The preparation of your home (or client house) is just as essential for professional photography as it is for your open house, if not more so. The images we create will be viewed with a critical eye and will help determine whether that home buyer will actually show up to your open house. There are many considerations, beyond the obvious ones, that will help you prepare your home for the best possible photographs. By having a prepared home and the best photographs possible you can create more traffic to your open house, generating more offers with the potential of a higher closing prices, and if you are an agent earning a higher commission.
1. Light bulbs, while obvious are often overlooked. Ensure all light bulbs are working and of the same wattage, light intensity and color for similar lighting. ie. Bed side table lamps should be the same type of bulb. Different bulbs will give off different color casts and light intensity which will draw the eye to looking at things we do not want the viewer to be distracted with.
2. Patterns in things that can be changed. Blankets over furniture or a duvet cover should be switched out to fabrics and patterns that blend with the home. Large patterns will attract the viewers eye and can make a space look smaller, and cramped or busy. If you want the viewer to be left with a calm and relaxed feeling when looking at the photographs of your home, the removal of large busy or loud patterns will help create that emotion.
3. Dropped ceilings should have all ceiling tiles correctly in place and in the right direction. Missing tiles will again be a distraction.
4. Similar to ceiling tiles, we have photographed numerous homes where the baseboards, window casings, door casings, mouldings etc are missing or have not been completed. These are very visible in the final images and therefore should be completed before bringing in a photographer. While photoshop is sometimes an option for certain retouching, it is very difficult nor recommended to try and place mouldings, where non exist.
5. Cables and cords should be minimized and zip tied together where possible, to avoid distracting collections under desks and by televisions etc.
6. While many people love dogs, cats and other animals, not all people want to have them in their own home. Therefore we recommend that you remove all signs of the pets for the photographs, so interested buyers can visualize themselves in the house without distracting pet toys, litter boxes beds etc.
For more detailed information or ideas to help you sell your home quicker and for more money please feel free to contact us.