Most buyers start their home search online. It is vital that sellers' listing photos draw buyers in, especially during the colder months when buyers need more enticement to venture outside their homes.
“Buyers will rule out options based on the listing photographs alone. This happens even more often during Winter so that they can avoid unnecessary trips in the rain. On top of this, interest rates are pretty high at the moment which means that the buyer pool is also a lot smaller than before. Sellers will need to put in some extra effort to make sure the house looks as appealing as possible in the listing photographs,” says Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett.
READ: Photograph your home like a pro - top tips from the experts
To help sellers make their winter listing photographs stand out above the crowd, RE/MAX of Southern Africa shares the following tips:
Check the weather forecast
As unpredictable as the weather may be, if possible, plan your listing photoshoot for a day with a good chance of sunshine. This will best showcase the exterior of the home, but it can also help the listing stand out against the other homes that are all shot against dark and gloomy backgrounds. Alternatively, you could aim for a high-quality dusk photoshoot – just be sure to illuminate the windows of the home and the home’s exterior to make the home pop against the dark backdrop.
Do some exterior maintenance
Harsh winter storms can cause havoc on a home’s exterior appearance. Before the listing photos are taken, spruce up the place by removing any debris that might have blown into the garden, sweeping away fallen leaves, plucking out weeds, and trimming back any overgrown shrubbery. If needed, retouch any exterior walls and fix any clogged or cracked gutters. Puddles of pooling water should also be addressed before the photographer arrives.
Stage for the season
If the home has a woodburning fireplace, consider lighting a fire in time for the photos. Add touches of warmth, such as blankets, rugs, or cushions, to make the space feel more warm and inviting. Turn on lights in each room to make sure the rooms don’t feel dark and gloomy. Winter often also means more clutter, like wet shoes and coats thrown over chairs to dry out, and blankets or hot water bottles left on couches from last night’s movie marathon. Be sure to hide away these items, as well as other clutter or personal items, before photos are taken.
“To make sure to get it right, sellers should enlist the help of a real estate advisor who will arrange to take professional listing photos on the seller’s behalf. Good real estate professionals will make sure that the photographs end up showing off the home in the best possible way, which will give their sellers the best chance of securing a timeous sale at full value,” says Goslett.
READ: 7 helpful tips for taking better real estate photos
According to Ronel van der Linde, Sales Director for Seeff Pretoria East, who shared 12 home photography tips for first-time sellers in 2017, the best advice she can share is for sellers to get a professional photographer to take pictures of their home.
1. Prepare the home
It should be clean and tidy. Don’t leave clothes or dirty dishes lying around and make the beds.
2. Avoid taking pictures of the toilet
Buyers know that your house has toilets and they don’t need to see them as proof. If the toilet has to be visible for some reason, make sure the lid is down.
3. Take photos during the day
Don’t photograph the exterior of a home with many agents’ boards in front of it. It could be that they are old or that they belong to the neighbours, but this creates the perception that no one wants to buy your house.
Take pictures during the day when you can count on natural light and always open the blinds and curtains. Dark and gloomy pictures make the home look depressing.
4. Create a spotless setting
Make sure the windows, mirrors and carpets are clean.
5. Use a camera
You don’t need an expensive camera with state-of-the-art equipment to take good pictures, but a cell phone usually won’t do unless it takes high quality pics. Borrow a camera if you need to.
6. Avoid photo bombs
No people or flash lights should be reflected in windows or mirrors - it looks very unprofessional.
7. Capture the space, not the stuff
Try and showcase the room as best you can by not zooming in or focusing on specific objects. Prospective buyers are not interested in what’s inside your home, they are interested in the home itself.
8. Don’t capture marketing material
Don’t photograph the exterior of a home with many agents’ boards in front of it. It could be that they are old or that they belong to the neighbours, but this creates the perception that no one wants to buy your house.
9. Brighten up the space
Take pictures during the day when you can count on natural light and always open the blinds and curtains. Dark and gloomy pictures make the home look depressing.
Add a splash of colour like flowers to brighten pictures up.
10. Depersonalise pictures
Try not to take photographs where pictures of your family or your pets are visible. Prospective buyers want to visualise themselves in the home and your personal items could make this harder for them to do.
11. Don’t rush
Take your time taking pictures and make sure you have enough to choose from.
12. Keep it real
Don’t distort images by taking pictures with fish eye lenses or using black and white or sepia lenses. The objective is not to produce an artistic image, the objective is to create a realistic version of your home in order to sell it.
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