How to Take the Best Photos for a Home Sale
Spring has come and finally the temperature is rising, the flowers are blooming, the grass is turning green, and you may be thinking to yourself, “Now is the time to sell your house.”
And you would be right. May is not only traditionally a good time of year to sell , but all those lovely spring colors in your backyard make it a great opportunity to take photos that showcase your home at its best. But taking photos at the right time of the year isn’t the only thing to keep in mind when you start taking these shots. There are a few other simple tricks you can use to get the best results when you’re ready to list your home for sale.
Do it
Before you do anything else, you need to decorate your home . That means getting rid of the clutter, cleaning up, removing all those personal family photos, and taking out any annoying eyes that might distract from the traits you’re trying to highlight. We’ve got a good guide for you:
Go naturally
Natural light is your best friend when it comes to showcasing your home. Do not rely on camera flash as it can cast harsh shadows and bounce off mirrors or windows. You can turn on the lights in your home, but remember to open your blinds and curtains as well. Take photos early in the morning before the sun has gone down, and don’t take photos on a cloudy rainy day.
To capture the best outdoor shots of your home, the best time of day will depend on which direction your home is facing. When shooting outdoors, you want the sun to be behind you to minimize shadows. So for houses facing east, get out and start filming in the morning. For houses facing west, midday is best.
When in doubt, if you are in a hurry and want the photos taken right away, choose morning.
Get down on your knees
Do you know how when you take a selfie you raise your hand and tilt your phone to get an angle that magically shrinks your face? Yes, when you photograph your home, you want to do the opposite. This may be the case when you want the subject you are photographing to look as large and bulky as possible, so kneel down before shooting.
Shoot at an angle
When you’re shooting interior rooms at home, stand in a corner or in a doorway to get the widest possible angle and allow potential buyers to imagine themselves walking around the house. When photographing the exterior, try standing at an angle rather than straight to show the depth of the house.
Take some close-up shots
If your home has character, be sure to show it off. It doesn’t hurt to include a few close-ups of beautiful wood trim around windows, a backsplash, or a stair spindle. Don’t overdo it; Less is more when it comes to close-ups, but highlighting one or two details is a nice touch.
Keep it real
Don’t overdo it so that your home doesn’t look like it isn’t. It won’t do you any good if a bunch of potential buyers come along and say, “Uh, this was a false advertisement.” So don’t use old photos of your house taken 12 years ago when the paint on the siding didn’t start chipping and you allowed each bush to grow a lot. And don’t use a wide-angle lens to make your small rooms look massive.
You want to show your home in the best possible light, but at the same time it should look like your home.