As you can see, we are in a new world of technology and speed! Long gone are the days of exhausting tedious research. Now, with the abundant use of the internet, we have the whole world at our fingertips. The days of searching for a home by driving through the desired neighborhood and spotting the house of your dreams with a “For Sale” sign on it are over! This new age has now allowed you to find multiple “dream homes” at the same time, view their pictures; in and out, and oftentimes take a virtual tour.
Considering this, as a seller, you want to make sure that you’re able to capture every spectacular image of your home that matters! It’s true when they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
Now for the shameless plug…
If you’re selling your home by owner, consider listing on beycome. It’s completely free to list, so why not get extra exposure! Additionally, once you list your home on beycome, you’ll gain access to two incredible photo package upgrades!
- The Flat Fee MLS Enm=hanced ($399) – This includes the photo package, an unlimited MLS listing (which is perfect for getting your house in front of as many eyes as possible), plus, all of the essentials you’ll need for selling your home by owner!
- The Professional Photography Package ($169) – This is strictly our photography package
As to what’s included in our photography package:
- 1 Photography Session with a Professional Home Photographer
- 24x Incredible HDR Pictures
- Full Ownership of your Photos
- We know this seems obvious, but many times when working with a real estate professional it’s often in the contract that they, the real estate professional, owns the photographs which you paid for!
And for those of you who want to smoke your competition, consider these add-on packages:
- Video Walkthrough (+$99)
- Drone Pictures (+79)
However, sometimes funds are limited, and hiring a professional photographer is not an option. In that case, we have some great tips for you to follow to get your listings “Selfie” in their best light!
1. Invest in a Good Camera.
Although Smartphone cameras are top-notch nowadays, we suggest you invest in a digital camera. Before you hit your local electronics chain store, ask friends, family, and maybe even co-workers (the ones that like you) to borrow a camera for a weekend. If that doesn’t work, invest in your home sale and buy one. It doesn’t have to be top quality or expensive. Experts say that a digital camera with at least 5 megapixels will produce quality photos.
2. Stage Your Home.
Now that you’ve gotten the camera, consider staging your home. Home staging is a great idea to give your home a nice orderly feel. Getting clutter away and getting rid of miscellaneous things that are irrelevant to the potential buyer are important. For more info on home staging, read our blog post Home Staging: What Is It & How Do I Get it Done?
3. Let the Light Shine.
Natural lighting is always your friend. Taking pictures of your home with natural light lets the room look brighter, crisper, more natural, and alive. Go from room to room of your home and open the curtains and blinds. You can turn on the light if you need a little more lighting and avoid using the camera flash. Sometimes the flash can reflect in mirrors and windows giving off an unpleasant glare. We suggest you take your photo’s on sunny days between noon and 4 pm when the sun shines its brightest.
4. Stay Out of Sight.
Taking photos of your home is meant to highlight the home. When taking pictures, it is best to leave your adorable baby, sweet ole grandma, Chickpea & Chuchu the family pets and of course your beautiful mirror reflection, out of the photo. This is your moment to unleash your inner photographer and take stunning pictures of your beautiful home minus the beautiful people and pets that live in it.
5. Your Home’s Best Angle.
According to professional photographers, taking a few full room shots from a kneeling position allow the room to seem larger and get a better angle of the room. Shooting photos from approximately 20 inches off the flower will give you those magazine shots people love to see
6. Take a Few Character Shots.
Are you super proud and in love with that custom crown molding you installed? Well, get on a ladder and give it a close-up shot. Remember, you don’t want to get too close to it so that it is unrecognizable. Instead, shoot it from an angle so that you can show its detail and accent.
7. Do Not Photoshop!
Nothing is perfect, such is life! Don’t attempt to upgrade your home via Photoshop because this is misleading and wrong. If your home has some cracks, that’s ok, you don’t need to photo the cracks.
Now that you’ve got some ideas on how to take your home photos, we suggest you take several photos and share them with family and friends so they can help you decide which ones are most appealing. Remember the goal is to accent the home and tell a story. When sorting your photos, place them from the entrance to the back of the home and the floor by floor.