If you have a home that will be going on the market for sale or for rent, having high quality photos and videos is very important.
When potential buyers or renters are scrolling listings on sites like the MLS or AirBNB, your thumbnail photos are the first impression they have of your property.
If you don’t have a great thumbnail photo, potential buyers or renters are just going to scroll on by. A great thumbnail photo will get clicks, but then the whole photo gallery needs to be impressive in order to get bookings.
So with that in mind, here are my recommendations for preparing your property for photography or video – as a working real estate and rentals photographer and videographer myself.
The property should be clean and organized.
This might seem like it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it. You really should hire a professional cleaning service the day before or the day of the photoshoot. Professional cleaners know how to make your place look amazing, with details that you probably won’t think of if you do the cleaning yourself. They are experts at folding towels, making beds, and even folding decorations into paper towels and toilet paper so perfectly. They will clean the dust off fans and window blinds, clean smudges off walls and doors, things you just don’t notice that can show up in photos.
You should have a full set of matching dishes and placemats for as many seats as you have at the table.
Photographers in this market will often do staging including setting the table with place settings, flowers, fruit, and sometimes other food items. Usually they like to set a breakfast scene, sometimes with juice or coffee, and a wine on the balcony scene. At the minimum it’s nice to put dishes on the table even if they don’t add any food items, because buyers and renters like to see how many people the table seats, and it looks more inviting and friendly if the table is set. It’s the photographer’s nightmare when they arrive and can’t find placemats or a full set of dishes. I’ve seen many properties with only 3 plates or 3 cups. High quality rentals always have a full set.
Iron the linens on the beds, and make the beds well.
Beds should have linens that are the right size for the bed, either tucked in or laying correctly to fully cover the mattress on the sides, and not wrinkly looking. It’s not that easy to “just photoshop out” the wrinkles. The pillows should be fluffy and standing upright, as opposed to laid or stacked on the bed. These details make the bed look fluffy, comfortable, and inviting.
Put away personal items.
Buyers and renters don’t want to see photos of your family, your notebooks and knicknacks. I even usually put away bath mats, toilet paper rolls, toilet brushes, and I hide trash cans.
If there’s a grill that needs to be uncovered, uncover it.
Especially if you’re renting your place or selling it furnished, your potential clients want to see all of the amenities that it comes with. If you offer a grill or other appliances or amenities, make sure they are staged to look great in photos and videos, and make sure to mention it in your listing.
Just generally make it look inviting.
When the place just has that “look” you’re more likely to get buyers or renters. Plants, pops of color, and fluffy beds and couches especially help with this. Setting the table and taking the photos in the right also help.
If you would like to book a photo or video shoot for your property in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding areas, send me a message on WhatsApp at +52 (322) 190-6750 or email csduchateau@gmail.com
Written by:
Corie DuChateau
First Impressions Photography & Video
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and surrounding areas
http://www.firstimpressions.mx
First Impressions Photography 