What can you do to make your property look awesome?
Any agent will tell you that preparation is important – don’t think too much on styling as such but more on ‘de-clutter’. Simplicity is the key!
“Simplicity is the key!”
A property photoshoot for a sales & marketing campaign can take anywhere between 45 minutes for a unit to 2 hours for a multi story home. Preparation is important, so here is a list of what to prepare prior to your property photoshoot:
Time of day
Early mornings or late afternoons will see a low sun that can easily cause lens flare and high reflection on surfaces in photos. Ideally this can only be a problem for properties with large open plan entertainment areas looking out to views. The prime time for your property is between 11am – 3pm while the sun is high in the sky
Windows
The most important! Clean important main room windows. A hazy window instantly destroys a view when light hits it. It also makes the property look unmaintained and old.
Infant sleep times
Be mindful of the times we are due to photograph your property. Allow for 2 hours. If you share your main bedroom with an infant’s cot (we need to shoot this room!), it may be best to pre plan and move the loved one to another less important room prior to the shoot
Pool
To make a statement it’s best to remove the pool cleaner the day before to avoid a watery mess on the day. Including the removal of any pool toys. Remember to include seating cushions and deck chairs.
Kitchen
We want to sell the lifestyle of a beautifully well-planed kitchen, therefor de-clutter is best. Leave something like a coffee maker to sell the lifestyle or perhaps a toaster to show some functionality, nothing more! Styling with cooking utensils by the stove along with a fruit bowl on an island bench to suggest healthy eating is great. This leaves us with plenty of bench space for preparing food in the buyers mind.
Bathrooms
Quite simply; ‘Remove everything’! We have a lot of personal items in a bathroom and no one wants to see the condition of your toothbrush, loofa sponge, or choice of half a dozen body soaps. Clean folded plain bath & hand towels are acceptable and maybe a small soap on tap or flowers.
Gardens
Don’t hose down pathways in the hours before we arrive – this leads to partly dry concrete that does not look presentable! Doing gardening the week prior however is perfect. It gives time for the garden to settle.
Council Clean ups
If you see old couches and fridges starting pile up on your nature strip then it may not be the best time to photograph the front of your property. Be mindful of this and pre-plan the removal of the pile.
Guttering
Specifically not the guttering itself but the years build up of cobwebs hanging under them. Get a broom and quickly brush them down. This helps to remove the ageing appeal of the property.
Weather
This we can’t plan! However, 90% of the times we can easily still go ahead. Advanced retouching skills allow us to replace skies and brighten rooms with low light sensor cameras. Just let us know if you have some important views that would need some sunshine – this we will need to reschedule or come back for.
Styling
Ideally a dining room table setting helps to paint a picture. Don’t go overboard however; if it’s not what you would do having lived there then it may look a little cheesy! We are selling a home not a hotel room.
Fireplaces
Don’t worry about lighting your fireplace. It never shows up properly in a picture anyway. Instead we insert the fire in our postproduction service. Easy!
Washing day
If you can hold off just one more day before doing 3 loads of washing that would be ideal. Busy clothes lines or accidently capturing a clothes trestle in a view or reflection is not attractive.
Pets
Be mindful that God’s little creatures may be curious or even a little territorial. Ask a neighbor to mind the horse sized dog, rug rat or lawless cat to avoid photo bombing or knocking expensive photographic equipment over.
Tenants
Co-operation would be lovely. I leave this one with you…