Selling a home can be a stress process and preparing your home for the photoshoot can leave you exhausted and overwhelmed. It’s not uncommon for sellers to be rushing at the last moment trying to organize their homes in the best manner for photos and videos.
Photos and videos of your home are extremely important as they are the first introduction a buyer will have of your home online. Bad photos and pics of houses that are clutter and in disrepair will cause buyers to overlook your home.
Real estate photographers and videographers will showcase your homes best attributes, manipulate light and space to make your home looks as spacious and inviting as possible. But photographers can’t make a room look uncluttered. To benefit most from the photos in marketing follow this checklist of tips to ensure your home is bright, clean and picture perfect.
Tip 1 Prepare and Clean Kitchen
Remove everything from your kitchen countertops except maybe for a few decorations. It’s best to remove coffee makers, blenders, toasters and other small appliances and store in cabinets. This makes the kitchen feel uncluttered. Clean all surfaces in your kitchen such as the sink, backsplashes, appliances, and cupboards. Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink or dishtowels on oven door.
Remove all magnets and clutter from fridge. Your personal information, contacts, phone numbers and schedules should be safe guarded, so place them in another location for the photo shoot.
Tip 2 Prepare and Clean Bathroom
Your bathroom should shine and be sparkly clean and uncluttered. Scrub your sink, tub, shower. Regrout your bathroom tiles if required. New caulking around tub and shower also gives the bathroom a fresh and clean feel.
The best way to present your bathroom is to clear the countertops of all personal items and place them in a cabinets or linen closet. Same goes for the shower, clearing out all shampoos and body washes, sponges, and shavers. Place these items in a bin in your bathroom cabinet.
Remove excess towels and bathrobes from bathroom. Decorate with new towels or guest towels to give the bathroom a welcoming spa effect.
Tip 3 Prepare and Clean bedrooms
Remove all personal photos and pictures. This helps to depersonalize the space for the buyers. Some buyers are easily distracted by personal items making it difficult for them to imagine themselves living in this space.
If you want your bedrooms to photograph with magazine worthy photos be sure to make those beds correctly. Make sure the bedspreads are wrinkle free and pillows are plump and straight. New bedding will produce a crisp new and inviting feel like a freshly cleaned hotel room.
Ensure all dressers and nightstands are free of clutter. Remove all books, magazines, electronics, and personal items. Keep the surface clean and clear except for lamps and maybe one decorative item.
Step 4 Turn on all the lights in the house
Turn on all lights in the house for the photographer’s appointment Lighting is one of the most important aspects of photography. It’s essential to have as much light as possible. If there are dark areas in the homes, add a few lamps and floor lamps. Replace Burned Out Light Bulbs.
Tip 5 Tidy Up the Yard & Landscaping
The first picture that people will see of your home will be the outside front yard shot. Curb appeal shows pride of ownership to prospective buyers. Present the exterior in its very best condition to grab the buyer’s attention.
Trim back any landscaping and tidy the gardens. If you do not have gardens, the addition of a few well-placed planters with flowers will do the trick. Flowers and decorative items provide a colorful and inviting space.
Place all gardening supplies and lawnmowers in garage or shed. Remove toys, pet items and garbage cans as these items can be distracting in real estate photos. Arrange a table and chairs on your patio or deck to provide an inviting space for your photographer to highlight for backyard photos.
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