
What details in a house make up a great interior photo?
Why concern yourself about the details? Today, when you are selling you, need to make sure your home speaks to a buyer – not to you. In today’s market to be effective to grab a buyer, a seller needs to do more than just put their house on the market. Being objective is one of the hardest things a seller has to become when listing their house. You have lived in a house for a few years; memories have been made who wouldn’t love to see how you lived in the house?
Details in a house speak to buyers
The details in a house relay a lot to buyers. What details are they looking at? The initial impression of the details when a buyer looks online for a house are scrutinized. Buyers look to see if the house is clean if the house has updated features, and if it meets their requirements. When a buyer looks at listings online the images send a message. The first impression will decide if they would like to take a second look or pass that house on by. They typically spend less than 8 seconds on a photo.
Here are some pointers to help your home speak to buyers and examples of what not to do.
Remove Clutter
Take some time to depersonalize, and clear up extra clutter. The extra “stuff” in rooms is distracting and eats your equity. Buyers cannot envision a house any different than it appears. Do a little work ahead of time and remove anything that will distract the buyer from viewing the house. The details in the room should convey to buyers a feeling of home. House that is up-to-date and current with today’s trends get noticed. If your furniture is old, or lighting fixtures from another century consider updating them. Buyers are expecting a house to look like a magazine shoot. So strive for a similar look with your house when listing it.
Suggestion:
Take a picture yourself of a room, put it on your computer and look at it. Does the room look spacious or too cluttered? Updated and modern or tired like nothing has changed since you first moved in.
Remove personal items
Personal items are symbols of your religious beliefs. Bold colors on the walls, collections of items. Animals should not be photos when listing your home. Some people are allergic to animals and that gives them a reason not to look at your house. Photographs of you, your family, children. These only allow a buyer to see you living in the house, not them. By removing and using more neutral photographs or art a buyer will not concentrate on looking at who is in the pictures. Instead, they will concentrate on looking at the house.
Suggestion:
Review each and every room, remove items that are dated, too personal, or that you do not use any more. This is a great jump on packing items up for your move. Have a plan on what you will be doing with your pets and their belongings when people are coming to view your house.
Colors on the walls speak volumes –silently but affect the perceived value of a house. When you are selling you want to keep the colors neutral and appealing to the masses. Neutral colors are your friend when selling, and neutral does not need to be white. Neutral colors allow the rooms to stand out so that the buyers can appreciate the rooms of the home. Statistics have shown that only 10% of the population can envision any change in a room. So yes, when you are selling it is best to make changes prior to listing. When you think, “big deal it’s just painting”, you could be sabotaging the sale of your house. If you are not sure what colors buyers would like then consult with a professional for a color consultation. Paint is the biggest bang for your buck when selling.
Suggestion:
Having a color consultation before selling is worth the small amount invested. The colors chosen will not only highlight the room’s beauty but also allow buyers to preview the house with open eyes. Color can take a room from not being desirable to very desirable. Having a staging consultation is also worth the small investment to ensure your house will appeal to the largest pool of buyers possible.
Let me know of your success stories, what you did to improve the details of your rooms to make your home resonate with buyers?
Other good reads:
Color Can Hurt the Sale of Your House
Photography and Staging | The Listing
It is interesting how pictures can draw attention to the little details a homeowner may not even notice anymore. Good photo advice!