When I meet with a seller to discuss recommendations for staging their home and preparing for marketing, we cover a lot of territory. Curb appeal, furniture, art, accessory placement, colors and lighting, prepacking and organizing, strategies for living in a staged home and it goes on. Every single detail from the color of the walls to where the sofa goes and how to fold the towels builds a story for the potential buyer. This is the home they want to buy. This is the home they love.
MLS Photography
MLS Photographs are just one detail we discuss at the Staging Consultation appointment. There are strategies in order to prepare specifically for the photographs as opposed to the Showing Appointments. Remember here that the MLS photos ARE the first showing, since we know that buyers are shopping online before they ever walk in the front door. They are armed with a lot of information that isn’t in the MLS including how much you paid for the home, how much the neighbors paid, what are the nearby and included amenities and conveniences as well as the good and bad about your lot and location. You gotta’ WOW them to get them in the door!
Cameras capture what they see
Photographers will capture what they see, some better than others, but rarely do they adjust the seller’s personal belongings. This is where seller preparations are key to good photographs.
Photo Reminders
These reminders are things I tell all my clients:
Park all the cars away from the house; you don’t want them in the photos.
Put away toys, tools, trash cans, hoses and yard debris outside. The exterior shot of the house is your dating “profile” and if buyers don’t like what they see, they will keep clicking.
Set all the blinds to horizontal in order to let as much natural light into the room as possible. For particularly dark rooms, open the blinds to the top.
Turn on lights throughout the house, including lamps. Turn off the ceiling fans so buyers can see the fixtures in the photos.
Pick up ALL the throw rugs. If you really want those rugs for showings, fine, but they just create visual noise in the photos.
All evidence of your pets has got to go. No cat trees, water bowls or leashes hanging by the garage. You love Fido, but he doesn’t come with the house.
The kitchen is all about the counters, cabinets and appliances so clear off the top and sides of the fridge, everything above the cabinets, cleaning supplies, Sally’s artwork, the family electronics and your collection of counter appliances. One appliance, some decorative canisters or cookbook, a bowl of fruit and a fresh green plant are all you need to make the kitchen feel like home.
Put the toilet seats down, folks. And pack up the Squatty Potty for marketing.
Clear off that vanity and leave it empty or select a simple centerpiece. Chose flowers, candles, folded towels and decorative soaps.
Store all personal care items including soaps and tissues, even in the powder room. These can be out for showings, but your standard soap pump distracts from photos.
Glass showers and open shower curtains should reveal clean and EMPTY showers. Don’t feature your brand of shampoo on MLS, please.
Prop and fluff the pillows, fold the throw neatly on the sofa and make that living room look like a place the buyer will be excited to entertain in.
Triple fold those towels neatly and don’t leave the bars empty. When in doubt, use matching fluffy white towels or a neutral shade.
The bed is the focal point of the bedrooms, so make the bed with fresh, neutral bedding. Tuck in the sheets, even up the comforter, use the matching shams and make sure the camera can’t see what’s under the bed.
Staging is more than the MLS Photos
There is more to the photos that these tips, but OH how I wish every seller remembered these things. Staging is more than a Photo Prep and preparing for photos is more than this check list. After all the hard work of preparing your house and staging it, certain details just go unnoticed when it is your daily environment.
UpStaging Designs is available for a Photo Styling and Showing Prep service either in person or via video chat in order to ensure those online photos get buyers running to the door for a second showing, in person.
