Photography Tips for FSBOs

It’s true that a picture is worth a 1,000 words and in real estate that translates into 1,000s of dollars. Having top quality photographs in the advertisements for your home will bring buyers to the door and more opportunities for a sale. You don’t have to be a professional to capture your home in its best light but you can borrow some of the tricks of the trade.

Get Ready for Your Close-up

When it’s time for the photographer to step into the picture the subject should be ready. We know that no magazine cover, whether of fashion models or architecture, made it to print without plenty of behind the scenes work. Just like fashion shoots have hair and makeup done first, your home needs some refinement before the first photograph is snapped.

The most important step is to de-clutter. You may actually use that dish rack that sits on the counter next to the sink but it will do nothing to showcase your kitchen in photos. Do a sweep of all the rooms you are planning to photograph. Remove clutter from all surfaces including desktops, counters, bureaus and coffee tables. Keep only the items that have some aesthetic appeal like framed photographs, ceramics and flower vases. Adhere to the design mantra “have nothing in your home unless it is beautiful or functional” and in this case give weight to beautiful things.

In the kitchen, clear the counters of all but a few of the usual accoutrements. Dish soap, scrubbers and food containers should be hidden for the photo shoot. Clear the refrigerator of paperwork and notes. It’s ok to leave appliances like microwaves or toasters as long as there are not too many and they are closed and clean.

De-clutter, clean and tidy-up. Fold throws neatly over couches or chairs. Straighten stray chairs, ottomans and rugs. The neater and cleaner your rooms are the less you’ll have to work around them in your photographs. (Also see Curb Appeal: Bringing Buyers to the Door).

In a good light

If you are so rushed to sell your home that you can’t wait for a sunny day or at least daylight, it will come across in your photos. Avoid shooting on rainy days. You don’t have to wait for the most beautiful day of the year but nobody’s house looks so great when the weather is dreary. Houses look their best inside and out when the sun is shining so avoid rainy days and shoot during daylight hours.

Taking photos under natural daylight will also help you avoid harsh flashes that will show up as reflections on mirrors and windows. Flashes also tend to diminish the look of interiors by removing depth. The less flash, the more detailed and natural you’re home will look in photos.

A bright day can cause extreme lighting differences between indoors and out. This will be exaggerated in photographs because the camera doesn’t see the same way that your eyes do. To soften interior lighting avoid taking pictures towards windows and openings to eliminate backlighting. This is as simple as walking across the room and shooting from the other side. If you are aiming outdoors because you are trying to capture the view from the dining room for instance, break the task in two. Photograph interiors in their best light and then step outside to capture the view.

The eye

We all know that person who just seems to have been born with “a good eye.” We visit the same places and take the same photos but theirs look like travel guides while ours look like someplace we wouldn’t want to go. Well it may be true that an artistic eye is a natural blessing but there’s still hope for the rest of us.

A good eye can be acquired with a little training. The trick is to change your thinking from utilitarian “just show what’s there” to creative “what do I want capture.” For instance, instead of trying to show your entire bedroom pick the best parts. People will understand that there are four walls, some windows and a door. You don’t need to do a methodical panoramic.

Instead, look around, find something about the room that you like and take a picture. Take several pictures from different vantages. The beautiful thing about digital is there’s no harm (or waste) in trying different ideas. By the way, if you don’t own a digital camera, borrow one.

Continue around your house looking for areas that are appealing to you. Try to capture the context of your home – how the kitchen flows to the dining room or how the arch over the master bath tub can be seen from the bedroom. Find the best details and photograph them both as subject and as background. This will give buyers a “feel” for your home and how it would be to live there.

Must Sees

Homebuyers are online scouring the web for potential properties and looking for specifics. They’ve got a picture in their mind of the home they want and also what they don’t want. Online advertising allows them to scan properties and select those that they’d like to take time to visit. This is actually a good thing for sellers because virtual previews help answer many questions before either party has spent too much of their time (or wasted it).

Let buyers see your home. Views on the top of their must see preview list include the front exterior, the kitchen and the yard. Bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms and accessory areas are bonus. Buyers want to see these as well but don’t feel pressure to have your home documented in pictures. Photograph as much as you feel is useful; as much that showcases your home and its best parts.

Now some homes are prettier than others and you may feel that your 70s ranch will be overlooked in a sea of new colonials but that is what you are selling. And, the thing is if they are interested they are going to see it eventually in person. That’s not to say you need to photograph every blemish or aged element but do present your home for what it is. Photograph it in its best light but represent it honestly. Setting up higher expectations than your home can deliver will only cause disappointment and won’t lead to a sale.

Both of these photos are from actual homes for sale with one of the top real estate firms in the United States. The top photo is the bedroom of a home listed for $2,100,000. The bottom photo is the bedroom of a home listed for $1,700,000. Where would you rather live?

This is the difference that good photographs make. The top photo is backlit and the room isn't visible. It could be a gorgeous bedroom but it's not likely that many buyers will take the time to drive out there and find out.

The bottom photo speaks for itself and says quite a bit: beautiful, modern, dreamy, relaxing, inviting. The room is clean, neat and clutter-free. The viewer knows what it must feel like to stand or even live in the space.