Great real estate photography and beautiful home staging can make a huge difference in the price you are offered and the timeframe you close in.
Putting in the extra effort with incredible photography and a professionally staged space will typically pay for itself, and then some. Check out our latest post for some great staging and photo tips!
Real Estate Photography and Staging to Sell Your Home in Texas
Before The Photos Are Taken and The House Is Shown…
To get the best results from staging and photography, hire professionals. This will likely be two different people. A photographer may not be the best at furniture placement or accessorizing. A professional stager may not know how to utilize the light or maximize a room’s space in a photo. These two professionals will give your property the visual draw it deserves.
As They Say, A Picture Says A Thousand Words…
Great photography is vital when listing your house on the MLS and other platforms. We have all seen the listings where you say, I can’t believe they used that shot! Some people take their own photos, while others rely on their agent.
While some agents have a good eye, nothing can compete with hiring a professional photographer. They have various tricks that allow for the absolute best photos of your house. Tripods, wide angle lenses, and natural lighting are only a few must-haves.
Hiring professionals will easily pay off. Remember that a photographer is NOT a stager. They are not there to clean or position items throughout your home. They are there to capture the best photos of what “is”.
Get it “Magazine Pretty” With a Professional Stager
Professional staging is largely seen as a “boutique” service, or something that only big-city folks use. The truth is, staging has a enormous impact on the successful sale of your home.
Emotions play a large part in how people make purchases. Create a neutral environment that still allows the viewer to feel at home. Some professionals will stage the entire house, but it is more common to focus on a couple of main rooms.
A stager can bring in many pieces, or simply replace and re-purpose what you already have to make it more aesthetically pleasing. The end game of staging is to increase the perceived value of the home.
Tip #1: Declutter
Don’t show your house or take any photos until the clutter is removed. When buyers see personal possessions or photos while touring a house, it can make them feel intrusive and subconsciously make them want to leave. These aren’t the feelings you want to evoke!
Tip #2: Say Goodbye To All Personal Items
Storing things such as personal photos, awards, bills, and religious and political items will make people feel more comfortable. Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living there, and that can be difficult if they’re looking at a wall of your family photos. Packing up unnecessary items and personal effects will also help when the moving day arrives.
Tip #3: Don’t Neglect the Outside Areas
Invest some time to fix up the exterior of your home for both photography and viewing purposes. Park any cars you have down the street.
This allows your home to be the focus of the photos, and will make people feel like they are pulling into their own driveway, as opposed to someone else’s when they come by for a showing. Put away all personal items and children’s stuff. In a matter of seconds, people can decide if buying is a possibility.
This is why it’s worth cleaning up the front yard, planting a few flowers, and refreshing the front porch. The backyard should also be clear of clutter, with a warm and inviting feel. People should want to spend their time there!
Tip # 4: Keep it Tidy… Like Really Tidy
You never know how other people live. Keeping food on the counter, the lid up on the toilet, or having cables running across your walls can be huge eyesores to certain people viewing your home. Think about how you would expect a hotel or Air B&B to look upon arrival, and strive for that.