Most house hunting starts with an online search, and the importance of good photographs in an online listing cannot be overemphasised.
When you decide to sell, your property practitioner will usually arrange for a photographer to take photos of your home – inside and outside. This is an excellent opportunity to show it off before potential buyers visit your home.
Staging your home for photographs can make it stand out from other properties on the site. Some buyers will be looking for specific features, but most want a home offering a particular lifestyle. Showcasing your home in a way that shows off its ambience and appealing features is a sure way to attract the right buyers.
It’s important to know what kind of buyer your home will appeal to – for instance, is your home more suited to large families or couples, young professionals or retired people? Knowing your target audience will enable you to determine what should be displayed in each room. Your property practitioner should be able to advise you.
Preparation
Whatever your target market, the first step in taking photos to make a good first impression is to declutter your home and clean every space.
Go through every room systematically. Pack away any toys and games and anything else lying around. Ensure all pictures are hanging straight and there are no fading indoor plants or dead flowers. Recycle your old magazines and papers.
The next step is to make sure everything is sparkling clean, as dirty marks on walls and floors stand out in photos. Then, indoors, you need to vacuum carpets and floors, mop tiles and laminate flooring, wipe down counters, mirrors and light switches, replace burnt-out light bulbs - and wash up.
Cleaning up outdoors is equally important. Tidy the garden, rake up dead leaves, mow the lawn, and clean the braai area and the pool.
Next, you should look out for anything in your home that is an obvious blemish to someone unfamiliar with your home. Over time, you may have grown accustomed to various imperfections like missing handles on cupboards or drawers, cracks in tiles or walls and skirtings that have pulled away from walls. You may no longer notice them, but they are bound to show up in photos. Putting them right before the photo shoot could increase the number of potential buyers.
Set the scene
Once your home is clean and tidy, with everything ship-shaped, it's time to stage it for photos.
- Set up your entertainment area for guests.
- Set the dining table with your best linen, crockery and cutlery and light some candles.
- Arrange fresh flowers in the entrance hall and living room.
- Place a colourful bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter.
- It’s worth buying colourful new towels and attractive soap dispensers to stage bathrooms.
- In bedrooms, make sure duvets, throws, and pillows look fresh and inviting.
- Open the curtains or blinds throughout your home to let in light during the day. Buyers are attracted to well-lit homes, and natural light opens up spaces.
- Switch on all lights in rooms that don’t get enough natural light.
On-site
Select as many different photos as the site allows to give buyers an overall view of your home and its floor plan.
Make sure the photographer photographs each room from various angles so that you can choose the images that show off your home to best advantage.
By applying the guidelines above, you can successfully stage your home.
Writer: Sarah-Jane Meyer