Real
Estate Matters with Tim Bro
Tim’s
Photographer Alberto Lau wrote this article in the NY Times …
How to Prepare your Home for Photography
Here is a
checklist on how to prepare your home for photography. Yes, it’s a lot of work,
and it’s worth hiring a housecleaner! The effort will pay off in the
presentation of your home, very likely attracting more views to your listing
and better offers. During the sales period there is nothing better than
maintaining your home in “photo-ready” mode to welcome potential buyers.
·
The
house must be clean and free of clutter – less is more.
·
Clean
all glass – all windows and mirrors.
·
Get
rid of pet dishes and trash cans. Do not allow you pets to be in the pictures.
·
If
you have large portraits of family members, take them down. Small (less than
5x7 inches) photos are OK because they will be so small in the overall picture
nobody will be able to tell who it is. Remember, the pictures of the house will
likely be used on the Internet.
·
In
the kitchen get rid of towels, refrigerator magnets, sponges, paper towels,
dish detergents, and excessive number of small appliances. Get rid of kitchen
mats and vacuum where the mats used to be.
·
In
bathrooms get rid of trash cans, toothbrushes, rugs, shampoo, hair
conditioners, etc.
·
If
you use your fireplace and know that the flue is open and there are no bird’s
nests in the chimney, light a fire when the picture is about to be taken. An
anterior with a fire in the hearth is always attractive. But if you don’t
regularly use your fireplace, don’t bother. No sense in smoking up the house or
setting a bird’s nest on fire!
·
Check
all lamps and lightbulbs. Replace burned and missing lightbulbs. Turn all
lights on. I prefer not to use supplementary lighting because it creates an
artificial look.
·
Turn
on all TV’s (sounds off). Golf, nature shows, are better than a black
rectangle.
·
Clear
cars from the front of the house and driveway. If necessary, place cones or
signs requesting others not to park in front of the house.
·
Remove
any trash or recycling bins from the view. Preferably, do not schedule the
photo shoot on trash pickup day because neighbors’ bins may be visible.
·
Rake
leaves off the front and back yards.
·
Verify
working condition of any fountains and turn them on.
·
If
your pool and/or spa has a cover, take the cover off. Remove leaves and debris
from pool. Turn jets on in spa
·
Take
cover off barbecue grill – unless it is hopelessly rusty, in which case it’s
better to move it off the frame of the photo.
Doing the above
will make the photography session go smoothly and faster. The resulting
photographs will make you proud, and you will have a nice keepsake.
To
get started with your home sale or purchase, call Tim @ 858-354-2354, “The Right Choice in Real Estate”.
When Real Estate
Matters, contact Tim. BRE #01224576
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