Preparing Your Home for Photographs
The first that time potential buyers will see your home will be online via photographs, video or 360 Tour.
It is essential that it looks at its best, both inside and out, remember buyers are usually looking to move with the minimum of effort and expense, so the more you can do to remove either will benefit your house sale.
Should I spend any money on my home before selling?
Your Agent will help you here. Please see this discussed in our FAQ section.
Remove any carpet stains and worn-out furniture. Clear the counter tops in the kitchen and other rooms. It is ok to have family photos and ornaments, within reason, a bit of character will show that it is a “Home”, but you do not want the place to look too busy!
Remember the 3 D’s
Declutter, Declutter, Declutter
Then the 3 Rs
Review, Rearrange, Remove
You are aiming to show off your house to its best advantage so moving the furniture around to maximise space and improve lighting, especially natural light is key. A busy room may give the impression that there are too few cupboards and storage spaces. Painting dark coloured walls, a lighter, neutral colour and add to the light and feeling of space as well as the possibility that it will present the buyers with a “Blank Canvas”.
Those of you who remember the House Doctor on Channel 5 will remember her mantra of Kerb Appeal, Declutter and Neutral Décor. As first impressions count, your driveway or garden approach should be as tidy and well kept as possible as well as a clean and fresh front door and surround.
- Ensure your home has good kerb appeal.
- Windows in good condition and clean
- Well maintained garden, grass cut and bushes tidy.
- Driveway cleared. No loose bricks or slabs.
- Roof in good condition, debris free
- Well-painted exterior (especially the front door area)
Too much furniture in a room affects the feeling of the space and can make getting good photographs difficult. Similarly, an Extra King Size bed in a bedroom can hamper the presentation of the space when a double may show it off better.
If you have a room you use as a walk-in cupboard, consider returning it back to a bedroom. The same thought process would have been applied to homes with a bedroom or sitting set up as a home office pre-2020, but with so many people required to work from home, there may not be the same emphasis to change office back to bedroom.
The idea is to present the property so that viewers online will be impressed with your home photos enough to pick up the phone and arrange a viewing. If you are having a 360 tour, please note that the camera sits on the floor in the centre on the room usually, and so if possible, it is best to clear the space around there.
In the US, staging the home for sale is a big business. Most sellers in the UK may have only seen Ann Maurice, Channel 5 ‘s House Doctor where Ann was brought in to help properties that were not selling and had lingered on the market. She usually prompted the sellers to adopt the advice already listed on this page, but if their budget allowed, she would also hire or borrow furniture and fittings to enhance the appearance of the property. This may be something you might consider when preparing your home for the photos. If I saw this room as it is, would I arrange a viewing for it?
The Estate Agent will organise the photos to be taken and processed and should offer to allow you to see a preview of your listing to approve.
If you would like to find out more about the processes involved in selling your home, please contact Hoppers Estate Agents and find out about obtaining your homes MOT prior to going to market and find out if your house is “BEACH BOD READY” for the market.