Sell Your Home: The Do’s and Don’ts of Listing Photos

Sell Your Home: Listing Photos Best Practices

If you are preparing to sell your home, the key to the sale is great pictures. The key to taking excellent photos is to create a showcase for potential buyers—thinking about how the buyer will view your home. Two challenges to taking those eye-catching photos to Sell Your Home are:

  • You are not used to taking architectural photos, so it takes a little effort, and
  • You are used to seeing your home in its present state instead of seeing a buyer’s perspective

It may take some forethought to make take photos to Sell Your Home that wow people interested in buying your home, so here are both positive and negative suggestions for pictures to Sell Your Home, going room-by-room.

Prepare the exterior

+ Make sure the lawn and landscape are at their very best; mown and trimmed, flowers and bushes in bloom if possible. Do the very best with seasonal changes; if photos are taken in the fall or winter, dispose of leaves and limbs first.

+ Be mindful of the angle of the sun; morning and evening are preferable to harsh noon-time sun. Include a picture at dusk with blinds open and lights on.

– Make needed repairs and take the time needed to avoid an unkempt appearance.

– Watch for shadows that hide details and ruin composition.

The Kitchen

+ The normal schedule for your kitchen may lead to cluttered countertops, but for your photos, less is more in the kitchen! Put any countertop appliances away.

+ It is so important that the kitchen be super clean for your photos.

– Remove personal items and make sure that decorations and accessories appeal to everyone.

– Avoid poor lighting in the kitchen by using natural lighting. Determine whether you have a morning kitchen or an evening kitchen.

Common Areas

+ Living rooms and family rooms are other areas where less is better. Experiment by rearranging these spaces to open up spaces to demonstrate traffic flow.

+ If you stage any space in the home, this is a good choice. Find or borrow a few pieces of furniture and art pieces that are the right size for the space.

– We commonly accessorize these spaces to make them feel “homey;” for pictures these accessories will appear to be cluttered.

– Make sure a television in a picture is off. Watch for reflections on screens, mirrors, or large art pieces.

Dining Areas

+ Furnish for space, making it look as big as possible. Remove table leaves if they make the room look small and put them in to demonstrate spaciousness.

+ Experiment with lighting to enhance the ambiance of the space. Try natural lighting, brighter bulbs, or bulbs with lower light; see what works and have fun.

– Seasonal decorations will date your pictures. A simple centerpiece is better than a complicated full table setting.

– Remove access furniture to accentuate the size of the room. If applicable, make sure the table is centered under the light fixture.

Bedrooms

+ Potential buyers want to see bedrooms with plenty of room; we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, so the space is important. Take pictures to Sell Your Home with the bare minimum furnishings to enhance the size of the room.

+ Although most people want to sleep in a dark room, use as much natural light as possible. Experiment by taking pictures at different times during the day.

– Make sure that closets and drawers are closed. Clothing and personal items should be out of sight.

– Pay attention to details; the bed should be made and wrinkle-free and the ceiling fan free of dust.

Bathrooms

+ A well-used bathroom is the norm, but that is not what people want to see. This is another room that should be super clean and tidy, with no clutter, and no personal items.

+ Think about your composition. Small spaces are often difficult to photograph, so experiment with angles and heights.

– Make sure the toilet seat and cover are down, with no trashcans or scales.

– There is no excuse for poor lighting. Use brighter bulbs or natural light. People do not spend a lot of time in the bathroom, but we want to be comfortable while we are there.

Digital photography provides instant results, so take a picture, view it, reset, and try again. Show a potential buyer why you purchased the home for your family.

Sell Your Home: Listing Photos Best Practices

With over 5 decades of experience in the Houston real estate market, The Matthews Team is ready to help. If you have any questions, give us a call at 281-440-7900 or send us an email. We’re happy to help!

Sell Your Home: Listing Photos Best Practices