Listing photos are an important part of selling luxury properties in Ontario. In today’s market, most buyers get their first impression of a home from online listing photos. In order to make the best first impression, you’ll want to ensure that your listing photos are top quality. Otherwise, you could detract potential buyers from your home. Nothing entices buyers more than a great listing photo. To get the best photos, it is recommended that you hire a professional. However, even if you are doing the photos yourself, there are a few things you need to do prior to bringing out the camera. In this article, we will be going over some tips on how to prepare your home for its photo op!
Follow along below to learn more.
How to Prepare Luxury Properties in Ontario for Listing Photos?
- Turn on ALL of the lights
Lighting is a key part of any photography job. Before your photographer arrives, it is important that you spend a few minutes walking through your home and turn on all of the lights. This is a necessary step at all times during the day. After all, good lighting makes for better photos. Be sure to switch on overhead lights and any lamps or other task lighting.
- Declutter everything
When it comes time to have photos taken of your home, it needs to be spotless. Homeowners should treat the listing photos the same as they would an in-person showing. This means that everything needs to be clean. Be sure to dust light fixtures, turn off electronics, adjust curtains and towels, wipe down dusty surfaces, and hide distracting items. For example, trashcans, toys, small appliances (toaster, blender, etc), bathroom products, cords, cables, power bars, and broken items. When prepping the kitchen and bathrooms, it is best to have little to no items on the counters. For instance, in all bathrooms, hide away everything on the counter except for soap and a hand towel.
- Make the beds
Unmade beds can ruin your listing photos, so it is important to remember this step! Before your home’s photo-op make sure that you spend some time making the beds. Don’t forget to fluff your pillows, smooth the linens and straighten out the blankets.
More Tips!
- Remove personal items
When buyers look at your home for the first time, they’ll want to be able to imagine themselves in your space. To ensure that buyers can do so, take the time to remove any personal items. For instance, papers, large family photos, awards, political/religious items, etc. This will help neutralize your home so that buyers can envision their decor in the space.
- Move your vehicle(s)
This tip is often unthought-of, but nonetheless, important. When your listing photographer arrives, you should move your vehicle(s) down the street. Listing photos of the exterior/garage tends to look much better without vehicles in the shot. So, take the opportunity to run errands or visit your neighbour while your photographer snaps away!
- Clean-up the outdoors
Many homeowners often neglect to clean the outdoor portions of their property when it comes time for listing photos. However, this is a big mistake! The weekend before your photographer arrives, you should spend some time tidying up your yard. Remove any weeds from garden beds, mow the lawn, rake up any leaves, and put away children’s toys and gardening tools. Doing so will give buyers a better first impression of your home!
- Put away signs of pets
While you may love your fuzzy companion(s), others may not. In order to ensure that your listing appeals to the most buyers, it is important to remove any signs of pets. This means hiding food and water bowls (both indoor and outdoor), toys, leads, structures, and beds. And, don’t forget to bring your pet(s) with you on photo day!
Contact us About Luxury Properties in Ontario
Listing photos are an important part of selling your home. Before your home receives its photo-op it is crucial that you take the time to prepare! If you have any questions about selling your luxury properties in Ontario, contact us today. For more information on what to do before your photographer arrives, get in touch with one of our team members. Be sure to check out our Instagram page here for the latest updates and more. We’d be happy to help you find an awesome high-end property in Ontario. Feel free to reach out to us at any time, we look forward to working with you soon!