Tasteful, Accurate Real Estate Marketing
Here at the Henry Wong Team we’re big on our visual marketing, and we get professional photography and videography done on every property we market. It’s no secret most buyers look online first to find their new home or investment, so you need to ensure that what you’re selling catches the eye and stands out from the other homes. iPhone photos? No good at all. Super-cheap photos from a novice with a new camera? Not recommended.
When you get a professional with modern equipment, lots of experience and a good eye to take your photos, you’re taking a massive step towards correctly marketing your home.
What steps can you take before the photoshoot?
Leading up to and during the photoshoot there are a few things you can do to help the photographer out. This will save time during the shoot and also maximise the visual appeal of your property. The main message is to declutter. Clear surfaces and floors create a feeling of space and remove distractions from the image or video. Tasteful minimalism hugely contributes to the presentation of a home. Let’s start with inside of the property:
General/Living Areas:
There are a number of general things you can do throughout the home that especially apply to the living areas:
– In the lounges and living areas, put away all jackets and shoes, or other miscellaneous items like umbrellas.
– Remove signs of pets from the property. Hide their beds and bowls, and maybe take the dog for a walk during photoshoot time. We love your pets, but they are notoriously good photobombers!
– Hide visible electrical cords and cables. Your photographer will really thank you for this – the cords can be removed in photoshop, but it’s a time-consuming process and can incur an extra charge.
– Turn on all the lights throughout your home for the shoot. Do a test run a couple of days before to see what lights aren’t working, and head down to Bunnings to get the bulbs or parts to fix them. The more lights on in the property, the better.
– Trim down the ornaments and decorative items on top of dressers or book shelves. Remember, less items gives a more spacious feel.
– You may want to remove photographs/paintings that have family members (especially children) in them that will be recognisable in the real estate photographs. Remember the photographs will be widely marketed on the internet.
– Open up blinds and curtains, and let that natural light in. Your photographer will make small adjustments as he needs to them, but generally you want to show how light, spacious and breezy your property is.
– Consult your photographer about the placement of your furniture before the shoot. There’s a chance that making some slight adjustments, or moving a chair here and there, could really help with how the room looks in a photo.
– Turn off all fans, computers and TV screens for the photography. Screens can create weird flickers in the images, and a spinning fan looks like a blurry mess. However, a spinning fan looks good in the videos, so if you’re getting a video shot then turn the fan back on for that.
Kitchen:
– Remove all excess objects and appliances from the benchtops, including tea towels, detergents, scrubbers, dish racks and the like, which should be placed in a draw.
– A thoughtfully placed menu book, bowl of fresh fruit or some flowers is a nice touch, but otherwise keep everything simple and let the kitchen speak for itself.
– Place bins out of sight in a cupboard or storage area.
– Clear magnets, photos, reminder lists and other items from the fridge and any other appliances.
Bathrooms:
– Remove racks and all bottles of shampoo, body wash, soaps, flannels and so on from the shower.
– Only have fresh, neatly folded towels hanging on the towel racks.
– Stash away toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, hairbrushes or anything else from the sink. The less distractions the better.
– Clear the floor of scales, bathmats and laundry baskets.
– The toilet lid should be closed for the photo and remove any extra toilet rolls from the vicinity.
Bedrooms:
– Make all the beds, with matching bedclothes if possible. Try avoid using bright colours as they can be distracting and can affect the colour balance of the photograph. Use your thickest, comfiest looking pillows available.
– Clear the bedside tables, except for lamps, which should be turned on. Books, tissue books and ornaments should go in the drawer.
– Large portable objects such as fans, laundry baskets and heaters should be hidden away.
– Tidy up toys and desks. It’s okay to have a kids room looking like a kids room, but make sure it’s nice and neat and the floors are clear.
The Outside:
– Sweep and leaf blow the verandah, and make sure the outdoor furniture is dust free and nicely positioned.
– Remove the barbeque cover for the photo. This adds a ‘lifestyle-y’ appeal to the home.
– If you have large umbrellas in the garden, open them up for the shoot. They add character.
– Ensure your swimming pool is looking the goods – nice and blue and free of leaves. If you have a Kreepy Krawly pool cleaner, take it out for the shoot.
– Mow the lawn, trim the flower beds and lay down fresh mulch. It’ll really help the outdoor images to pop.
– Power wash paths and the outside of your home. It’s amazing the difference this makes.
– Fix up all the bits and pieces that have needed fixing for a while. Broken light fittings, unruly tiles… you know the ones we’re talking about!
– Hide wheelie bins, garden equipment and kids toys from the lawn.
– Move your cars down the street and out of view.
– Have your garage doors completely shut for the photos.
So, that’s a fairly comprehensive list for you to think about when you’re getting a photoshoot done at your property. Don’t be daunted by it though – start thinking about things a couple of days in advance, take care of the big things early, and put trust in your photographer and agent that they’ll know the best way to present your home. Often the photoshoot time is a good opportunity to take the pets for a walk, or if you don’t have pets, to head out and enjoy a relaxing coffee. The Henry Wong Team and our professional photographers will make sure your home looks the best it can be in the photos.
