With the advances in technology in the mobile phone sector, it seems everyone is a photographer these days. But if you want to take the kind of property pictures that will see potential buyers racing to view your home, you'll need a bit more than just a smart phone and some selfie skills.
How you show off your home in picture form can play a huge part in how quickly you sell it.
Here are Whitegates' top tips for taking top quality, professional standard photographs of your home...
1. PREPARE YOUR SPACE
Even if you have previous photography experience or are a natural at taking amazing pictures, you're only as good as the space around you.
Which means if your property is not ready for photographs, you're wasting your time.
Your property needs to make buyers stop and look - so if you've left mountains of clutter in your marketing pictures, the chances are they will scroll right past.
Remove anything that doesn't add something to the presentation of each room and make sure all your furniture is crisp, neat and tidy. Linen should be straight. Crisp, clean lines are everything.
And ensure you tuck away the mass of wiring into your living room TV!
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME OF DAY
Light is everything when it comes to good quality pictures. You want to avoid the use of a flash, so make sure you take your pictures at the right time of day.
How do you want your home to feel through your images? If you are looking for that homely, warming feel, shoot your photographs later in the afternoon when the sun is lower.
If you're looking to show off how light and airy your property is, go for a midday shoot when the sun is highest.
But don't simply rely on natural light. Turn on your lamps, too whatever time of day you are shooting. This can help erase any dark corners and add to that warming feeling.
3. THE OUTSIDE
Again, the time of day you choose to shoot is vitally important when photographing the outside of your property.
Rule number one: Do not, ever, take a picture of the front of your house with the sun behind it! The glare and shadows this creates will make the image unusable.
Early in the morning can be a great time to shoot, though. The sun is low and with most people still tucked up in bed, that feeling of peace can come through in the pictures you take.
4. A PHONE SIMPLY WON'T DO
As we mentioned early, pointing your smart phone into your living room and clicking the button just won't wash when it comes to taking professional pictures of your home.
Of course, if you don't already own a digital SLR camera, spending money on one requires consideration. But there are some great deals on some very good cameras out there and owning a good quality SLR camera means those photos of the children you've been taking on your smart phone can go up a notch or two.
Most importantly, use a tripod. No matter how steady your hand and how advanced your camera, having your equipment rock solid before shooting makes a huge difference to the standard of your pictures.
5. BE PATIENT
As well as potentially investing in some good equipment, you'll also need to invest some of your time when taking photos of your home.
Nobody gets the perfect shot the first time, even the professionals, so ensure you take plenty of pictures of each room and play around with angles.
Move your furniture around to see what looks best, where. Ask friends or family to review the shots you have taken - if they haven't worked the first time, try again!
