home buyers relied on photos to help make their decision, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Professionally photographed homes sell 32 percent faster than other listings, according to VHT, a real estate photography company.
- Professionally photographed homes command a 47 percent higher asking price per square foot, according to Redfin.
Here are some tips for helping create high-impact photos of your house:
- Clear all surfaces of clutter. Two or three objects are fine if they are deliberate.
- Clean mirrors, floors and surfaces.
- Furniture should be sized for the space. Oversize pieces can make rooms look cramped.
- Furniture should be in keeping with the architectural style of the home.
- Balance the furniture and the décor.
- Create a color scheme to make the space pleasing to the viewer.
Clever staging calls for setting a stylish table, so the viewer feels invited into the space and can imagine having dinner in the room.
- Create a better flow by removing furniture.
- Open blinds to allow natural light to fill the space. Bright, inviting photos work best. The brighter the room, the larger it will appear.
- Too much contrast can be distracting. The more colors and objects, the more contrast the room will have. But low contrast can seem muted or boring. The key is to have the right amount of contrast. Place a few framed pieces of art on the walls and try to stick to a single color scheme.
- Two-dimensional design principles play a role in photographing a home. The composition needs to be balanced to captivate buyers.
- Don’t forget to stage the exterior. Mow the lawn, rake leaves, tend gardens, clean the pool. Add extra props — table settings on an outdoor table or towels by the pool.
*Courtesy of the Washington Post
