How to Prepare Your Home for Real Estate Photos

After receiving a helpful property valuation of your home, you signed the mandate with your real estate agent. The agent needs to knock that FOR SALE (or even TO LET) board into the ground, but first, you will need photos, and maybe even a video of your home to attract potential buyers or tenants!

In this article, we will be covering the below areas of your home and how to make it photo ready (with no costs involved) before selling or letting:

1. Kitchen
2. Bathroom
3. Bedroom
4. Living Area
5. Garage
6. Lighting
7. Surfaces
8. Staging
9. Exterior
10. Front Garden & Curb Appeal
11. Showhouses

First things first, we want to highlight the importance of professional photography for your home! According to a recent article on Real Estate Photography Statistics, 72.2% of estate agents say that high-quality photographs increase the number of enquiries they receive. Furthermore, 32% of listings with high-quality photography have sold faster than the listings without.

Moving over to videos, an article about Real Estate Video Marketing states that, "Videos attract 300% more traffic for nurturing leads" and listings that include a video "receive 403% more inquiries than their videoless counterparts."

Needless to say, preparing your home for real estate videos and photos is quite important.

Kitchen

"Kitchens sell homes." We are sure you must have heard the saying somewhere. This is why it is so important to make the kitchen shine, literally! Start by clearing and cleaning all of your countertops. Remove as many appliances as possible and pack away all refrigerator magnets, notes and photos. Pack away all of your personal belongings, notebooks, stationary and any other random items.

When a potential buyer or tenant looks at your home, they want to imagine themselves living there. This can become difficult when someone else's photos and niknaks take up the space. The same can be said for every other room in the house. Remove your personal items and your home may just sell or be occupied faster. Really. According to Homelight's findings, decluttering your home can add value to the sale or rental price!

Bathrooms

Again, start by clearing and cleaning all counter tops, as well as the basins, baths and showers. Remove all of your toiletries and personal belongings, this includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and personal care products. Also, always put the toilet seat down and close the lid. It is important that you remove unnecessary decorative items as too many can make the space feel cluttered. 

Keeping it simple, there are two design rules to follow.
1. No item should be smaller than a man's fist as it can be seen as clutter.
2. Decorate in threes with different sized items. The different heights create interest and depth and three is the perfect odd number for grouping of items.

Bedrooms

Make your bed neat and tidy. We suggest putting on a fresh set of bedding, as the camera picks up everyhing! The goal is for it to look like it belongs in a hotel. Don't just throw a blanket over the bed. Use a duvet and pillows with pillowcases. No mattress or sheets should show. The duvet should cover this. Also place the pillows nice and straight. Ensure the dressing tables and nightstands have been cleared of ALL personal belongings. Remember, the potential buyer needs to envision themselves living in the space and cannot do so if your bodycreams and nail sets are on display.

Living Area

Start by removing unnecessary furniture and decor. A home looks different when it has been lived in, compared to when it needs to be staged for photos and videos. You know, the chair you use to rest your feet on but does not go with your design aesthetic at all... Yes, that chair needs to be removed.

Pack away all personal belongings, this includes cables and chargers as they can be quite an eye-sore in pictures or videos. Remember that personal items also include picture frames and clothes that are lying around. Pack your children's toys away, as well as your pets toys and beds.

Garage

People often forget to clean the garage, and most times photos are not taken of the garage. However, when you have a show day, it can be a bonus to have your garage looking neat and tidy when buyers peak inside.

In the garage, organise your extra storage space and declutter as much as possible. Move your car outside and ensure all lights are working. If you can, sweep the floor and open the side window for fresh air.

Lighting

We cannot stress how important real estate photography lighting is. Natural lighting is always first prize, however the lights in your home may be beneficial in adding extra light or adding character to the space. The truth is, the professional photographer should and would know what lights to put on and when they should remain off. So when the photographer arrives, open all the curtains and only turn on necessary lights. Remember to check and replace any burned out light bulbs, as photos and videos will always pick up that one light that doesn't work.

Surfaces

We need to put an emphasis on clean surfaces. We have explained that cleaning the counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms is important, however one should also be sure to vacuum / sweep and mop all the floors, wipe down cupboards, as well as mirrors and walls.

Your home must SHINE for the photos!

Home Staging

Like we mentioned earlier, the rule of thumb is to remove anything smaller than a man's fist. Too many small items may make a room look cluttered. Remove non-matching items. Create focal points on tables with flowers, ornaments or nice looking books. Set the dining table using matching cutlery, crockery, glasses and place settings. Make a fire in your fireplace to set a cosy mood.

When looking at a few Home Staging Statistics, "81% of buyers say home staging makes it easier to visualise the property as their future home." A further 45% mentioned that it has a positive influence on the value of the home if the decor matches that of the buyer's taste.

Our very own in-house, qualified home-stager Pieter de Swardt says, "Home Staging can be as easy as merely removing an item that doesn't match the ebb and flow of the space." Oftentimes the item is loved, or may even have purpose, however it is important to remember that a purchaser wants to see the home itself, not the furniture.

Backyard

In South Africa, the exteriors of our homes are equally as important as our interiors. We love braai-ing and Summer days. Start by tidying up your garden, mowing the lawn and pruning trees and bushes. Sweep your patios/balconies and decks and pack away all garden tools and equipment. If you can, pack away all children's toys, trampolines, bicycles and all mis-matching pots with dead plants.

Some owners go the extra mile and plant a few flowers and extra bushes to brighten up the garden, and this can do wonders for the sale or rental of your home.

Front garden & Curb Appeal

We all know that winning shot we see on Property24 or Private Property, when that cover photo of the front of the home gets ten times more interest than the photo of the house with a broken fence and car blocking the garage door.

Therefore, ensure your walls look nice and clean, and that any fences are cleaned up, fixed and in working condition for show day. Remove your car from the drive-way so that the photographer and videographer can capture that curb appeal!

Show days

All the pro-tips for tidying up your home for photos and a video also applies to when your agent has a show day or viewing appointment. Your home should be clean and tidy for potential buyers and tenants to walk around and imagine themselves living there.

To set the mood, play soft background music. Choose a genre that is not distracting or too loud, such as something instrumental or classical. If you have a fireplace (that does not smoke up the house), make a fire to create ambiance. This is especially helpful in Winter as a fireplace is a selling feature!

Scent matters. Burn or diffuse natural essential oils such as lemon, orange or lavender. These oils are calming, yet refreshing. If you don't have essential oils you can bake some cookies or muffins just before showing and leave them for the viewers to help themselves! They will feel right at home.

Before your agent makes an appointment with the photographer to come and take photos, and when you have your first show day or viewing appointment, read this article and walk around your home with the below infographic to help get your home in tip-top shape!

Read: Why You Need an Agent in Today's Uncertain Economic Climate

Written by: Hayley Kellerman