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Make Buyers’ Lists: 10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Listing Photos

Make Buyers’ Lists: 10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Listing Photos

Much of the east coast is in clean-up mode after bearing the tremendous blow that Mother Nature delivered with #blizzard2016. Here in the real estate world, we’re all like “let’s use that clean-up momentum to prepare sellers for their upcoming listing photos!”

On a serious note, if you’re shoveling 3’ of snow following the weekend storm, you probably ought to just go ahead and reschedule any planned listing photos – at least of your home’s exterior. But, if the only major catastrophe to hit your home recently has been the usual mess that you and your children or other family members have left behind, here are some tips for preparing your home for a listing photo shoot:

  1. De-clutter and Dust: When it comes to professional listing photos, it almost helps to think of your house as more of a hotel than a home. By that, we mean that your listing photos will be much more appealing to prospective buyers if you treat your home’s look like hotel chic rather than your own personal haven. So, strip down your bookcases and end tables to remove extra books, knick-knacks and family photos. Clean up children’s toys and, if you’re able to stash away off-season clothes, do that, too. Your closets will appear larger and more move-in ready!

     

  2. Banish Bathroom Beauty Supplies: Ok, we’ve covered most of the day-to-day clutter, but what about our bathroom staples? Most of us leave our toothbrushes out on our bathroom sinks. We’re prone to putting our make-up bags, razors or contact cases on the counter; but, when your home is for sale, those personal items must find their way into a drawer or cabinet. This goes for both listing photos and showings, actually. No potential buyer wants to see your daily beauty routine on display.

     

  3. Be Generic: When you’re selling your home, you want buyers to easily be able to envision themselves living there. So, after de-cluttering and dusting, remove even a little more of your personal decor. Think like a minimalist when it comes to the decorations you leave out. Of course, you want your home to appear stylish, but it should almost seem like more of a hotel than a home when buyers are browsing through.

     

  4. Let the Light In: Not only are dark listing photos unattractive, but dark spaces in a home make it appear smaller. When you’re selling your home, do yourself a favor in not only opening the blinds before taking your listing photos, but also turning on all the lights in your home. Let your listing photographer decide any adjustments that may be necessary.

     

  5. Wash Your Windows: Listen, if you’re going to all the trouble of leaving your blinds open, you surely better clean those windows! Buyers don’t want to see more work that they’ll have to do on the home they’re envisioning as they’re own. So, if you want your home to appear pristine in your listing photos, your windows should be streak-and-dust free!

     

  6. Clean Up Your Curb: We’ve already given the #blizzard2016 advice, right?! So, if your curb is visible right now, it needs to be clear! Winter landscaping is not the most appealing, but keeping clean driveways, sidewalks, curbs and front door stoops is a must for a winter sale – and, most definitely, for your listing photos, too.

     

  7. Do More De-cluttering: Think you’ve already removed every personal affect that may make a potential buyer think they’re moving into an already-claimed home? Move some more. Outdoor property like vehicles in the driveway, hoses left out for watering, abandoned patio furniture and even full trash cans may clutter up listing photos enough to turn off that just-right potential buyer. So, once you’ve de-cluttered inside… do some more outside!

     

  8. Remove Pet Personables, Too: If you’ve finally got your indoor and outdoor personal items out of view, it’s time to take care of your pets! Even if a potential home buyer is a dog-or-cat lover, they may not love your dog or cat! So, do yourself a favor and de-clutter your pet’s personal items, too. That means remove any kitty litter or dog toys, along with food and water dishes. They may be a part of your home, but prospective home buyers may not want to call them their own!

     

  9. Hide Power Cords and Cables: We all know that your TV doesn’t work if it’s not plugged into an outlet, but listing photos do not need to show that. Your home will appear much more tech-and-buyer-friendly if your cluttered cords and cables are conveniently unseen. For the sake of your listing photos, tuck away any cords and cables you can!

     

  10. Stow Away Your Valuables: Remember that your listing photos will live online during the entire duration of your home sale. To avoid any unsavory browsers from checking out your valuables, do yourself a favor and remove them from your home before it appears in your listing photos. Stow valuables away before they’re in plain sight for the entire online browsing community to see.

When you’re selling a home, listing photos can play a major role in your home-sale success. Make sure that you’re putting your home’s best foot forward from that first snapshot. If you’re ready to sell your home, but you need a little help with your listing photos, contact an experienced, professional real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty. We’ll be happy to help you with professional listing photos today.