Selling or renting your home? A beginner’s guide to staging your photos.

29 Jun Selling or renting your home? A beginner’s guide to staging your photos.

Living in the digital era, it comes as no surprise that the internet is the starting point for many prospective buyers and tenants when looking for their new home. In fact, Zoopla estimates that 82% of individuals begin searching online for their dream property.

As an online estate agency, we understand how important it is for sellers and landlords to make a positive digital impression with their listing. Based on research by Strutt & Parker, 35% of people decide to view a property 5 minutes or less after seeing it online and 76% feel that first impressions are everything when viewing a house. Therefore, having the right content is vital to secure a spot on a prospective buyer/tenant’s ‘viewing shortlist’, which could lead to you securing an offer!

So, how can you maximise your chances of getting people through the door? One of the best ways is to ensure you have great photos on your listing, as they will form part of the first impressions that would-be buyers/tenants have of your home. Here at Property Eagle, we include professional photography as a standard part of all our packages. Even so, with a little bit of effort, you can improve your chances of success by preparing your home before the high-quality images are taken.

Known as home staging, there are some tips and tricks to dress your home in order to appeal to more people and achieve your desired outcome. Ranging from a good old scrub and elbow grease through to lighting and soft furnishings, we have outlined some ideas to make your home camera-ready.  

Kitchen

This room is the focal point of the house for many people and it is usually the make-or-break for most buyers/tenants. Therefore, if you’re especially short on time, it’s worth investing in this part of the house. First and foremost, a good, deep clean goes a long way – you’ll be surprised by how much difference it makes to photos when surfaces and appliances are shining.

Once you’ve finished cleaning, hide any sponges, towels and oven gloves and remember to remove everything from the sink. Also, make sure to de-clutter kitchen counters of appliances and remove magnets/notes stuck on the fridge – you want the prospective buyer/tenant to be able to imagine their own belongings in that space.

If it’s within your budget, making minor cosmetic changes, such as replacing cabinet handles, can really lift the appearance of your kitchen and make it look more well-kept.

Bedroom

A spacious bedroom is one of the most sought-after qualities in any home. The key is not to overfill the space, so consider taking out some of your furniture to make the room feel larger. Particularly for children’s bedrooms, this means storing toys out of sight and removing any visible clutter from under the bed.

In the room itself, décor should be kept as neutral as possible and the colour scheme should invite tranquillity and serenity. Interestingly, psychological research has found that the colour blue has a calming effect on the mind – try and bear than in mind if you are planning to buy any new furnishings!

With regards to lighting in the room, open all blinds and pull back any curtains. For a simple hack, consider putting an inexpensive mirror in the space. This will reflect light and make the room feel bigger. Finally, ensure that you have made the bed and, if possible, use your best sheets.

Bathroom

When making a judgement, many buyers/tenants will consider the bathroom to reflect the overall cleanliness of your home. One of the biggest put-offs in a bathroom is mould – almost every bathroom contains some form of it, especially in the corners. Take the time to do a thorough clean, and store away any mats, rugs or towels that are on the floor or hanging from radiators. Once again, remove any toiletries and other personal items that are in the space. As a final touch, pull back the shower curtain, ensure the toilet lid is down and replace the toilet roll with a new one.

Living/Dining room

The trend towards having an open-plan design has blurred the distinction between the living and dining area. Whilst this isn’t an issue, you can appeal to all buyers by demonstrating your home has ‘zones’ that have a clear purpose for lounging/eating. Consider the placement of your dining table and play around with the layout of your sofas – it might be worthwhile removing some chairs from the table to give it a more elongated feel. Sticking with the ‘less is more’ approach, don’t be too concerned with a formal table setting – a simple centrepiece or table runner goes a long way.

A very easy way to liven up the living space is by having bright accent colours, such as pillows or throws. This can make the space feel more luxurious and inviting without having to spend much. Alternatively, having a few house plants can also freshen up the look of your living room. Also, make sure that your furniture isn’t blocking any windows and switch on lamps to illuminate any dark parts of the space. Most importantly, remove clutter from all surfaces, which includes tidying away any cables and personal affects.

Garden/Exterior

It’s easy to think about preparing your home’s interior, but the outside of your home is equally influential as it’s the first thing prospective buyers and tenants see. In fact, Barclay’s research has found that house-hunters take just 10 seconds to decide whether they like a property from the outside and over a third make their decisions purely on a home’s exterior.

As you may have gathered by now, clutter is the enemy: having a tidy space by concealing wheelie bins and removing garden ornaments can make a space look larger. If your car is usually parked on the driveway, consider moving it for when you have photos taken to maximise kerb appeal. If possible, think about pressure-washing your home’s exterior as it will make the façade look brand new – a quicker and cheaper alternative to a fresh coat of paint!

Gardens can be a major selling point for any property, if you do have outdoor space then take advantage of this in your listing. Whilst it’s unnecessary to undergo extensive landscaping, simply mowing the lawn, de-weeding and freshening up the planting can pay serious dividends. Amplify your gardens functionality by showing-off the possibility of multiple conversation areas, such as dining, living, and outdoor kitchen.

In conclusion, even though there’s no silver bullet to home staging, in our experience these helpful ideas can make your listing stand out to an online audience.  Whether you’re selling your family home or a buy-to-let investor renting out your property, let us know how you get on with these tips!

Note: All images have kindly been provided by Ellison & Co. Property Solutions Limited