Tips for Photographing your House or Condo for Sale & Rent

Occasionally we get calls or emails from property owners wondering why there has not been anyone interested in their house or condo for sale.

Sometimes a quick look at the property on our website will reveal the answer. It could be that it is priced too high, but often times it is a result of the images supplied by the property owner or the condition of the house when a listing agent photographed it.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I’m pretty sure you have heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In the instance of a real estate transaction a picture could be worth millions of Baht.

According to a recent article in HGTV “80 percent of homebuyers starting their house hunt online, a home’s “pix appeal,”

or how good it looks in photos posted on the Internet, is taking over as thetop way to impress buyers off the bat.”

And according to a survey by the U.S. based National Association of Realtors, homebuyers rated photos as the feature they use most when searching for a home on the web. Online listings with bad pictures -- or worse, no pictures at all -- can cause buyers to overlook your home from the get-go.

It is pretty easy to recognise the importance of presenting your property well in photographs.

So, what is the best way to go ensure that your home looks its best on a real estate agent’s website or magazine? We will offer some suggestions below.

Tips for making your house look its best.

Here are some suggestions for showing your house in the best light.

Hire a professional

Okay I know what you are thinking, “I am not going to hire a professional to take photos of a 10,000 Baht a month rental.”

Hiring a professional can sometimes be expensive, so this option might not work for sellers on a budget or investors with properties on the low end of the rental spectrum. But it should be considered if your property is at the high end of the market with a lot of competition from similar properties.

For some examples of the work of a professional photographer making a property look its best check out the Vineyard. The developers spared no expense when photographing their show homes.

Let the agent do it

Many agents will be happy to come to your house or condo and take the photos themselves. Some may even employ a professional photographer. In many cases the agency has invested in a good camera and photo editing software to make the photos look as good as possible. Look at the agency’s website for an idea of the quality of photos you can expect from them. Keep in mind though that many sellers send the agency their own images so feel free to ask the agency which properties on their site they have taken photos of.

 Keep it clean

 One thing I have to mention about letting an agent photograph your property. 

 Make sure it is clean and clutter free!

 There have been occasions when we have arrived to take photos of a property only to have it  look like room  in the image below.

 This puts us in an awkward situation. We don’t want to embarrass the homeowner by asking  them to clean  up the mess and we don’t want to waste our time photographing a property that is  certainly going to look  unappealing to potential buyers or renters on our site.

 "The best thing we can do is to politely explain how important the first impression is of    a property when someone looks at it online and then ask to reschedule the  appointment."

 So have the maid come in in the morning and schedule the photo shoot as soon as they are  finished.

Say goodbye to your cell phone

Your iPhone or Samsung may be great for those selfies on Walking Street, but they probably aren’t going to make your house or condo look its best.

Most point-and-shoot digital cameras on the market today with five megapixels or more will produce good photos. If you’re willing to fork over a little more cash, a digital SLR offers more settings and allows you to use a variety of lenses. You can sometimes find used ones at reasonable prices on local online classified sites. This could be a good investment if you have a lot of rental properties or are a builder. A tripod is also a good investment for taking sharp photos.

Staging your house or condo for sale like a pro

Your goal is to show off the space, not what’s in it. Make sure your house or condo is clean, and clear out distracting items like toys, refrigerator magnets and the like before taking photos. If this leaves your home looking a little dull, accents like a vase of fresh flowers or some of Thailand’s bright fruits on the table can liven it up. 

Other things to consider when getting your home ready for show 

Using natural light

Pull up the shades, open the curtains and turn on all the lights to make a room look bright and open. Don’t rely on the camera’s built-in flash. It can sometimes create unattractive shadows and will reflect off mirrors and windows. If at all possible you should avoid taking photos on rainy days or at night, as this will produce gloomy photos. In some cases pictures of the exterior may look better on an overcast day so the sun doesn’t cast dark shadows on your home.

Get the best angle

One of the best ways to showcase a room is to shoot from a corner or doorway to include as much of the room as possible. This provides context and makes the room look more spacious than a tight shot does.

You’re almost there

After taking your photos (hopefully lots of them) select the best ones for each room and tweak them a little to make them look better. Most computers today come with some type of easy to use photo editing software than can brighten up a room that is a bit to dark or crop out some phone lines on an exterior shot.

Write a brief description

No one knows your property better than you so take a few minutes and write a brief description the agent can work from.

Highlight the best features of your house or condo so a potential buyer or renter will know about them.

Match the photos with an accurate, catchy description that paints an appealing picture of your home.

Hopefully these tips will help you get the most out of the photos of your property.

To have your photos updated on your condo or house for sale or rent please contact any agent at Coastal Real Estate today.

You can also visit us at one of our offices

You can also email us at info@coastalrealestatepattaya.com