How important are photos when selling?

Today I’m talking about the importance of first impressions–particularly, photos when selling.

This is Lisa Curran from Homesale Homelet and today a prospective client called me for advice on selling her beautiful period home on the outskirts of Chester. She had been on the market for over 4 months, and was keen for advice on how to achieve a successful sale. And of course, I was happy to oblige!

Here I’ve put together a summary of the advice I gave her. And just like her, you can use this to help your house sell–for the right price, in the right time. So if you’re in the market to sell, read on. But first, I’m sure you came here looking for a specific answer to the question–how important are photos when selling? So let me state the obvious. Photos (good photos!) are everything.

First impressions matter:

My first port of call was to look at the advert on Rightmove. The listing description was accurate, but unfortunately her photographs were taken from odd angles. And they were narrow, and dark. On top of this, her brochure would not load. The importance of first impressions can not be understated. Pictures are the first thing that a prospective purchaser will look at to decide whether they want to view.

My five top tips for sellable photos:

Here with my team, we use these five top tips every day to ensure our photos persuade a prospective purchaser to view your property. They are:

1. Atmosphere – we make the property look inviting. This means where possible, we use lighting, candles, and the warm glow from your fireplace.
2. Lifestyle shots – we add small touches to the rooms such as a bottle of wine, pot of tea or subtle lighting (like the light from your wood burner) to give action to the photo.
3. Seasonal outside shots – we ensure all external photographs are reflective of the season. This means Bluebells in spring, and evergreens (and sometimes snow!) in the winter.
4. Multiple shots – we make sure we have as many photos as possible. The benefit of choice guarantees a listing that will “wow.”
5. Door shots – when possible, we aim to include a front door shot. This allows buyers to make a connection with the house.

Supporting media is becoming increasingly more important:

It’s no secret that great photos, and a snappy, punchy description is essential. But these days, this alone is not enough. Supporting media options, such as video, is becoming increasingly important. At Homesale, we drone footage, video “walk through” footage, and floor plans to demonstrate the flow and potential of a house. We do this for sales, as well as for our rental properties.

So there you go–my top tips to ensure the photos of your house are sellable.

Although whilst it can be easy to get caught up in the need to have the latest footage (and drone footage is certainly a current trend), the main thing is to have good quality photos. This means good lighting. It means wide angles. And it means presenting (or staging) your home to appeal to your potential buyer.

If you would like my help to sell your home effectively, please do get in touch by popping into our offices at 18 Grosvenor Street, Chester, CH1 2DD or email me at lisa@curranshomes.co.uk, call or WhatsApp me on 07974 145566.