Great real estate photography and beautiful home staging can make a huge difference in the price you are offered and the timeframe you close in.
Putting in the extra effort with incredible photography and a professionally staged space, will typically pay for itself and then some. Check out our latest post for some great staging and photo tips!
Real Estate Photography and Staging to Sell Your Home in COLUMBIA
Before The Photos Are Taken and The House Is Shown…
Call a professional. For the maximum benefits of staging and photography, you will want to hire professionals. This will most likely be two different people. A photographer might not be great at accessorizing or furniture placement. Whereas a professional stager might not know how to utilize the light or take photos to maximize a room’s space in a photo. It is the combination of these two professionals that will bring your property the visual draw your house deserves.
Before putting your house on the market and showcasing it through photos or showings, it is highly advisable to enlist the services of professionals for staging and photography. These tasks are typically best handled by two different experts, each bringing distinct skills to the table. A professional photographer possesses a keen eye for composition, lighting, and capturing the essence of a space through high-quality images. They understand how to maximize a room’s visual appeal through the lens, using techniques such as wide-angle shots to showcase the property’s size and features.
On the other hand, a professional stager specializes in optimizing the physical presentation of the property. They excel at arranging furniture, accessorizing, and creating an ambiance that appeals to potential buyers. A stager’s expertise lies in bringing out the best in a home’s design, making it more attractive and inviting. They focus on neutralizing decor to broaden the property’s appeal and help buyers envision themselves in the space.
The collaboration between a photographer and a stager is crucial for achieving the maximum benefits of showcasing a property. While a photographer may excel in capturing images, they might not possess the skills needed for effective furniture placement or accessorizing. Similarly, a stager may not have the expertise to utilize light and angles to enhance the visual impact of a room in a photograph. By bringing together these complementary skills, you ensure that your property is presented in the best possible light, both literally and figuratively. The result is a visually appealing and market-ready home that has the potential to attract more potential buyers and command the attention it deserves in a competitive real estate market.
As They Say, A Picture Says A Thousand Words…
Great photography is paramount when listing your house on the MLS and other platforms. We have all seen the photos. Those listings where you say, I can’t BELIEVE they used that shot! Some people take photos themselves, while others rely on their agent.
Some agents have a good eye, however, nothing can compete with hiring a professional photographer. They will have all kinds of tricks, allowing them to get the absolute BEST photos of your house. Tripods, wide-angle lenses and natural lighting are just a few must-haves.
Hiring a professional will easily pay for itself. Keep in mind, a photographer is NOT a stager. They are not there to clean up or position items throughout your home. They are there to capture the best photos of what “is”.
Exceptional photography plays a pivotal role in the successful listing of a house on the MLS and other real estate platforms. We’ve all encountered listings where the quality of the photos leaves much to be desired, prompting us to question the choices made in showcasing the property. While some homeowners and agents may opt to take photos themselves, the undeniable truth is that nothing can surpass the impact of hiring a professional photographer. These experts bring a wealth of skills and specialized equipment to the table, employing tricks of the trade such as tripods, wide-angle lenses, and a mastery of natural lighting to capture the absolute best shots of your home.
A professional photographer’s contribution goes beyond just taking pictures – it’s about creating a visual narrative that highlights the property’s strengths. Tripods ensure stability for clear shots, wide-angle lenses capture more of each room in a single frame, and an understanding of natural lighting enhances the overall ambiance. Investing in a professional photographer is an investment in the marketability of your property; their expertise can make a significant difference in attracting potential buyers.
It’s important to note that while a photographer excels at capturing the existing features of a home, they are not stagers. Their focus is on bringing out the best in what “is” rather than rearranging or cleaning up. The synergy between professional photographers and stagers is powerful; combining their skills ensures that your property is not only well-photographed but also aesthetically presented to appeal to a broad audience. Ultimately, the cost of hiring a professional photographer is an investment that can easily pay for itself in the form of increased buyer interest and potentially higher offers.
Get it “Magazine Pretty” With a Professional Stager
Professional staging is still largely seen as a “boutique” service, or something only used by people in big cities. But the fact is, staging has a HUGE impact on your ability to successfully sell your home.
People largely buy based on emotion. You will want to create a neutral environment, yet still, allow the viewer to feel as if they are in their own home. Some stagers will refurnish and decorate a whole house, however, it is much more common to focus on a couple main rooms.
Depending on what you already have, a stager can bring in many pieces or simply replace and repurpose items you already have to be more aesthetically pleasing. The ultimate goal of staging is to maximize the perceived value of the home.
Tip #1: Declutter
Don’t take any photos or show your house to any buyer until all of the clutter has been removed. Buyers do not want to see your personal possessions or photos while touring your house. It can make people feel intrusive and subconsciously make them want to leave. This isn’t how you want them to feel!
Tip #2: Say Goodbye To All Personal Items
Well for a little while anyway. Putting away things like photos, awards, bills as well as religious and political items will make people feel more comfortable. Your goal is to make people feel as if they could live there. They need to be able to easily imagine themselves in the space, and that can prove difficult when looking at a wall of your family photos. In addition, packing up unnecessary items and personal effects will help when the moving day arrives.
Tip #3: Don’t Neglect the Outside Areas
For both photography and viewing purposes, you will want to spend some time fixing up the outside of your home. Don’t leave your cars in the driveway, instead park them down the street.
This will allow the focus to be on your home in the photos and will make people feel like they are pulling into their own driveway as opposed to someone else’s. You should also put away all personal items and kid stuff. They say people decide if buying is a possibility in only a matter of seconds.
This is why it pays to clean up the front yard, plant a few flowers and refresh the front porch. The backyard should also be clear of clutter, with a warm and inviting feel. People should want to spend their time there!
Tip # 4: Keep it Tidy… Like Really Tidy
You never really know how other people live. Keeping food out on the counter, the lid up on the toilet, or having cables running across your walls can be huge eyesores to certain people viewing your home. Think about how you would expect a hotel or Air B&B to look upon arrival… and strive for that.