There are a number of excellent ways to get buyers interested in your home. Since so many potential buyers view homes online now before they ever try to see those houses in person, having a good online presence for your house matters. Among the house selling tips you see as important should be taking good photos, or having a professional take them for you. That way, anyone who sees your house online can get a true sense of the space and have a much better idea of what they will actually find when they come to see the house for a showing. If they feel deceived by the photos they aren’t going to buy your house, and if the photos don’t show your house in a good light, you might not get any in-person showings at all.
Don’t Post Blurry Pictures
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Blurry or out-of-focus pictures of your home aren’t going to get buyers knocking on the door. If you take some pictures that come out fuzzy, it’s time to try again and take some more. When you post pictures of your house that aren’t flattering, buyers may wonder what you’re trying to hide. They may also be concerned that the home looks bad inside, and that you’re trying to camouflage problem areas. There’s also the problem of quality, as buyers who see that you’ve posted blurry pictures may not feel like you take any pride in your home, or that you’re serious about getting it sold.
Pictures you take of your home should showcase the home’s best features, and should be clear and sharp. The lighting should be good so buyers can really see what the home has to offer, but not so bright that everything looks washed out. Many people use filters on their cameras or phones to get the best pictures, or to adjust the lighting or crop the image, so they can offer buyers a better representation of the home. While you don’t want to be fake about what the house really offers, you do want to make sure you’re putting your home’s best foot forward.
Make Sure Your Photos Are Oriented the Right Way
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It’s a simple matter to flip a picture so it doesn’t appear sideways online. Still, there are home listings where at least some of the pictures are sideways or even upside down. Buyers don’t want to spend time turning their computers or phones this way and that way, just to see the rest of your house. When you post the pictures of your house, make sure they all appear the right way. Then when your listing goes live, check them again, so you see them the same way a buyer would. If there are any problems, take care of them right away or notify the person who can, if you didn’t upload them or don’t have access to changing them.
Take Plenty of Pictures and Then Choose the Best Ones
Always take more pictures than you think you’ll need. No one is going to require you to post all of them, but that way you’ll have plenty of great shots to choose from. You don’t want to waste time re-taking a bunch of pictures because none of them really came out the way you’d like. It’s much easier to spend a little extra time in the beginning, and take multiple shots of each room from different angles. Then you can look through the pictures you took and choose only the best for your online listing. You’ll be happy with the end result, and will also give your buyers more reason to like your home and want to come see it in person.
Wide-Angle Shots Can Give a Good Sense of Space
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Taking a wide-angle picture can help buyers see the true size of a room. Otherwise, you’re left with some awkward shots of bedrooms and bathrooms from corners and doorways. It’s impossible to get the entire room in the picture, and can also make the room look small and cramped, even if the size is actually good. You don’t need an expensive camera to take good pictures, and even some phone cameras will take wide-angle pictures that will look great online. Those pictures may be exactly what you need to get buyers in the door, so they can see all the great things your home really has to offer.
Avoid Unflattering Areas of Your Home
You don’t want to lie to buyers about what’s in your home, but there’s also no reason to take pictures of areas that just aren’t that attractive. That bathroom with the Pepto-Bismol pink tile? Maybe you’ll want to photograph the other bathroom instead, since it has been updated. You may also want to avoid close-ups of toilets, the insides of closets, basement piping and ductwork, and other things that just aren’t that pretty. More general photos of those areas make more sense, and you won’t turn off buyers who just don’t want to see those things, and who may feel the home needs a lot of work when it actually doesn’t.
Still Unsure? Hire a Pro to Get What You Want
At the end of the day, only you can decide if you’re happy with the pictures, or if you want better photos than what you feel you can take on your own. If you’re looking for very high-quality pictures to help sell your home online, you may want to hire a professional. Just be sure you’re clear about what you want, and that you understand the cost of the pictures and whether you can request retakes if you’re not satisfied. The more you know, the more easily you can make an informed decision about the photos that will help sell your home online.
