To quote an oft-used maxim, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. If you are using said picture to entice somebody to buy the subject of it, the picture should have a worth much greater than that. When it comes to selling a house, the pictures you use to attract potential buyers should best represent the quality of your home and showcase the finer points, as well as offer a glimpse into the sound construction. When creating a gallery pictorial of your home for sale, you’ll need to do more than point and shoot.
Here are a few things to consider as you take pictures of your house to display online or in real estate magazines:
1) Use a good camera. You do not necessarily have to hire a professional photographer to drag in thousands of dollars worth of equipment to create a memorable photo album of your home. However, you may wish to think twice before aiming a substandard phone camera at your living room and sending the result to Facebook. Some mobile phone cameras take good pictures, but they may not produce the right quality needed to properly showcase your home.
Whether digital or film, make sure the camera you use produces high quality images that look great in print and online, however your distribute them.
2) Watch the lighting. Lighting is important with any picture you take, and when bringing out the best qualities of your rooms you want to be sure the lighting doesn’t overpower the setting. Stand behind a light when taking a picture to get good results, and be careful not to illuminate your rooms too much so that the light washes out everything.
3) Get the “best side.” We may laugh when a friend says, “Make sure you get my good side,” when taking pictures. The same could be said, though, for rooms and parts of the house you want to show off. A picture should define the space and depth of a room, and highlight it’s best qualities – fixtures in a kitchen, closet room, a nice garage. If necessary, stand safely on a stool for an “aerial” shot that captures as much of the room as possible. Take pictures from different angles, too, to offer a buyer more perspective.
4) Some might think having people and pets in the picture offers a sense of how comfortable the home is for families. This may actually work against you with buyers, who may have a different impression of what defines a home. Try to keep as much personal stuff out of the picture as possible.
When you have the right pictures on your website or print flyers, you can attract buyers interested in seeing the home in person. Take care to make your home photogenic and ready to sell.