Professional Photography is key to attracting the right Buyer. Your Agent should have the right photographer for your home. Just taking pictures with a cell phone is not enough for most home buyers. If your agent suggest that his cell phone is fine, move on. Get a professional and many times it is perfectly fine to expect your Agent to pick up that cost. So your job is to make your home photograph well. And let's face it, the better your home looks, the faster it will sell and at best price. Professional Photography adds value!
Here are some tips on what to include in your professional photos before your home is listed on the MLS. You ave to tell a story in approximately 25 photo, so planning and execution is critical to your success.
1. Preparation Getting your home ready for photographs is one of the most important tasks you can do. A photo of an unmade bed or a kitchen full of last nights dishes on the counters is a waste of time and effort. Whether inside or outside, your best approach is to have everything neat, clean, and orderly. Remember the last time you stayed in a hotel? Your rooms need to reflect hotel room condition at the very least. Everything in it's proper place, spotlessly clean, and remember that vanilla ice cream is better than triple fudge ripple when thinking of the look you intend to deliver to a large audience.
2. Clutter Simply put, get rid of it! No one wants to be greeted by your shoes at the door or your toothpaste tube on the bathroom counter. Photos are not a time to show off every kitchen appliance that you have collected over the years. Work space is far more important than the things that occupy space. Uncluttered rooms look larger and are more inviting. And let's be clear, you are inviting people to your home when having photos placed in your home listing. Remove the family pictures and personal items that would not be in your hotel room picture. They will likely end up in hundreds of websites on the internet. In this case, Less is More.
3. Window Coverings Open or Closed? In general homes look their best when drapes and blinds are open or allowing adequate light into the room. Fabrics and colors are all a matter of preference, so showing off your expensive print fabric may be a turn off to someone else. In today's world, letting the outside in is better for most folks to imagine how your home fits their needs. What you see is what you get!
4. Lighting Cameras work best in well lit rooms. Before the photographer arrives, go around your home and turn on every light. If you have under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, turn it on. Poorly lit rooms can be dealt with with flash photography, but the best photos look like natural light or just how the room might look in the evening with overhead lights on and lamps lit. The same is true for exterior features and it is a good idea to have some sunset or twilight pictures of your home exterior taken to help folks imagine what the home looks like at night.While you are at it, check each room, open drapes and blinds, unplug or hide wires, and by all means, close the toilet lids!
5. Furnished or Vacant The best use of space is with home furnishings in place. It gives potential Buyers the opportunity to compare placement and sizes of how their furniture will fit. While a vacant room feels more spacious, it also may scream a message of desperation like "Hurry up and buy this vacant home because I have two mortgages now and price is not important ." A properly decorated home with minimal furnishings is a far better choice, so speak to your Agent about staging the home if you have already moved out. Your Agent should have a "Stager" in mind that can make your home speak dollars.
6. Number of Photos Your Professional Photographer will not mind taking a few extra photos. To end up with 25 great inviting photos, you will need to have more taken. Your photographer can use his experience and talents to shoot several looks for each of the important rooms or features of your home. You and your Agent should view and approve the photos taken. Your photographer should be willing to make adjustments to photos in terms of lighting, color, and size. Photos should depict the best features and benefits of owning your home.
7. Video Tour All Professional Photographers will have the ability to create a video tour of your home. This can be done with actual video camera footage or with photo tools that combine photos into a tour of your home. Most tours contain light background music that should match the theme of your home. If you live in the country, you would likely not have contemporary pop music playing along with your photos. So choose what reflects the character of your home and the local environment. More and more we see 3D Tours appearing in listings. 3D Tours allow the potential Buyer to "Walk Through" your home while viewing on the internet. A word of caution, 3D Tours are more expensive, so weigh the cost versus the benefit. Talk to your Agent about the plus and minus to doing this for your home.
8. Drone Photography The use of Drones to photograph your entire property from above is becoming more commonplace today. Most Professional Photographers will have their own Drone and can put it in the air for about 10 minutes to get the job done. Drone shots can show your entire home and the property surrounding it no matter the size. This is modern air photography that should not be overlooked. The only drawback to Drone Photography is the condition of the neighboring properties. Potential Buyers do not want to see the neighbors back yard project or anything that would reduce the value of your home. You should approve all drone shots with the help of your Agent.
I would love to hear your ideas or experiences regarding Professional Photography for your home. I hope I have given you enough information to get started.