Because more and more people are searching for properties online before they even step into an estate agents office, great photographs are increasingly becoming essential in marketing a house.
A good photograph of a property will catch the eye of tenants instantly, whereas poorly lit, wonky pictures are off-putting and relegate a property to the ‘to look at later’ list.
Here’s our Top 10 Tips –
1. Attach your camera to a tripod
Hand held cameras are great for taking spur of the moment pictures, but a tripod will give you the stability to take clearer, sharper photographs.
2. Switch on all the house lights
Even during the day, having all the lights on in your home will instantly make it look warmer and more appealing.
3. Use lighting equipment
Dark corners don’t do your home any favours online, but simple lighting equipment will help you illuminate them. A flash will help, as will a reflector and even a light stand.
4. Room preparation
Sometimes called staging, preparing a room is a way of showing how best it can be used. This is very often done by temporarily repositioning furniture in a room and putting lamps on tables and flowers in vases, or setting a table for dinner.
5. Bubble spirit level
To prevent your pictures looking wonky, use a bubble spirit level to ensure your camera is perfectly angled for each room.
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6. Take your exterior shots in the morning
Getting up a dawn isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but it’s the ideal time of day to get the best photographs of the outside of a property: dawn light is better and there are fewer people around.
7. Watch how the light hits your house
At different times of the day, and at different times of year, the light will change how your house looks. Take some time to stand outside and see how it looks on different days.
8. Processing the image
Today processing is a term for how the image is put through photography software before it is ready to be used. This helps to soften, sharpen and generally tidy up any imperfections.
9. Take a photography course
We’re not saying that you need to do this, but there are photography courses run at adult education centres all over the country, and are the best place to start learning about taking better pictures.
10. Get a professional photographer
Hiring a professional is very cost-effective. They are not expensive and can make the difference between the house renting quickly or not. If you’re thinking of renting your property, then with a one-time investment in professional photographs, you can re-use them each time you come to let the property.
