August 14, 2014

What Every Seller Needs to Know About Home Staging Photography

Posted by Bevan Friedman under Home Staging

home-staging-photography-tips

Nine out of ten homebuyers search for homes online. Yes, you read that right. Those looking for their dream home spend hours online scouring through home listings looking for that one house that meets all of their needs.

So, help them visualize it. If you think you’re up for the challenge and you’re looking to save money, you can take your home listing photos yourself. We’ve put together some home staging photography tips to make sure you’re highlighting the strong points in your home and not scaring away potential buyers. Let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than driving by a home and getting visions of the potential on the inside and then finding it online with blurry, unflattering photos. Major letdown.

First things first, before you get camera happy and start snapping photos, you need to understand what works. Here are a few home staging tips that will help you achieve photographic excellence:

Consider everything. Start by cleaning and de-cluttering your house. Do the same thing you would do if you were going to a family photo shoot – get ready and look your best.
Does your favourite old throw blanket make your living room look sloppy? Move it.
You’re not selling the things inside your house so make sure to use them as accents in your photos and mindfully keep the focus off of them.
If a room is empty, make sure you put in a chair or something to give the room some scale.
Highlight key features, such as fireplaces or crown molding. Don’t let furniture or décor get in the way of these things.

Your photos should capture how the home meets the wants and needs typically expressed by homebuyers. What are they looking for?

Big spaces
Modern finishes
Open concept
Cleanliness
Move-in ready

Another thing to consider is lighting. The right amount of light can make the difference between a good picture and a great one. This means knowing what time of day and which weather conditions will work in your favour. For interior home photography, the following rules will come in handy:

Turn all the lights on in your home and use a flash, which fills in shadows and will make a room look brighter.
Don’t shoot interior photos on rainy days – the rooms will look dark and gloomy.

Now for your exterior home photography, it is so important not to rush this. Take your photos in the middle of the day. Some other important things to note:

Remove any cars from the driveway
Put away sprinklers or garden hoses that have been left out
Consider opening or closing blinds in your windows, whatever looks best from outside

Understanding that photos are the new first impression is key to gaining interest from homebuyers and keeping them interested. A good photo could get them to make the all-important decision to come see the home in real life. Of course, you always have the option of hiring a professional but if you’re looking to save money this is a great opportunity.