Making your property look attractive is an essential part of any house sale.
When you list your house on the open market, platforms such as Rightmove and Zoopla are helpful. Potential buyers can browse through houses and decide whether yours meets their needs.
So, the quality of photos taken in your house is crucial.
In the blog below, we’ve outlined how you can prepare your house for sale photos.
How important are photos when selling a house?
Photos are important when selling your house. When you are advertising your property, the photos are the first thing potential buyers see. This is essential since they have not yet visited your house in-person.
Make sure that your photos are an accurate representation of the property. This guarantees that you don’t attract ‘time wasters’ in your viewings.
For example, using the right angles to make your house seem enormous can sometimes be counterproductive.
This is because people may be disappointed when they see it in-person. Most home sellers attach a floor plan for this reason.
Your photos must show the best of your property, but without misleading. All unique and attractive features should be visible. There should be a variety of rooms and angles included so the viewer gets a full understanding of your house.
When are photos not needed when selling a house?
Selling your house through an estate agent is not the only option available to you. If you opt for a different route, you might not need photos at all.
When you sell to a cash buying company, they will arrange for someone to visit your house in-person and make a judgement on its value.
At an auction house, most bidders will arrange to visit your house in-person before bidding day.
In both these instances, photos might not be needed because you are not creating a brochure or listing your house on marketing platforms.
Photographers argue that not all parts of your property must be included in photos.
Hallways and staircases are two common examples. These are not the most attractive spaces, and aren’t as important for buyers compared to bedrooms and bathrooms.
Do I need an expert photographer when selling my house?
Part of an estate agent’s service is paying a photographer to visit and take pictures.
These will be sent to you for you to choose your favourite ones. Once you decide, these appear in your printed brochure and on online property platforms.
Online estate agencies let you take control of aspects of the selling process. Photography is a common example. Modern day phone cameras are often good enough.
The same applies if you sell your house by yourself, without an estate agent. You may want to take the photographs yourself, as part of your cost-cutting. Perhaps you are an amateur photographer yourself, or your phone camera quality is good enough.
If you have a friend who does photography as a hobby, you could pay them a small fee to take the pictures. This can be a win-win, as your friend gets money out of the job, and you can reduce your costs.
How to prepare your house before photos
There are steps every homeowner can take to prepare their house for photos.
You should clean your property. Discarded clothes or unwashed plates should not be anywhere. These first impressions last for potential buyers.
Clean the windows, and sweep the floor. Cut the grass in your garden and focus on the curb appeal of your property. If paint is fading on the front door, or a gutter has fallen down at the front of the house, this should be addressed.
You can take this opportunity to cut away weeds from your front or back garden. If you have toys, garden tools, hosepipes, or anything else like that laying on your greenery, remove them and store them away.
According to the homeowner’s alliance, 68% of homeowners state that curb appeal was an important factor in their house choice.
Photos of your house should utilise natural light as much as possible. Ensure that blinds are up, curtains are open, and windows are clean. A professional photographer will know how to use this to your advantage.
How can I prepare my bathroom for photos?
Bathroom surfaces are notorious for showing every little mark. Clean them in advance of photos.
Scrub your toilet and shower, and remove items from the shelves or cistern.
Try to reduce the number of items in your bathroom in other ways, too. If there are cleaning products on the side of your bath or shower, put them in a box and store them away. Only have one towel hanging in the bathroom, rather than several different ones.
Keep the toilet lid down and mop the floor. You may want to take off the shower curtain and store it away if it is dirty, broken, or does not match the room’s colour scheme.
How can I prepare my kitchen for photos?
Like with your bathroom: the less clutter that is on show, the better. Hide unneeded appliances, especially if they are old or discoloured. Shut cupboards and drawers to keep the place tidy.
Move bins out of shot when taking your photos, and clear the sink so there are no dishes or cutlery left in there. If you have a fruit bowl, you should top it up with fresh fruit, or at least hide old or rotten ones. The colours make a difference.
If your kitchen has natural lighting, then take advantage of it. Clear all the worktops and make sure you sweep the floor.
How can I prepare my bedroom for photos?
Remove items from bedside tables, such as beauty products, and put these away in cupboards. Make your bed so it is clean, and select a duvet cover that is attractive, fresh, and matches the colour scheme of the room.
Clean any mirrors and surfaces, including sweeping the floor. You should use stain remover to clean your carpet if necessary. Any clothes should be hung up and tucked away into your wardrobe or drawers.
How can I prepare my living room for photos?
Arrange your furniture so it shows off the space in the best possible way. You can always move things back after the photos.
Remove large items from coffee tables and limit the number of items on display. Close your draws and cupboards and clean your television and floor. Keep the natural light by opening curtains and blinds.
