Tag Archives: photography

What kind of car do you have? Is your driveway garnished by a gleaming Mercedes or understated Audi? Perhaps you figured your estate agent’s car was more appealing to show off your home, so he left his BMW on show for the photographs. Or maybe your muddy Mini was already parked and no one suggested you move it.

Over the years, I’ve seen property photographs with skips, broken down cars and driveways with weeds so high it’s impossible to park a car. I’ve also seen ‘Butterflies’-type parking (remember Butterflies, with the four car shuffle?) where removing a car is more difficult than the Krypton Factor.

On the other hand, I’ve come across very modest dwellings with a Ferrari or Lamborghini parked outside. I once knew an agent in Cheshire who always insisted on having his silver Mercedes C-Class in every front shot. His window display looked like an Autotrader feature. Having a fully-branded agent car plonked on the driveway is also quite common in the agency’s quest for brand awareness.

So what should adorn your driveway for your main image? The answer is very simple: nothing. Any car you park will lead a buyer to make an assumption, or draw a conclusion, and that may not be a positive one. The agent’s car will do you no favours either; if you are lucky enough for the sun to shine when the front photograph is taken, and the result is a lovely image of your home, the agent’s car is only going to spoil the shot. It also means you can’t use it if you decide to move agents.

Keep your driveway empty, clean, free of weeds and looking smart, and your front shot will look the better for it.

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Whether you’re taking the photographs yourself, or enlisting the help of a professional, you want your home to look it’s best when picture days rolls around. Because when your home is listed on Rightmove, great shots attract more buyers. Let’s put your homes best features forwards, and showcase the unique qualities of each room. That way, we can tempt more people to step inside, and take a closer look. So here’s how we do it:

Five days to go

Home styling and staging are great ways to prepare for your house photography shoot. With less than a week before you’re planning to shoot your home, it’s time to get prepared. Take a walk through each room, and take a picture.

Now nip outside to shoot the front and back garden, before finding a comfy spot to flick through the album. Try to imagine yourself as a potential buyer. What do you notice in each room? If anywhere looks a little cluttered or busy, your home is in great company, as almost all homes have that comforting lived-in look. But, sadly, not many people choose to view a lived-in looking home. Because moving into another family’s ‘lived-in’ space isn’t all that appealing.

Four days to go

Let’s take another look at the pictures with fresh eyes, and take note of anything distracting. Because great home photography showcases the home, not the things inside the home. And there’s only so much a photographer can do.

So, let’s tick off the lounge. Are the sofas positioned just right? With a little straightening and shuffling, furniture can frame a fireplace, or draw your eye to an elegant bay window. Textiles shouldn’t be the main focus, so if the curtains are clashing with the cushions, it’s worth indulging in a few new accessories. In your lunch hour, have a quick browse on a few Homeware websites. John Lewis and The Little White Company are great choices; opt for any neutral tones, and steer clear of clashing patterns. And with a few clicks, you’ll have a fresh new look for your lounge delivered to your door-step.

Three days to go

If you have children or pets, give the grandparents a call and do some sweet talking. A family visit is something for the children to look forward to, and it would be ideal timing for the upcoming shoot day too. The sounds of little pattering feet are lovely, but your photographer will thank you for keeping them out of shot.

Two days to go

Let’s look at the master bedroom shots. This room should look like a sanctuary; it needs to appear peaceful, calm and indulgent. But this is the room that often falls short. Most people like to show a little personality with their bedsheets and throws, but unfortunately, not everyone shares the same taste. Keeping bed linen plain and fresh is key. So if all your sheets are wonderfully loud and garish, you’ve just got time to order a calmer alternative. Throws and cushions should be in keeping with the decor, and complimenting curtains complete the ambiance.

One day to go

Head to the kitchen, and remove any appliances off the worktops. Having microwaves, mixers and coffee machines to hand is convenient, but they’re off-putting to potential buyers. Having chopping boards, tea towels and bins on show makes a room appear cluttered. So, with just one day until the shoot, it’s best to find them a temporary hide-away home.

The day of the photoshoot

So, the photographer is on their way, and you’ve got just enough time to grab a bag, and double-check that each room is ready ahead of their arrival. File away any paper-work on the office desk, pop the children’s’ beakers in the dishwasher, and tidy away any rogue clothes. Because a photographer may be a professional, but there’s only so much they can do. A good rule is: anything you can pick up and pop in the bag, pick up and pop in the bag.

Straighten all bed linen, and smooth over curtains, because clean lines and crisp edges make a surprising difference. And once you’ve finished checking each room, leave the door open to create a sense of space.

When the photographer arrives, don’t be afraid to work with them. Yes, they are skilled and experienced, but you know your home better than anyone. Point out all the features you love about each room, and remember the things that made you smile on your first viewing. Make sure to point out any nice fixtures in the bathroom, and encourage them to take close up shots of any original features too. Standard, wide angle shots give a sense of space, but a few snaps of artful details is memorable too. Because if the pictures of your home are memorable, potential buyers are sure to get in touch.

So it’s as easy as that! Happy selling 🙂

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Sam

When you’re ready to sell your home, you want your listing to be on Rightmove fast. But without great photography, you’re unlikely to have many people take a closer look. So how do we make sure that the shots are tempting? Let’s head to the lounge and check that it’s ready for the photographer to arrive. Because the secret to great house photography isn’t the photography itself. It’s the home styling and preparations before the photographer arrives! Follow these simple home styling tips, and your lounge will be picture perfect from every angle.

Take a step back

Perhaps you’ve lived in your home for so long, you don’t pause to appreciate the lovely oak fireplace anymore. Or maybe you’re so ready to move, you overlook the chipped paintwork on the skirting boards. Either way, seeing the same room every day brings a sense of familiarity and comfort. And, sometimes, we can all become a little too comfy with our surroundings. That’s when we start to overlook the details that may be the key to selling your home.

So how do we see the lounge through fresh eyes? We start with a little nostalgia. Let’s go back to the first viewing of your home. What did you feel the first time you walked into your lounge? Perhaps the gently lit window seat, or rustic exposed beams, made you smile. Maybe it simply felt spacious, and you knew it would be the perfect space to entertain guests on a weekend afternoon. But, with time, our home adapts to our family. Maybe your brood is now a few children heavier, and the lounge that once felt spacious and adult, is now cramped with toys.

This is when rooms can start to lose their identity. And to make the room appealing to other families, it’s important to remember the function, or purpose, of each room. So what is the lounge? It’s the communal spot that brings everyone together, and to enjoy each others company. It should feel big enough to gather friends and family comfortably, yet cosy and inviting too. So how do we strike the balance?

We take a look at the ‘things’ inside the room. Because, as time passes, we find ourselves with more and more ‘things.’ Perhaps you brought a new three-piece suit last year, but you just couldn’t bear to part with your favourite old armchair. So it sits in the lounge next to the new suite. Then there’s the coffee table; it might be a little too big for your current place, but you know it’ll fit just right in your next home.

Don’t worry, you’re not on your own. We all do this. But when someone is flicking through your homes pictures on Rightmove, you won’t be on hand to explain why the bookcase is in the lounge. Potential families will simply assume that there isn’t enough space in the office. And a home that looks small isn’t appealing. Too much furniture is suffocating, so creating a spacious-looking lounge is key.

Shuffle some furniture

It’s not quite moving day, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be a little closer to scheduling the removal men.

So, has your furniture sat in the same position for the past few years? If the answer is yes, maybe it’s time for a little shuffling. With time, we position our furniture so that it’s convenient for our everyday living. And that makes sense. But in doing so, it’s easy to cover up, hide and block the homes natural features too. Repositioning furniture can help you rediscover special qualities, and making sure that they’re in frame when the photographer arrives is key.

Flick through a few Homeware magazines for room layout inspiration, because a little sofa shuffling can help breathe some life back into a space. On that note, if you are thinking of indulging in a new suite for your new home, consider replacing the old one now instead. A contemporary set can transform a tired room, and it’ll instantly make the lounge look loved and inviting.

Consider putting big items of furniture, or anything that detracts from the room’s natural features, in storage too. Moving furniture can create space, frame features, and create a more sociable environment.

If your family has grown by a baby or two since you bought your home, you might find that it’s now not quite fit for purpose. That’s why you’re moving. But. And it’s a big but. Potential buyers don’t want to feel that the living space is cramped. They want it to feel spacious and roomy; it needs to look like a family hub, and a perfect space for entertaining too. So any toys, animal beds, or make-shift furniture should be hidden out of shot.

A final five-minute spruce

By following these home styling tips, you’ve done the hard work. But before the photographer arrives, spend a few minutes dressing the room. Neatly fold throws, and plump up the cushions. Open blinds, and turn on any low-level lamps too. Because the lighter the room, the better your photos will show off your home.

Happy selling!

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Sam

The prospect of a photographer taking pictures of your home isn’t always the most pleasant thought. You want your home to appear homely and inviting, but not too lived in. And you want it to look clean and neutral, but definitely not clinical. Sounds complicated, but our home staging rule is simple: declutter, de-personalise and dress. And since it’s the hub of the home, let’s apply our method to the kitchen. Because, here’s a secret: it’s not the photography itself that’ll catch people’s eye; it’s the preparation before the photographer arrives.

De-clutter

Let’s start by decluttering. Sounds taxing, but it doesn’t have to be. Simply make sure that all worktops are clear, chopping boards are put away, and tea towels are tucked out of sight. The same applies to bins. Yes, every kitchen has bins. But there’s no avoiding that even the most tasteful bin, is a rubbish container in disguise. And anything that can be associated with dirt and grime is not a welcome distraction.

In fact, anything that can be removed, probably should be removed. Because the kitchen should look as spacious as possible. So if your microwave lives on the worktop, consider giving it a temporary new home. Appliances on show make the kitchen look cramped, and a lack of space is unappealing to any family.

De-personalise

Preparing your home for a photographer can feel a little intrusive. Your home is filled with your family’s memories, and the personalised touches are special to the people inside. But since it’s an unavoidable formality when selling your home, it’s best to take it as an opportunity, not a chore.

Because if you’re selling your home, you’re ready to move forward. That means a new home, and a fresh start. When styling your kitchen, neatly pack away anything that’s too personal, and store it ready to unpack in your new home. You’ll feel more comfortable without the photographer catching your children’s portraits in the background, and a blank canvas will help potential buyers envision their family in the space.

The same rule applies for fridge magnets and personalised name hangings. In fact, anything that is sentimental is best out of shot. Yes, the kitchen is a family space, but it’s best to pack any rogue toys into storage. Because, whilst an endless trail of toys is the reality of our homes, no one is ever really impressed by reality.

Home styling is about romanticising reality. It’s about creating an ideal that is unachievable every day. Take pets for example. Most families have a furry friend or two, and yet no one really likes to see their food bowls and litter trays. So animal lovers or not, potential buyers will thank you for hiding the cat mat out of shot when the photographer arrives.

Dress

Now that the kitchen is a fresh blank canvas, let’s have some fun. Dressing a home to appeal to another family can be tricky; you know what appeals you to you, but making your home desirable to another family is a whole other ball game. A flick through a few home magazines is a great source of inspiration. But a few finishing touches might be all you need to catch people’s eye.

So, where to start? Take a step back, and look at your de-cluttered, de-personalised kitchen. How does it look? Hopefully the words ‘spacious’ and ‘open’ spring to mind. But the de-personalisation might have made the space a little cold now too. So, now we personalise again. Seems illogical, but there’s a theory to the madness. This time, we personalise with potential buyers in mind. It’s not true personalisation, but staging is, well, staged. And it’ll help other families to picture their family living inside.

The next time you’re mooching around John Lewis, or browsing The Little White Company’s website, take a look at their homeware and accessories. It’ll give you inspiration for your new home, and anything you pick up can be taken with you once your home sells.

For larger textiles, such as curtains and blinds, opt for neutral, subtle tones, and steer clear of any bold, loud patterns. Cushions and throws can add a touch of colour to your kitchen chairs or sofas, but again, pick out the calmer colours. Fresh textiles are a quick way to add warmth and homeliness, but we want to keep a calming environment too. Anything with too much personality, or that jumps out, should be left on the shelf. These finishing touches shouldn’t be a feature, and they shouldn’t detract from the kitchen itself. They should simply compliment the room, and make it cosy.

Kitchen tables can be a feature though, and if dressed to impress, they can help bring a room to life. So if you’re tableware is a little tired or outdated, it’s the perfect excuse to indulge in a new set. Table mats that complement the decor add a nice touch too. Laying a contemporary runner down the center, and placing a delicate trail of candles, completes the elegant finishing.

Happy selling!

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Sam

When looking at homes for sale online, the first picture people usually see is a front-facing shot. And there’s a good reason for that. The ‘front-aspect’, or ‘face’, is the familiar view that greets us each time we arrive home. So having an inviting, warm appearance is key. But after a cold winter of hibernation, our front gardens suddenly begin to look a little wild. It’s difficult to know where to begin, and it’s hard to know what really appeals to other families. So we’re here to lend some hands. Just follow these three easy steps, and you’ll have a picture perfect frontage in no time!

Pick the perfect season

This one is a little tricky, but if you’re looking to sell this Spring, you’re in luck. It’s no secret that in this season, everything begins to blossom; the daylight is fresh and inviting, and the Sun casts a gentle hue on natural woods and brick. Gardens look loved, and capturing beautiful shots is a breeze.

A spot of preening

Take a walk down your front garden, and stand facing your home. Position yourself so that the whole house and garden is in view. Take a picture, and head back inside. Have a look at the shot, and note down anything that detracts your attention from the house. Are the curtains drawn? Or perhaps it’s time for the window cleaner to take a visit? (We all know the feeling!) Sending the picture to friends and family is helpful too; it’ll help you see through objective eyes, and they’ll be able to spot the things you may overlook.

Take bins for example. Most are kept in a convenient spot to the front or side of a home. It works for everyday living, but it’s not the first thing a potential buyer wants to see. Moving them to a more discreet location is a quick job, but it will go a long way to smartening up the frontage. Have a quick sweep of the drive too, and hide away any rogue bikes or watering cans.

Now to tackle the grass

But don’t worry if you’re not the green-fingered type, a quick mow the lawn is all you need to make the garden presentable. Try to take cars off the drive, and park them elsewhere ahead of the photographers’ arrival too; it’ll make the frontage look more spacious, and give people an unobstructed view of the home.

Reinvigorate with colour

The subtle tones of Spring are a delight. A splattering of flower pots adds a delicate touch, and sweeping back any unruly stones or gravel is a worthwhile work-out too. And double-check that any overhanging trees are trimmed back just enough to see the house front. On that note, if the front door looks a little unloved after the winter season, consider freshening it up with a repaint. If you have a picket-fence on show, perhaps give it a lick of paint too. And whilst you sigh as you open the paint pot, know that the couple of hours you spend with a paint-brush in hand will make all the difference to a potential buyer.

And, to finish, popping a few hanging baskets either side of a polished front door is all you need to complete a picture-perfect frontage.

The final touches

So, your home looks magazine-worthy, and you’re ready to schedule the photographer. But what time is best to take the shots? Well, it depends on your location and what aspect your houses faces, so it’s best to double-check with your photographer. Some may advise a mid-morning shoot, others favour a mid-afternoon glow. Most would suggest avoiding midday, as this is the time that shadows appear the darkest overhead. They may suggest returning in the evening to take some twilight shots, though.

There are no real rules when it comes to photography, but for daylight shots, an abundance of light and clear skies is helpful. If it’s raining, try to reschedule, but it’s not a deal breaker if it’s overcast. As long as your home looks welcoming, it’ll catch the eye of potential buyers.

Happy selling!

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Do you have a Smartphone?

The chances are, your buyer does! Research just out shows that 28% of us now are using a mobile device as our primary internet connection. The fact that your buyers may be conducting their property searches on their phone, means that your main photograph, or your ‘leading image’ is more important than ever.

This is what the newest version of Rightmove’s iPhone app looks like:

And here’s how the search results appear:

As you can see, the images are tiny, in fact, they measure just 1cm by 1.5 cm, unless the browser clicks on your listing to view further details, in which case the image even then only measures 3cm x 4cm.

What does this mean for you, the seller? How do you ensure that your property can be seen effectively on today’s Smartphones?

Here’s what you need to take into account:

Make sure your main image is the front of your house. Your buyer may well want to drive past, and they need to be able to recognise your property from the main photo.

Get close-up – there’s no point in having a photograph of your home taken from across the fields – no one is going to be able to make out your house on a phone.

Make sure it’s well-lit and taken on a blue-sky day. It’s only tiny, so make sure your photo has real punch!

Make the description count. Unlike the property portals and estate agents’ websites, the Smartphone description is limited to only around 40 – 50 words, so they’ve got to be good! Don’t let your agent use waffle or preamble, make every word count, and better still, lead with a dynamic headline.

Test it out yourself. Don’t leave it to the agent to advise you; this is very new technology and the way in which buyers search for property changes constantly. Check on your own Smartphone (or borrow someone else’s!) and judge for yourself if your house stands out above the competition.

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Even if you have the perfect house, if people don’t cross the threshold you won’t sell them the property. So perfect pictures are the vital starting point.

It is important to be aware of not only what is in a picture – but what is not in a picture. If there are gaps in what a buyer expects to see they will assume the worst. Why is there no picture of the kitchen or front of the home?

Particularly the front of the house – it is the equivalent of the front cover of a book to a reader. If you don’t have this shot, the buyer will wonder why not – does the house need a lot of work? Is it in a bad area or next to an eyesore like an electricity pylon?

Remember – research indicates there can be up to 15 people driving by your home for a quick look for every person that actually visits and you need to convert them into viewings. The front of the house does not have to be the main picture in your brochure if it is not the best but it does need to be there.

The same is true for the kitchen – this is often the main selling feature of a home and has to look good. Even if yours is not the best, give it a good tidy and de-clutter to make it look spacious and clean. The picture will not be nearly as bad as the imagination of a house proud buyer will make it if there isn’t one at all.

Other key no-nos include pets in pictures – they may be a full member of your family with their own chair at the dining table but they are not for your buyer. Even if a buyer is cat-crazy or doggy-dippy, they cannot be offended by a house that doesn’t have pets, but someone who dislikes animals will be put off by evidence of moggies or pooches as they start to mentally add up the costs of recarpeting, deep cleaning and repairing the imagined damage.

It is amazing how many buyers lack imagination –so do their job for them and ensure your pictures are bright, airy and crisp and show the buyer the very room they could be relaxing in.

Do you get Sam’s Selling Secrets? They’re free! Get yours here www.home-truths.co.uk/selling-secrets

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

Spring is such a lovely time of year. Many of the houses we work with at HomeTruths are rural or village homes, surrounded by fields and woodland, and look absolutely beautiful at this time of year. I love how the flowers count down the weeks until summer too, starting with the snowdrops, then the daffodils, and of course the beautiful bluebells.

Lots of our clients are really pleased when their photographs and brochure feature their beautiful gardens, complete with seasonal flowers. However, I have to explain that whilst it’s true that they do look so pretty, they unfortunately date the photography, and therefore the date the house first came to market, for their buyers to see. I can look at property photography and date it within about 4 weeks, and that may be information you don’t want to share with your buyers.

There are some weeks between spring and autumn when it’s reasonably safe to photograph a garden without giving too much away. A good property photographer will exclude any tell-tale flowers if he possibly can, and give you the best chance of achieving an attractive brochure that doesn’t date.

So – no daffodils please; and if your photographs can be ‘dated’, it’s time to give your agent a call and ask him to arrange for new ones. Tell him Sam said so.

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

When clients come to HomeTruths because they can’t sell their house, the first place I look for clues as to why this is happening, is their marketing. Now, anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time at all, knows that property marketing is ‘my thing’ so I usually have lots to say about it! But what can a seller do when none of their local estate agents offer the kind of quality marketing I tell them is absolutely vital in selling their home for the maximum price possible? “Do it your way” I tell them. Let me explain.

There are four key components to a property’s marketing: photography, description, brochure, online advert.

Very few estate agents get all these absolutely spot on, so why not fill in the missing pieces yourself? Let’s look at these components one at a time:

Photography – source a good local photographer, asking to see his work. If he’s worked for local estate agents before, don’t use him! You’re only going to end up with more of the same. What you’re looking for, is an innovative and creative photographer, who can really bring the best out of your home, and cares enough to switch on lights, and move your sofa in order to get the best shots.

Expect to pay: around £300

Description – you need a copywriter for this. Start off by writing a couple of pages about your home; everything you love about it, and all the features that you think will make a buyer love it too. This will give the copywriter a head start, and something to work with.

Expect to pay: around £150

Brochure – a great brochure designer will come up with a creative layout and even a memorable logo. Printing costs depend on the size and number of pages and what paper your brochure is printed on. Most unique homes need at least 6-8 pages in their brochure, to show off all the key selling features of their property.

Expect to pay: around £500

Online advert – this is where your photography and description can help your advert to really stand out above the competition. Make sure your brochure is uploaded and both this and your floorplan shown as a link on all the property portals. Give it all to your agent and they will do the rest.

Expect to pay: nothing!

By allocating around £1,000 to your property marketing, you can create an amazing campaign, that will knock the socks off all the other properties for sale, Whilst it is admittedly a large up-front cost, relatively speaking, I would suggest you negotiate with your agent to make allowances for this in the commission you would be paying. A commission discount of 0.25% on most properties would allow you to recoup your investment, and you’d be doing a much better job than your agent would in selling your house.

Doing it your way is all about taking control of your own property sale; after all, it means more to you than anyone else, so put your passion and enthusiasm into creating a fabulous marketing campaign that will help your buyer to fall in love with your home, just as you once did.

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.

I spoke to a lady recently who hadn’t had a viewing in six months; another gentleman seller called me who had been trying to sell his house for three years, and in all that time had only had three viewings. If you’re in that boat, you have my sincere sympathies. It’s even harder if a friend or neighbour is getting a viewing a week. So what can you do today that would help you get more viewings?

1. Review your marketing – look at your photography, description, online advert and brochure, and make a list of improvements you could make to them. Ask your estate agent about getting the house re-photographed, and whether they would cover the charge of a professional photographer. Write the description from scratch, including ‘owners’ quotes’, interesting historical anecdotes, and any other human interest element you think might intrigue a buyer.

2. Call your agent – my experience has shown that the more often you talk to your agent, the more likely your house is going to be in the forefront of their mind if a prospective buyer calls. How often have you phoned your agent to ask them why you haven’t had a viewing in a while, only to be told a day or two later that someone wants to view?

3. Take a break – taking your house off the market for a little while may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes it’s all you need to increase the interest in your house when you re-launch. It’s also a good idea if you are going to revamp your marketing materials, as your home will have extra impact when you go back to the market. As a general rule of thumb, I would suggest a month off the market for every six months you’ve been for sale. Upon your re-launch, an email alert will hit all the inboxes of buyers who have registered with Rightmove and the other portals, and this alone could help encourage viewings.

By taking action, not only will you give yourself the best possible chance to increase interest in your property, you will you feel reassured that you are taking control of your own house sale.

If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.