Tips to make your house listing perfect
You may have completed the home-repair “honey-do” list detailed out in our “Fix to Sell” post and elbow-greased your house into looking beautiful. Now it’s time for the professional photographer to come in and shoot the pictures that will be the potential buyers’ first look at your real estate listing. There are several benefits to ensuring that the photos look good, including the possibility to sell your house at a higher price point because the listing looks professional. But before the photographer arrives, there are just a few extra things that can bring your house from attractive home to listing perfection. Here are some tips to prepare your home for the photographer:
Let the Light In. Open all drapes and roller blinds to let in as much light as possible (unless there is a very unappealing view out the window you don’t want to highlight in the photo). For a bright and cheerful look, turn on every single light in the house, and don’t forget the surface lights on your stove or under your cupboards. Turn off the ceiling fans.
Get Rid of the Grime. A quick wipe down to “clean” the house isn’t enough to get rid of the grime, and it is important that all areas are deep-cleaned in order to remove hard water buildup, dirt, or anything else that might be visible on hard to reach places likes the specs on handrails. Make sure that the windows are spotless, they should be washed to get rid of fingerprints or marks. You may hire commercial window cleaning professionals to get the best results. If you live in ormond beach house, try to make sure that you dust and vacuum the whole house thoroughly.
Clear the Clutter. It is always best to clear the clutter out of every room, because a clean space is more appealing. Get all knickknacks, stacks of paper, remote controls, extraneous furniture, family photos, pet stuff & toys out of sight. Do not store them under your bed. Do some junk removal. Photographers can often see under beds, and it’s not a pretty sight when there’s a yard sale stuffed underneath. The general rule-of-thumb for shelving is that each shelf/stand should only be one-third full. See all those books you love on your overstuffed bookshelf? Now take half of them out (the bright, clashing, odd-sized ones). Hide power cords and cables as much as you can. If you have child-proof latches on cupboards and drawers, remove them for the photos if it’s not too difficult. Make your beds look like you see in magazines. The pillows should be big and fluffy with silk pillowcase and the bed cover should be hotel-room perfect. Hide all digital do-dads and cords laying around the bed. The goal is to create a stylish, generic room in which the buyer can picture themselves living in. If you include too many personal effects, such as photos and knickknacks, then it makes it more difficult for the buyer to imagine their own things in the room. So, get rid of the distractions and eliminate any clutter that may be present.
First Impressions Matter. Keep in mind that potential buyers are going to be looking at rooms from the doorway they enter through, and the initial “feeling” is the one that will count the most. They will likely also spend more time viewing the room from the side where the door is located. You want to create a lasting impression from the moment they step into the room, so it is important to arrange things so the room looks great from that angle. It is good to capture the windows in the photos, because people like to see the natural light that comes in the room, so consider the way the furniture is place as it corresponds with the windows. If there are built-in features in the room, such as a fireplace or decorative pillars, the photographer will likely take the photos from an angle to include those features. Keep that in mind as well.
Brighten Up. Bring some color, freshness and serenity to your listing by staging a few nice flower arrangements on the dining room table, in a corner of the living room, and in a bedroom or large bathroom. A bowl of apples or lemons or oranges in the kitchen always looks nice. If you have a nice big attractive coffee table book, preferably home decor or architectural in theme, set it on your coffee table. Remember, the goal is to make your place look like a clean, tastefully furnished hotel, if your sink is clogged, make sure you get this great service which can do the task for you or offer live help on the app, so it makes tasks like unclogging a sink very easy.
Freshen Up the Bathrooms. Many bathrooms are small and difficult to photograph. Hide all of your personal bath and shower stuff and the bathroom trash cans. Put on a new roll of toilet paper. Neatly hang a few clean, colored towels and hand towels. If you have room, put a nice looking candle or small plant next to the sink or bathtub.
Curb Appeal. As the reviews attest, the view of the front of your listing is very important. Your goal is to make the front of the house appealing enough that buyers will want to see more. Call a pothole repair company to repair your driveway. This could also be the best time to redo your roof painting and add some gutter covers to protect your gutter system with the help of professional roofing contractors. If you’re looking for a great company for your roof repair problems, check out emergency roofing dublin – roofers dublin.
While the front yard is the most important, don’t neglect the back yard. It won’t look natural to have front yard photos of a beautifully manicured lawn and flower beds, with a back yard that is in disarray. Start the shrub and tree trimming to get rid of overgrown shrubs and low-hanging tree branches. Call tree removal services to rid your garden of any unwanted or rotten trees. Rake, mow and edge the lawn. Put away garden hoses. Hide the garbage cans, yard tools, dead plants, empty pots and any other yard clutter. Lay down mulch wherever there is dirt showing in beds. Move cars out of the driveway and clean your garage. This could be the time you’re waiting for to finally get the garage door repair done or replace it altogether with a new garage door installation which will definitely add value to your home. Sweep the porch and sidewalks. If you have outdoor furniture, wipe it down and make sure that the cushions look clean and nice. A new fence installation will also make a great difference and level up the curb appeal of your home.
Preparation is Key. If your real estate photographer arrives, and they see that the home has not been prepared for the photo shoot, then you might be charged a cancellation fee and be forced to reschedule. Or, the photographer might move forward with the photo shoot, but the results will be unprofessional and they will not look good on your real estate listing. According to professionals like the ones at Reali, it is very important that you spend the time that is needed to make sure that your home is prepared so that the photographer has something to work with.
