Hiring a professional photographer to take photos of your property can be the difference between your agent being inundated with calls or the phones falling silent. Quality photographs help potential tenants and buyers to visualise their life there.
Having good quality photos is the key to getting someone’s attention. After all, you wouldn’t buy a product that didn’t look cared for, would you. Thankfully, there are some simple tricks that you can employ to get the best possible photos.
Bring In Some Furniture
If your property is empty at the time of taking photos, try to bring in some furniture to make the property feel lived in. You don’t have to fill everywhere, but having something in each room makes it easier for a potential tenant to visualise the space as their own home.
Keep It Neutral
Bright patterns, clashing colours, or personal photos make it hard for a potential tenant to imagine living there. If you bring any furniture in to stage the property, then ensure it’s neutral. White walls, natural materials, and monochromatic furniture make it easier for a tenant to mentally decorate and arrange their belongings. This will make them feel more invested in a property.
Add Pops Of Colour
While neutral is excellent for creating a blank canvas for viewers, little accents of colour can help to bring emotion into the buying decision. For example, one or two soft furnishings in hues of red can add vitality to the photographs, while yellow in the study/home office can help a space to feel creative. Green houseplants are calming, while touches of blue can be associated with comfort and security.
Avoid Clutter
It might be that you already have a tenant in situ, and if this is the case, then you’re limited on what you can do, but if at all possible, try your best to hide any clutter. Things like piles of toilet rolls in the bathroom, kitchen counters with mail piled up, or a bedroom with clothes on a chair can make the room feel small as it suggests that there’s no storage.
Clutter takes the viewer’s attention away from the whole room – remember that you only have a few seconds to make a good impression, so every minute of tidying counts.
Ensure Well Lit Rooms
A good property photographer will come with some form of lighting, but it won’t be enough to light a dim room. In order to get the best out of your professional property photography, you should ensure that all of the bulbs in the main lights work and if any rooms are particularly dark, then consider bringing in external lighting. A well-placed floor lamp can make the difference between someone scrolling past your property or stopping to examine it further.
Final Touches To Set The Scene
Before your photographer arrives, consider a few final touches around the home. Putting some fresh flowers on a dining table or a well-placed fruit bowl in the kitchen will subconsciously signal to viewers that the property is clean, fresh and well cared for. One of the biggest turn-offs for renters is a tired property, so while it sounds like a silly step, it could potentially help you sign a lease faster!
