James Bruce Photography has photographed over 15,000 homes over the last 14 years. We understand that getting a home ready to sell is…well difficult. No one looks forward to it, but sometimes you just have to get it done. Readying the home for the photo shoot might be the most important thing you will do in preparation to sell. The good news is that if you do this part well, you will be ready for your first showing and for moving day. Here are some tips to help you make the shoot day a good one.

The number one objection I hear to getting a home ready for sale is “don’t they know I have to live here?” Remember that the goal of this process is for you, the homeowner to “live here” the fewest possible days from the day your house goes on the market. Pack it now and you will not have to pack it later.

If you have questions in advance of the shoot please contact us

Support@jamesbrucephotography.com

512-293-5339

Sincerely yours

James Bruce 1. Clean is super important. Cameras see what is there. If it’s not there the camera and your potential buyer won’t see it. We won’t usually see dust or baseboard dirt or carpet dirt in photos, but here are some areas that stick out that people sometimes overlook.

• The Front Porch
• Windows (Paying someone to clean windows just pays off big time, in fact clean windows can make the interior much, much brighter and more flattering)
• Light fixtures
• Hardwood floors (Hardwood floors show dust especially in areas where sun shines through onto the floor. One tip to help keep your hardwood looking great is to change your air filters so that they trap more dust)
• Light Fixtures  (Cleaner, better light, again bright is good)
• The Outdoor Living-Especially the Stainless

2. DE-Personalize! Staging a home for sale is not a time for decoration, but as one of the best stagers I work with says, it is about de-decorating and de-personalizing.

• Counter Tops (Clear of clutter, after all the counter top is what you are selling.  Hide paper towels, dish drainers, most counter top appliances, bathroom products, etc)

• Table Decoration (At least for us, we are placing our cameras at a height just above the dominant horizontal surfaces. Large flower arrangements are beautiful but they can block the shot. Putting out a great table-scape is great, but use a centerpiece that does not block the view through the dining room. This helps create a feeling of space, and opens up the view)

• Bathrooms (Take up bath mats and hide products that are usually on the counter, in the tub, or in the shower unless they help highlight a space)
• Area Rugs If you are using area rugs to protect a floor, this is why, so that you can get value for it now, so show it off.   Area rugs are often essential on hardwood floors, we understand that, but rugs that cover up carpet make people wonder, what are they hiding under there?)
• Personal Photos and Memorabilia (Take most personal photographs off of walls, tables and book shelves. Leaving a few items is fine, but you are not selling your family, you are selling the walls)

Take out one more piece of furniture. I have seldom seen a home that had too little furniture in it. If I could choose one item that should go, it is a large TV cabinet in a master bedroom. That TV cabinet is tough to shoot around, and no matter how large the master bedroom, it can make it look smaller. Imagine the space without the cabinet. If moving that cabinet or getting rid of it altogether makes the room seem a lot bigger, take it out. 3. Paint.  Whether you repaint a wall, a room or the whole house is up to you and your realtor.

• Make sure when doing touch ups that new paint actually matches the old paint, and paint a larger area than you think you need. If the paint does not match exactly, the touch up will stick out in pictures like a sore thumb, and look worse than what was being covered up. The same is true with touching up a small area. I recently shot a house that had been touched up, with some kind of roller. The touch-ups were pretty small and in the photos they looked like acne. Having a home with pizza face is not the goal. To see if you can tell if your walls have pizza face, just shine a flashlight on them. If you have a problem you will see it.
• If doing a repaint check with your realtor or stager to make sure that the color is an “in” color.

4. Curb Appeal

• Have your lawn mowed a couple of days before the shoot if possible. A freshly mowed lawn can show tire tracks and make some parts of the lawn look sparse.
• If it is allowable, water the morning of the shoot.
• Compost about a week or so ahead of time
• Fresh mulch in flower beds is always a good idea.

5. Lighting

• Make sure that your lights are all working. Check every lamp and fixture especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Be careful to use bulbs that have the same light color temperature. CFl, tungsten and led bulbs put out different colored light.  It is best if they are the same and that they look good against your paint and decor.
• Pool Lights Should work.  I have lost track of the number of homes we have shot where the pool and spa lights do not work

6. Hide all trash cans, inside and outside. 7. Remove animal feeding bowls and scratching posts. 8. The Pool.  Make an appointment with the pool guy if you have one. Have the pool serviced, lights checked and inspect the pool to verify that all parts are in working order. This is really important for night shoots where the pool lights are a major star. 9. Get rid of items that are in disrepair, like broken yard toys or grills that do not work.

10. Most importantly…TRUST YOUR STAGER AND AGENT. They are professionals who are working to help you earn more money on the sale of your home.