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Beyond The Toilet Bowl: Photography Tips For Advertising Your Property
 

A recent blog on ActiveRain still makes me laugh every time I think about it!  "Toilet For Sale: House Comes With It" by Rick & Ines Hegedus-Garcia [http://activerain.com/blogsview/161817/Toilet-for-sale-house] painfully depicts, in an incredibly funny way, how NOT to photograph the bathrooms of property you are attempting to sell or rent.  The overall morale of the story is: When Shooting Pictures Of Your Bathrooms, CLOSE THE LID!

After discussing the funnier points of this "blog for dummies" with several friends, I discovered that most people don't have the slightest idea of what defines a great picture, although opinions have varied to a ridiculous degree!

To help improve the quality of your house photography, please enjoy the following list of tips and tricks as well as the links below.  Remember, one great house picture is worth 1000 phone calls from prospective buyers or renters!

House Photography Tips and Tricks

Let's start with the basics. Most people begin their search for a home to buy or rent online, and online listings with pictures are six times more likely to be read than those without. Advertisements that include more pictures of the house interior and property amenities, not just the standard exterior shot of the front door, will garner significantly more attention.

Before taking random pictures of your property, fine-tune its' overall appearance by repairing any exterior maintenance, paint or landscaping issues, and thoroughly cleaning the interior - removing any unnecessary clutter from rooms and hallways.

1. Exterior Photographs

• Don't leave your '86 Cutlass in the driveway. Remove all of your vehicles from appearing in exterior pictures, unless of course, the car happens to come with the house.
• Mow the lawn, trim bushes, and spruce up your garden - and don't forget to edge your curbs!  You want the house to stand out in pictures, not unkept shrubs or burned patches of grass.
• Clear away any obstacles, tree branches or greenery that limits access or the view of the front door or path to door.
• Don't advertise your pets - shredded doggie bones appearing in pictures of your yard will only make buyers wonder what else is lurking out there in the grass.
• Put away toys and bikes.
• Take pictures at a time of day when shade will not fall over the house - and the brighter, the better! Consider using a filter to bring out the blue sky on a beautiful day. Avoid taking pictures on overcast or rainy days if possible.
• Zoom in on architectural or landscaping features that add character or flair to the house, such as window boxes, pillars, or a stone path through your garden.
• Emphasize your home's curb appeal by taking some shots of the street.
• Don't shoot into the sun - you will have a glare in your pictures obscuring your topic.

2. Interior Photographs

• De-personalize the room as much as possible - you want the prospective buyer or renter to envision his or herself living there, and a picture of your Grandma Enis hanging over the bed won't help them do that.
• Use color to your advantage - sometimes the best method of making a room look bigger, bright or brand new is to apply a fresh coat of paint, or adding bright accents before taking pictures.
• Turn on lights and open drapes & blinds before shooting - remember to take pictures at a time of day when natural sunlight is available. You want the rooms to appear bright and airy, even the basement [as much as possible].
• Add a centerpiece such as a floral or candle arrangement in the kitchen and dining room.
• Remove trash cans & close toilet lids in bathrooms.
• Take close-up shots of unique features such as luxury kitchen cabinets, skylights, a claw-foot bathtub or a fireplace mantle.
• Remove trash cans & close toilet lids in bathrooms. Small changes such as new decorative towels or shower curtain can jazz up your bathroom relatively inexpensively.
• Don't shoot straight into a mirror - the reflection will ruin your picture.
• Photograph every room. Even if you believe the room won't look good in pictures, shoot it anyway at various angles with good lighting -- the results just might astonish you.

3. Additional Tips

• Invest in a digital camera so you can see your shots while you are still onsite -having a digital display will save you both time and money!
• Take several pictures of the same area at different angles and zoom positions.  Then show the pictures to a friend to get their opinion on which ones catch their eye before posting them within your property listing.
• Compress your pictures for maximum speed in loading on the web page listing, and save them as JPEG images. Many photo-editing software tools provide "Save For Web" options to reduce your picture file size. Free downloadable programs which can compress JPEGS also include: WinZip | FreeZip
• Don't lie through your pictures. With today's easy access to photo-editing software, you might be tempted to "freshen" up your kitchen's appearance, or "add color" to your yard.  If you mislead prospective buyers or renters through software enhancements, they'll surely notice when they arrive to visit the property, and you'll lose credibility as well as the prospect.  Your disappointed prospect is much more likely to tell their friends about someone who duped them, instead of a property that simply didn't meet their needs.

For more hints, check out this article on CNN.com with tips from This Old House - the before & after pictures in this piece demonstrate the world of difference that home improvements can make on a property that you wish to sell or rent: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/real_estate/0705/gallery.curb_appeal_NEW.toh/index.html

As always, information in this article is not intended to be used, and should not be used, as legal, tax or accounting advice. Investors should seek advice from an independent financial advisor about their specific situation.

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