There is a lot to get done when you are about to sell your home. From finding the right agent, to getting marketing or even just cleaning up the home. You sometimes miss the little things that can make all the difference when a photographer comes around to take the all important marketing shots. In this post, we will look at 5 things to make sure you tick off before the photographer arrives to help your marketing photos.
1. General Clean
Before your photographer comes around one the first things to do is to have a good and thorough spring clean. I am not talking about doing the washing up, and putting the dirty objects away. I am talking about making sure your house is spick and span. Some of the general things you can do are vacuum and mop all floors, clean windows, make sure surfaces are shining and so on. You will be surprised any area that is not clean will show up in the photos later on.
2. General Maintenance
Now is the time to get the tool belt on and fix up all those small DIY jobs you have been putting off. This is tasks like: weeding the garden, mowing the lawn, fixing holes in the wall, painting any spots that have come up, replacing lightbulbs, replacing a fence, fixing chipped tiles and so on. This not only makes the photos stand out but will help increase the value of the property with everything in working order when you sell.
3. Clutter
It is no surprise that when you have your personal belongings plied up on the kitchen counter, or too many photos on the walls that it just looks messy and unorganised. When photographing your home for sale it is all about less is more, we are trying to get a sense of the space and what the lifestyle may look like. Some of the big ticket items to look out for are:
- Role up and put away hoses in the garden
- Only show a couple of photos on the walls
- In the kids bedroom hide as many toys as possible and remove personal posters on the walls. Don’t forget to watch out for any blue tack that is left behind
- Try and avoid piling up clutter in one place (keep the kitchen as clean as possible)
- Make sure the coffee table is clean, with a plant or a coffee table book
- Put away TV remotes
- Clean up TV cabinet and declutter it’s space
- Put away any cleaning products in the bathroom
- Remove toothbrushes, soap, hair wash, shavers and so on from the shower
- Make sure that as many appliances as possible are in cupboards and that the washing up is put away
- Laundry should be empty. Remove any washing, stack laundry baskets and put a way/ hide cleaning products
- Hide cat litter boxes
- In your home office, make sure that all personal papers are away, cables are tangle free and your computer is turned off and neatly placed within the space.
Like I stated above your really want to make sure that it is as empty as possible making the home feel as open as possible to get a true sense of the place.
4. Gardening
Sometimes the garden can be over looked. This is not good, as a garden can show off the peace and tranquil within the property it can also give a true sense to what the outdoor living space is like. Here are some things to look out for that need to be addressed before your photographer comes. This includes:
- Weeding the garden
- Remove any dead or dying plants
- Remove kids toys from the lawn
- Remove garden tools that are laying around
- Make sure that if there are any boots or shoes outside that they are either put away or neatly placed
- Roll up hoses
- Washing off the line
- Mow the lawn
- Try and remove as many leaves and branches that are laying around the garden
- Make sure the pool deck is clean
- No inflatables toys in the pool
- Any unwanted outdoor furniture is put away
5. Set the right mood
The last thing to look out for is lighting and the right mood. Lighting is probably the most import part of the home. When a photographer comes around make sure that you find as many lights as you can in the home and turn them on. This coupled with the right time of day will really make your photos stand out and showcase the home in all its glory. Make sure if you have any blown bulbs to replace these before the photographer gets there.
Another important lighting matter to consider is bedroom lighting and table lamps. If you have bedside table lamps or other lamps around the house make sure they are plugged in and turned on.
A great way to set a mood is to have candles around the home. Now I am not talking about going crazy with your candles just one or two spared around key areas with a room. For example:
- Have candles on kitchen table
- Candles on coffee table
- Candles in dinning room
- Maybe a candle in the bathroom
- And if styled correctly candles on bedside tables.
I hope you are now armed with some knowledge on what a photographer and prospective buyer are looking at when they look at your property. If you are unsure if it is going to effect the photos have a conversation with either your agent or photographer who will help guide you in the right direction.