When you decide to sell your own home, there are several skills you have to master… and at the top of the list is photography.
To understand why photography is so important, just consider the way in which most buyers approach the house hunting process. Long before they set foot on a property, they’re going to use real estate websites and apps to do their due diligence, scouting out properties that strike their fancy.
If they see one that appeals, they may very well make an appointment to tour it. But if it fails to entice, they’re likely to forget it.
All that’s just to say that, if you don’t take good photos, you may lose a lot of buyers right out of the gate, before they even see the place in person.
So, what should you know about taking good real estate photos—the kinds of photos that get the place sold? Maybe a better way to address the question is by asking what not to do. Hence, here are a few home photo fails that every seller should avoid!
How to Sell a Home with Optimal Photography
Here are the five photo mistakes you’ll want to steer away from.
Getting Your Photos in the Wrong Order
Believe it or not, the order in which you upload your photos to the real estate service is potentially make or break.
Good real estate photos should function as a kind of virtual tour, which means they should follow a linear order. In pretty much all instances, the cover photo should be an exterior shot of the house. Then, your pics should lead the viewer through the entryway, into the great room, then the kitchen, and so on.
If the very first photo is some random guest room, it creates a disorienting effect; and, it can turn buyers away!
Showing the Ugly Stuff
Another important step for getting your house sold is to ensure that your photos don’t show any, ah, private things.
For example, you should never have a real estate photo that has a toilet seat with the lid or the seat up.
You shouldn’t have any photos that show the contents of a trash can.
And even private hygiene items, like tampons, should probably be left out of your photos.
It’s not that any of these things are bad; just that they’re not especially appealing to strangers.
Displaying Weird Collections
Another tip to sell your own house: Keep strange or offbeat collections to yourself.
Maybe you love antique clown toys. Maybe you have more than 200 marionette dolls. Maybe you like keeping weird insects under glass.
More power to you—but there’s no reason why any of those things should be in your real estate photos. Again, you want to avoid anything that could be a turn-off to people who don’t really know you.
Including People
This one’s simple: There should never be people in your real estate photos.
Full stop.
Trying to take a photo of your kitchen while Grandma does the dishes? Ask her to step aside for a few minutes, or just wait until she’s done. But don’t include human beings in your shots, as they will only distract from the property.
Using Fish-Eye Distortion
Finally, just note that the angle you choose can either maximize the appeal of your space… or detract from it.
And you are generally going to be better off avoiding the fish-eye distortion, or any kind of wide angle.
Even professional real estate agents use shots like these sometimes, and it never looks good. You’ll have an easier time getting your house sold if you keep such photo tricks to a minimum.
Learn More About How to Sell a Home
As you consider selling your house, you’re going to need to know a few things about home staging and photography.
But then, you’ll also need to know the best way to list your home—FSBO, with an agent, with a discount broker, etc.
That’s where your SOLD.com report comes in handy. In it, you’ll find an individualized suggestion for how you should get your home sold.
Grab your seller’s report today, totally free of charge, from SOLD.com.
