The importance of property photography
Selling a house is probably one of the biggest business deals most people will do in their lives, especially now that prices are running at near-record highs, so it’s important that you get as much money as possible for your home when it goes on the market. It will give you more spending power when it comes to buying your next home, as well as a little extra cash to make any improvements you want to. It’s also incredibly easy for buyers to pick and choose online these days, and there’s no more looking in estate agent windows or cruising around for sale signs – you can see everything on the market for hundreds of miles with a quick search online.
So what does that mean for your property sale? It means you really need to stand out to be in with a chance of catching the buyer’s eye. Homes with more than one high-quality photograph on the listing sell an average of 30 days faster than those without, which as you’ll know, is an absolute age when it comes to moving house and lets you move much faster in the market. That’s especially important when your house has been empty for a while, or it’s undergone renovations because one or two photos taken on an estate agent’s phone will almost certainly not be enough to do the space justice.
For homes like this, it may not be possible to get the same homely ambience as a house that has been lived in for many years, with personal possessions all around and the family’s furniture still in place, which can be a disadvantage when selling to people looking for a warm and lived-in feeling. As with many decisions, it can be a snap, personal judgement that decides whether a person likes a house, and you want yours to grab their attention as favourably as possible. That’s why I’d always recommend choosing a professional photographer and home dresser combination, because they will both be highly experienced in showing off a home to its best advantage, choosing the right dressing and the right style of photograph for each element of the building.
The same factors also apply to anyone selling furniture, whether it’s a beloved and valuable piece you’ve had for years, or you’re a furniture designer or builder who regularly sells statement pieces. In all of these situations, one of the major factors influencing a persons’ decision to buy is the feeling that the furniture creates in their mind, which can be influenced by the dressing and the quality of the photography. The difference between a photo of a lovely welsh dresser taken under the stark fluorescent light of a workshop up against a breeze bock wall, and one taken in a home setting filled with china, with correct lighting, and a camera set up to be level and in focus.
I’ve worked with designers such as Regal Interiors and Dressing Rooms Home Staging, and that combination of their trained eye for colour and fabric coordination, combined with my skill at creating the ideal photograph composition for each shot, can make a striking difference to the appearance of the home or piece of furniture being shot. Not only does it make the product that much more appealing, the results can be easily measured in the length of time that the house or piece stays on the market, getting you moved into your new home in record time or getting your sales off to a flying start.
So if you have a property or statement piece of furniture that could do with professional help to show off its best side, get in touch with me to find out how I can help!