Tips on Taking the Perfect Photos for Your Listing

With more than 90% of buyers starting their home search online, it can be safely said that listing photos can make or break a real estate sale. In selling your home, you need high-quality photos that will impress buyers enough to make them stop scrolling and compel them to explore your listing further.

It’s ideal to work with a professional real estate photographer, but with a good camera, careful preparation, and a good understanding of what makes a quality listing photo, you can take excellent pictures of your property on your own.

Keep these expert tips in mind when taking the DIY route:

1. Stage Your Home
   
   Staging your home is the best way to prepare it for photography. As stated in this article, a home that does not resonate with buyers online will likely not be on their list of properties to visit. When done well, staging can make your home look much more attractive in pictures. It helps make it easy for buyers to picture themselves living in it, and bring out the property’s best features while downplaying any problem areas.
   
   
2. Dust and Clean Everything
   
   High-definition photos can pick up even the smallest details, including dust particles and small stains on surfaces. Before taking pictures, make sure all surfaces are dust-free and spotless. Pay extra attention to light fixtures, which can easily show dust and dirt when turned on. Take note of stains that are hard to remove so you can avoid or camouflage them when taking pictures.
   
   
3. Make Sure Your Home Is Neat and Tidy
   
   One advantage of home staging is it does away with all the mess and clutter that makes a home feel lived in. Clutter can make your home unappealing and distract from the best features of the property. Before the photoshoot, make sure your home looks neat and organized. Put away toys, magazines, kitchen gadgets, and toiletries. Make sure the beds are freshly made up with clean sheets. Plump up pillows, and fold and arrange towels neatly. Always remember to put the lid down on toilet seats.
   
   
4. Choose Accessories With Care
   
   The right decors and accessories can enhance your home’s appearance, but when they’re too elaborate or call too much attention to themselves, they can distract buyers from seeing the entire room. They may also give the feeling of over-staging, which can put off some buyers. Choose subtle props or accessories that can help highlight the room’s best features, such as simple plants or flower arrangements strategically placed near a fireplace or a window with a view.
   
   
5. Make Sure the Lighting Is Right
   
   Lighting plays a crucial role in photography. When shooting indoors, natural lighting can create an inviting mood, but too much sunlight can lead to a washed out look. According to real estate photography experts, the best time to shoot home interiors is in the late afternoon or at dusk, when there’s ambient lighting coming into the house.
   
   However, each room in the house may be photographed best at different times depending on the location and the direction it faces. If a room has a great view, make sure to highlight this and show how it complements the interior.
   
   Supplement natural lighting with warm or white lights that will make the room appear bright but still leave a soft glow. If a room is not getting enough sunlight, turn on sufficient artificial lights and make sure that the effect is still inviting, with little shadowing and dark areas.
   
   
6. Choose the Best Angles
   
   Experts recommend including three walls in each picture to provide depth and a sense of space. Avoid odd angles that can distort the image and misrepresent the room. The pros say the best camera position for the perfect angle is chest high.
   
   In the same manner, be careful when using a wide-angle lens, which can make a room look disproportionately larger than it really is. This may lead to disappointment when a buyer views your property, which can cost you the sale.
   
   
7. Showcase Curb Appeal
   
   Curb appeal is very important in marketing a home, so make sure to highlight yours in your photos.
   
   When selling a home in California, you’d want to capture the area’s sunshiny weather, so it is a good idea to shoot the exterior when the sky is clear. The lighting at dusk can also help make great landscaping stand out, but you have to time the shoot perfectly and take as many pictures as you can before it gets too dark.
   
   While your lawn or garden doesn’t have to be perfect, it has to look neat and well maintained. Trim the grass, bushes, and trees, keep trash cans out of sight, and remove the clutter. You can stage your exterior by adding potted flowering plants or by setting up an inviting outdoor living area.

Sell Your Home With the Manel Sousou Team for Exceptional Results

With over thirty years of experience in the Tri-Valley and the Bay Area, we know what it takes to sell your home for top dollar fast. If you wish to learn about how to sell a house with a Realtor or if you’re ready to put your property on the market, call us today at (925) 413-4511 or send us an email at manel@sousouteam.com.

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