Tips for Taking Photos of your House for Sale

Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

In today's  high tech Real Estate market most perspective buyer's see homes for the first time on their computer screens, not in person.  Which is why taking photos of properties that are for sale is so important.  Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.  Which is why the photos buyers see have to be great, not just okay.  If buyer's don't like the way a house looks in a photo they won't bother to get into the car and drive across town to see it.

 

If you've ever tried to take a photo of the interior of a

house you know how difficult and frustrating it can be.  A house was designed to be lived in not photographed.  So, if you can't use a professional photographer, here's 3 simple tips to taking photo that will help sell those properties!

1.  Use a wide angle lens.  When it was time for me to buy a new digital camera I researched wide angle lens.  I actually took my old camera to the store to compare.  I turned on my camera and one with a wide angle lens and looked in the view finders.  I was amazed to see the difference.  A wide angle lens really helps photograph more of the room, which will show off how large it is .. and isn't that what you want?

2.  De-Clutter first.  Always make sure to de-clutter the rooms before you take the photo.  Ask the homeowner to help you 'straighten up' by removing excess shoes, clothes, toys, magazines, newspapers and miscellansous items.  And, be on the look out for the stray garage can that always seems to end up in the middle of the room, spoiling the shot.

3.  Take different shots.  Try taking several shots of each room and then judge which one is best.  Always use the best shots, don't settle.  After all you're using a digital camera, so taking more shots isn't more expensive.  Go to each corner and take a photo.  Also, stand outside the room, with the door frame just outside the viewfinder.  Then take a 1/2 step into the room, take the shot again and check out the difference.  Or try kneeling when you take the photo.  Or stand on a foot stool.  Often times changing the angle can make a room appear larger.

4.  One of the most imperitive things when taking photos of interiors is making sure all your veritcal lines in the room are represented as vertical. Seeing warped walls and curves where they shouldn't be is not good for selling a home. We suggest not taking vertical shots. Sticking to horizontal shots makes rooms look wider, more spatious and avoids getting those long straight walls misrepresented as warped and wonky.

I hope these tips improve your photos and your sales.  And, of course if you need assistance with the de-cluttering you can always give us a call at 847-748-7777.