Quality photos count when styling your property for sale

19 Sep The importance of good photos when styling

Have you opened the real estate guide or looked online some days and thought, “Why on earth would they have taken that photo to sell that house?”

You know the shots I am talking about, the sink full of dishes, the extension cords across the lounge room floor or the photo of the bedroom with no linen on the bed. These photos do more damage than good in your marketing.

I find it really interesting that one of the industry statistics suggests only 1 in 10 buyers can visualise the potential in a home. So that means for every ten people coming through your home, 9 don’t really understand how they could live in your property

So how can you help reduce this terrible statistic with your property when it goes to market?

The key message here is…be prepared.

As the owner of a property for sale it is your responsibility to ensure the house looks great the day the photographer arrives. Professional photographers are fantastic at what they do but they are not paid to clean or style the property, so they quite often have to photograph what they are presented with.

I tell clients to make their life simple and stress free and ensure that the photographer is booked on a day that suits them, where possible, and gives them plenty of time to get everything ready. For example, if you have kids, wait until late morning so that you can attend to all the little spot fires that have been left in the house after the rush to get to school.

It has been suggested that 88% of potential residential buyers look online as their main search tool for their next property; your images must have impact! Professional photos can make or break a buyer’s interest.

I’ve seen many examples of properties listed for sale and, after a while with no interest, the owner calls me to ask for help to determine why the property is not connecting with buyers. In most cases, buyers have looked elsewhere by now because they could not see the potential in the home.

Plenty of natural light makes photos look even better so keep blinds up, curtains back and make sure windows are clean. Buy your flowers a day or two before the photos, not the day of the shoot to ensure they are open and looking fresh and bright.

Images are what compels a buyer to click on your listing online or call the agent to enquire about an inspection. Images are what connect a buyer to their potential new home. Images tell the story about how your home is used and lived in.  Will your images attract premium buyers or bargain hunters?

If you have a moment and want to see some classic examples of what I am talking about (and learn exactly what not to do!) check out the website www.terriblerealestatephotos.com, it will certainly leave you wondering “What on earth??”