When selling a property, photos are the first impression a buyer will have so it is paramount to have great images that capture the character, main features, and layout of your home. With the majority of buyers shopping for homes online, these high-resolution listing photos and video home tours are a must. Here are some tips on how to make your Vermont home shine on camera.
- Understand the camera’s perspective.
The camera’s eye is different from the human eye. It magnifies clutter and poor furniture arrangement so that even a home that feels comfortable in person can look jumbled online.
- Make it spotless.
Cameras also tend to magnify grime. Don’t forget floor coverings and walls; a spot on a rug might be overlooked during a regular home showing, but it could become a focal point online.
- Know what to leave.
You want to avoid clutter, but try to have three items of varying heights on each surface. On an end table you can place a tall lamp (high), a small plant (medium), and a book (low).
- Snap practice pictures with your own camera.
This will give you an idea of what the home will look like on camera before the photographer shows up. Examine the photos and make changes to improve each room’s appearance, such as opening blinds to let in natural light, removing magnets from the refrigerator, or taking down distracting art.
- Pare down.
Removing one or two pieces of furniture from each room, even if just for the shoot, can make your space appear larger on screen.
- Rearrange.
Spotlight the flow of your space by creating a focal point on the furthest wall from the doorway and arranging the other pieces of furniture to make a triangle shape. The focal point may be a bed in a bedroom or a china cabinet in a dining room.
- Accessorize.
Include a healthy plant in every room; the camera loves greenery. Energize bland decor by placing a bright vase on a mantle or draping an afghan over a couch.
- Keep the home in shape.
Buyers who liked what they saw online expect to encounter the same home in person.
At Coldwell Banker Islands Realty, we use High Dynamic Range photography to captivate buyers. This technique involves shooting multiple images of the same scene at different exposure values and then merging them together to create a seamless scene. This, coupled with light editing, makes homes stand out online while maintaining its true depiction. HDR Photography is just one of the many marketing strategies we use to get you home noticed and sold. Learn more about our marketing services or reach out to a Realtor for a personal consultation.