Thank you for tuning into another episode. Today I’m talking about how to make your home photoshoot worthy! If you’re considering putting your house up for sale anytime soon, you’ll want to take notes! I’m spilling all of my secrets on how to make your home camera ready so that it’s guaranteed to shine online!

When buyers see your house online, it’s like a first showing. If it doesn’t stand out in the pictures, buyers aren’t going to be very likely to make an in person appointment which is why this episode is critical!

“I BOUGHT THE NEW RUG BUT IT STILL DOESN’T LOOK AS GOOD AS THE POTTERY BARN AD!“

• Can you relate? Making our homes look as good as the interior designers we follow on Instagram is a lot harder than it seems! Even if you buy the same exact furniture pieces, when you go to take a photo it might look a lot less like “Pottery Barn” and a lot more like the house you lived in in college.

STEP 1: DECLUTTER

• You don’t want too much out but you also don’t want it to look like no one lives there. The sweet spot is right in-between lived in and model home.
• Start with the basics by removing personal photos, those treasured sports trophies, save the dates on the fridge and that stack of mail that never seems to leave the counter.
• Put away hairspray bottles and your 8 step skincare routine so it’s not sitting out on the bathroom counter.
• Rearrange large pieces of furniture to make your space look bigger.

STEP 2: ACCESSORIZE

• One of the best accessories to incorporate is greenery. A vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen island, a potted succulent on the bathroom counter and some faux green plants in cute baskets for the living room. One of my favorites is the fig tree from World Market. Let me know if you want me to link it!
• Add bold pops of color. If you followed the neutral trend, your house is likely a shade of white, light gray or beige. You’ll want to break that up a bit by adding colors within the accessories you use. This could be incorporated in your rugs, throw pillows, framed artwork and decorative vases. If you want to keep it mostly neutral, opt for darker shades of those neutral colors to break it up!
• Purchase a few decorative baskets to stack rolled up towels in or extra blankets. Remember, it’s that fine line between looking “lived in” vs screaming “HEY, WE LIVE HERE!”
• Don’t forget to fluff pillows, straighten your curtains and freshen up items before your photographer comes. Casually drape a blanket over you couch so it looks like it’s supposed to be there but not perfectly laid out.
• Move furniture and accent pieces around to see how they look best. Style, edit and style some more!

STEP 3: LIGHTEN AND BRIGHTEN

• Open all of your curtains and blinds before the photographer comes. There’s nothing worse than a space that looks dark and dreary.

• To increase the amount of natural light in your home, remove your window screens and store them in the garage. Your house will look better without them from the outside as well.

• Incorporate a mirror above the fireplace or in another area that will help reflect natural light coming in.

• DEEP CLEAN! Your house will shine brighter when it’s nice and clean! Dusting baseboards, cleaning windows, mopping the floors, replacing or dusting off light bulbs will all help your space look better in photos!

Prepping your home for the photographer is going to help your house shine online! Whether you’re putting it up for sale or you just want it to look good on Instagram, following these tips will help! If you’re feeling stuck on what to do or what accessories to buy, I would love to help! I do virtual and in person walk throughs of your home to help you optimize each space so every room looks it’s best before it’s time to take the listing photos!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode. If you want to learn more about what I can do as your listing agent and how I can help make your house shine, email me.