The Importance of Quality Photos in Selling a Home

Studies have shown that more and more buyers are flocking to the internet first when looking for a Northern Virginia/South Carolina home.  This is even before they have hired a real estate professional or contacted a loan company.  They want to see what's available in the area they are searching for.  In addition to finding out the specifics, such as price, location, amenities, etc., buyers want to see what the house looks like.  That's why it's so important to have good quality photos of your home uploaded to your listing.  You don't have to spend a lot of money on a high priced photographer, though.  Here are a few ideas on how you can get good quality photos when selling your home:

• Keep It Clean - Before anything else, clean up your home.  A cleared, clean space translates much nicer on film than a cluttered mess.  Dishes need to be put away, trash bins should be out of sight and the countertops should be cleared of any clutter.  Make your bed, put the clothes away, close all your dresser drawers and keep the closet doors closed.  In the bathroom, make sure the glass shower doors are sparkling.  If you don't have glass doors, close the shower curtain completely.  Put the lid of the toilet seat down (you'd be surprised how many shots of an open toilet I see on the MLS).  Empty the trash bin and put a fresh bag inside.  Add flowers for nice color accents.  Remember, you're trying to sell your Northern Virginia/South Carolina home.  So, think about what will look good on film.
• Lighting - For interior shots, turn on all the lights and use your camera's flash.  This will make sure that the room is bright and cheery looking, elminating any dark areas.  When taking photos of the exteior of your home, take several at different times of the day, since the light can dramatically change the look of your home.  Sometimes, even a little overcast sky can bring a depth to your photo that you weren't expecting.  Consider taking pictures from a few steps up on a ladder to get an interesting angle of the front of your home instead of a simple straight on shot. 
• More is More - Take LOTS of photos.  If you limit the amount of photos you show, potential buyers may think that it's not worth their time to view it in person.  This is your chance to lure them in.  Some listing sites will only allow a few photos to be viewed online.  If that is the case, talk to your REALTOR about adding these photos to a free online photo sharing account (such as Flickr, Photo Bucket or Image Shack) and putting a link in the text of your listing so that people can have access to them.  Take photos of all the rooms in your home.  You can even include different views of the same room to give the viewer a more complete look.  Don't forget to take plenty of exterior shots as well of both the front and the back of your home.
• Talk to the Professional - Your real estate agent has experience with using photos in a Northern Virginia/South Carolina listing.  Ask to see photos they have taken of other properties.  They may be able to capture the perfect shots for you.
• Its in the Details - Before deciding on the final photos to use in your online listing, run them through photo-editing software.  There are several free online versions if you don't currently own any.  This will clean up the color, contrast and brightness of a photo as well as allow you to crop out anything extra that isn't needed in the photo (such as ceiling or extra background filler).

Don't underestimate the importance of quality photos when selling your Northern Virginia/South Carolina home.  This may be the first look a potential buyer has at your property.  If you want them to take a second look and actually physically come to your home, you need to use the best photos you can to highlight what your home has to offer.  Please feel free to contact me if you need any help with any of this.