How to Prepare a House for the Best Real Estate Photography

When you’re preparing a house to be sold, first impressions really do matter! Home staging is one of the best ways to ensure potential homebuyers only see the best digital photos of the home you’re showing. High-quality images will likely boost the home’s overall value and interest when on the market. 

We’ve put together a list of the most relevant tips to help make any home stand out by leveraging professional real estate photography. Follow these tips to help make all your listings look like a million bucks!

 

10 Tips to Help You Stage A House For Real Estate Photography

Clean up and Declutter

First things first, it’s time to clean up! Remove everything off the counters, including microwaves, blenders, toasters, and other kitchen utensils. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms so make sure it looks sparkling clean. 

Make the home look as spacious as possible by removing unnecessary items of furniture from all the rooms. Then you can give everything a good clean and polish.  

There should be no clutter lying around as this can look messy. Remove any toiletries in the bathroom, neaten up any shelves, and clear the surfaces around the house. 

 

Remove All Personal Items

You want the potential buyer to envision themself in the home you’re showing. You want to look at temporarily removing all items and belongings that could potentially have a negative effect on buyers based on their beliefs, hobbies or other personal preferences.

In fact, in some instances it might be worth investing in some trendy or eye-catching items and accessories that may give rooms an additional layer of comfort or attractiveness. Don’t break the bank here, it’s all about making a great impression strategically to entice potential buyers to book a visit.

 

Windows and Lighting

Lighting is one of the most crucial factors to consider when home-staging. Natural light is a bonus as it brings life into the photos. So, open all the windows throughout the home to let as much natural light in as possible.

If the house doesn’t have much natural light, turn on all the lights, including outdoor lights and lamps. This will ensure that all photos will look well-lit and inviting. 

 

Think About The Colors

Too many colors can be overwhelming. As such, they can detract from the house itself. A good rule of thumb is to have one color theme per room. This helps to create cohesive looks that are pleasing to the eye. 

It’s also a good idea to use neutral colors as the base of a room and then add small pops of color. 

 

Make The Beds

Make sure all the beds are meticulously made and the rooms are looking neat. Where possible, decorate the beds with matching sheets and blankets. Decorative pillows can also add a little extra flare.

Wrinkles on the linen look messy and will show up on camera. A good extra trick is to steam all the linen to ensure everything looks perfect.  

 

Remove Outdoor Covers

You want buyers to envision themselves living in the home so, if it has an outdoor area, what better way to stage a cozy-looking BBQ spot? 

Remove all outdoor furniture covers or smoker or grill covers for the photographs. This will help potential buyers imagine themselves in the garden BBQing up a great meal with their family. 

 

Close-Ups Are King

Staging can either be done by yourself or with a professional staging service. It is crucial to remember that un-staged homes rarely look good in pictures whereas staged homes offer significantly better and quicker results.

Details and colors are always a great way to make any home look professionally staged. For example, add a bottle of wine and two glasses to the gorgeous outdoor seating area to create an inviting mood. 

Other fun close-up staging techniques include adding bright throw pillows, wall art, fruit bowls, or fresh towels in the bathrooms.

 

Symmetry And Repetition

Symmetry and repetition are common in nature and are things we find to be aesthetically pleasing. So, make sure you use these principles when staging a house to make it look as good as possible. 

 

Don’t Overdo It

You might have an abundance of ideas and decor items that you want to add to a house to make it look more appealing to buyers. However, it’s important not to over-decorate. Buyers need to be able to see the house itself and not be distracted by so many things. 

Keep things simple with a few basic furniture items in each room that give potential buyers an idea of how they can use the space. 

 

Fix Any Small Details

Sometimes, the smallest thing can put off a potential buyer. When you think the house is ready for photos, we recommend doing one last walk-through and see if there are any small details to fix. 

For example, put all the toilet seats down, fluff the cushions and pillows, and wipe down any mirrors or shiny surfaces. 

 

Conclusion and 11th tip : Work with professional real estate photographers or photography services

Keep in mind that these photographs will be the first impression potential buyers get of a house. So it is up to you to make these pictures a success. Taking care of the pictures yourself, unless you have a great background in photography, is probably not a good idea. 

Whether or not you are working with a real estate agent, leveraging professional real estate photography services will help you put all the chances on your side to sell a house quicker, easier and at a potentially higher price.