Ready For The Camera

HOMESELLERS’ ADVICE

SIX TIPS FOR BETTER LISTING PHOTOS

A recent National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 89% of home buyers who searched for a home online found photos to be among the most useful features of real estate websites. That’s why many home sellers hire professional photographers. Whether or not you use a pro, here are six tips for better results.

Stage the shoot. Photographers aren’t movers or house cleaners, so it’s up to you to get your home close-up ready. Move the car and kids’ toys out of sight. Power-wash the front and sweep the walk and porch. Mow, prune and weed the yard.

Notice details. The camera captures everything in its view in equal detail, so look out for random coffee cups, crooked wall art, and cluttered surfaces and straighten your walk-in closet to ensure personal effects are out of sight.

Make it sparkling clean. Make your floors gleam. Wipe fingerprints and grease from your appliances so they look showroom-new. Clean the carpets and polish the furniture.

Amp up the lighting. Pick a sunny day for the shoot. Open the shutters, blinds and curtains. Install fresh light bulbs, clean ceiling fixtures and turn on the lights.

Accent special features. Some of your home’s features can’t be duplicated easily, so celebrate the built-in bookcases, mullion windows and window seats, too. Also, include shots of any improvements or updates.

Pretend you’re the buyer. What do you see? Hopefully, fresh paint on the front door and a new welcome mat. Inside, your home should flow from room to room, so remove excess furniture, bric-a-brac, and personal items.

Showing Your Home

Consider Staging A Vacant Home For Sale
In today’s market, it’s important to get the right price for a home, and sellers can’t wait while their homes are on the market. They may have a new job, have already bought their next house or need to move so the kids can start school.

Buyers understand that vacant homes can suffer from a wide variety of ills due to neglect and deferred maintenance. They pose unique showcasing challenges because buyers can’t see beyond the empty home. They’re looking for a “home,” not a “house.” Without furniture, wall art, rugs, lighting and decor, there are few emotional connections. A buyer will be on the lookout for imperfections such as floor scratches, nail pops, chipped grout and other imperfections.

The easiest fix for a vacant home is to bring in a home stager. They can give the property a comfortable, lived-in look. Potential buyers can better visualize how they integrate into the home. When a buyer perceives flaws and can’t visualize a home’s potential, there will be fewer offers, greater price reductions, more days on the market, higher carrying costs and less profit.

A vacant home can also hurt your negotiating power. If buyers know that you are already out and most likely paying another mortgage, they figure you are more motivated and will likely present a lower offer.

Staging will allow you to create a proper vision for the property and achieve a quicker, more profitable outcome. I have items available for staging as well as assist you with re-staging your home for sale!