Self Help: Part 1
Since the selling season is now upon us, we thought this might be a good time to start talking about some simple things that buyers and sellers can do to make their real estate experience a more successful and more pleasant one. This will be a regular multi-part series published throughout the summer so be sure to check back regularly.
And so…
PHOTOGRAPH your house all the time. That’s right, take pictures of your property throughout the year whether you are currently selling, thinking about selling, or will be selling at some point (this is pretty much everyone). Doing so will ensure that there will always be an ample supply of beautiful images of your property which can be used in marketing the property. This is insurance that no matter what time of year your home gets listed (February and March are particularly dreary), you will always have great photos that shows your home off at its best. By the way, your listing agent will just LOVE you when you present your fabulous photos! Beautiful summer day, take some pictures. Having a fabulous party on your lush green lawn, on your Garden Patio or in your Great Room, shoot it…..before the guests arrive. House looks like a Bing Crosby song after a snowstorm, snap some pics. If your trees are full of red and gold leaves, click-click. If your yard or garden looks great or your countertops shine after spring cleaning, get it on camera. In short, anytime you are really impressed with your house and think that someone else would be too, take a picture of it.
Tips
– You do not need a great camera to shoot great pictures. If you have one, fantastic. If not, something in the 3-6 megapixel range will do just fine. Disposables are not recommended. Remember, digital images are always easier to manipulate.
- Keep any sources of bright light behind you such as the sun if you are outdoors or fluorescent lighting indoors. Having these within the image will produce clear and over-bright pictures. Hiding light behind objects within the frame or closely outside its borders however can be very effective in producing striking images. If the sun looks lovely coming through a tree or over building, or a lamp or light fixture highlights a feature of your home, by all means photograph it.
- The simplest and most effective trick to producing interesting and well composed images is by framing your image according to the Rule of Thirds. Mentally divide the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Where the lines converge to form a crossroads is best location to place the object you wish to drawn attention to within the frame. This allows the eye of the viewer to both focus on the object and to explore its surroundings. Also, it looks cool. For more on the Rule of Thirds, refer to its wiki page.
- This is a good example of the tips discussed in this article.
