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Well, congratulations. You’ve made it this far, so it’s safe to assume you’re thinking about or are already in the process of selling your home. A big step, no doubt, but an exciting one! However, there’s something we need to discuss. Preparing your home to sell!
Along the journey of selling a home there are dozens, if not hundreds, if not thousands of little details to consider. Everything from layout to throw-out, spruce up to give up - we get it, because we’ve been there! But of all the details to ponder, ponder this: can you discard what you know and love about your home in order to provide a fresh, neutral, and attractive perspective? Is preparing your home to sell in your blood? Can you prep your property properly for professional photography?
Buyers spend 60% of their time looking at listing photos, with only fractions of that time looking at the listing description or the agent description. What does that mean? That means how you present your home is more important than what’s actually in it!
So, we’re going to give you tried and true advice on preparing your home to sell - specifically for maximizing the use of real estate photography - which will undoubtedly enhance your selling experience.
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 1 - Deep De-Clutter
And we mean deep. Look around at each countertop surface, if you can’t see and easily wipe down over 90 percent of the counter - it’s too busy for pictures! All the little things you probably don’t even notice anymore (the coffee machine, the spices, the napkin holder, etc) have got to go. Pictures need to be excessively clean and crisp or else you will muddy the viewer’s sightline and make it less appealing to continue.
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 2 - Fresh Paint
Fresh paint can go a long, long way. Your walls have been that pale-yellow for 18 years, and you’re used to it. But the buyer shopping online only sees an out of date house. Sharp paint-lines and clear, fresh coats absolutely show up in hi-resolution images and it will make the buyer continue to scroll through your images.
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 3 - Depersonalize
This one hurts a little bit. But the reality is, you are selling it. No one wants to see the catch-all table by the front door littered with 9 family portraits. No one wants to see (and think about removing) the pencil marks on the wall that measured the kids. It stings, we know, but we’re here to help. Depersonalize!
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 4 - Minimize Furniture
Along those same lines as #3, removing extra furniture takes a family room to a large family room. It makes a huge impact on your end product, and it presents a well-kept, spacious home to the buyer. Cluttered furniture, over-stuffed bookcases, unnecessary chairs all make the images feel cramped and stressful. Make it easy on the buyer to be interested in your home - minimize furniture!
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 5 - Curb Appeal
Overgrown, unkept, and out-of-date outside areas make it so easy for a buyer to move on to the next option. There’s an old saying ‘As above, so below’ - basically it means if you’re front lawn has kid toys strewn about, hasn’t been mowed in three weeks, and that one shutter is still hanging sideways, then the inside is likely just as neglected. Don’t make it easy on the buyer to skip over you! A strong effort to shore up your curb appeal is a great invite to view the rest of your home.
Preparing Your Home To Sell Tip No. 6 - Be The Buyer
Spend some time shopping online for houses like yours. Act like you’re interested in the same types of homes in the same types of areas, and study how each one presents. Do you naturally gravitate towards one or two listings? Why? Is it because they have things you don’t, or is it because they’re house looks brand new, is easy to scroll through, and is professionally photographed? Spend some time as the ‘buyer’ and make notes of what you like about other listings - then try to duplicate!
We know you have the power and intelligence to prepare your home to sell, it’s just a matter of time and elbow grease! Let’s make a deal: you provide the effort and elbow grease, and we’ll provide the professional real estate photography!