How can I take better photos of my property?

If the photos of your property don’t do it justice, you might find your listings generate less interest. So, how can you take better photos of your property?

While professional photos will ensure high quality photos taken by someone who knows what they’re doing, they definitely aren’t essential. Most smartphones and cameras today take high-quality photos so you should easily be able to take your own.

Of course, you’ll need to consider the cost of this service. Professional photos don’t come cheap, and will likely cost between a couple of hundred dollars up to a thousand, and even potentially beyond that if you sign up for all the extra little bits and pieces. You’ll need to consider whether you’re willing to pay this amount, and whether you’ll be able to recuperate this cost within a reasonable amount of time.
If you decide not to go down this route, and decide to take your own photos, there are a few bits and pieces that you’ll need to consider to ensure that you take the best photos possible.

Lighting

The best time to take your photos is during the day, when your property is getting the most natural light. This will make your photos more clear, and will show how much natural light your property gets. If you have outdoor areas, taking photos of them on a sunny day will definitely make them look far more appealing than they would look on a cloudy and gloomy day.

Composition

Where you take your photos from is another important point to consider. It’s important get to get a good overview of all the rooms in your property, but you also don’t want a huge number of photos for people to have to go through.
It could be a good idea to take a few photos from a distance, in order to get as much in one photo as possible. Once you’ve got a few shots to establish the layout and general feel of your property, you should then consider taking closer shots of anything of importance.

Staging

If your property isn’t already occupied, it might be a good idea to stage your photos a little. Adding little bits and pieces, like a throw blanket or rug, can make a property look more homely and welcoming. This makes the photos seem a little less sparse, and can help prospective tenants imagine themselves in the space.
If you’re renting it completely unfurnished, this might be a bit difficult to do. Adding furniture that won’t be available to the prospective tenants can be a bit misleading, but even just a vase of flowers or bowl of fruit in the kitchen can do wonders.

Consider a video tour

If you’re feeling adventurous, you should consider taking a video tour of your property. This makes it easier for prospective tenants to see the layout of your property, and makes your listing stand out from the crowd.
You should aim to keep the video around 5 minutes, since it should just be a little taste. If all goes well, your prospective tenants should come to see the property in person anyway, so this shouldn’t be the only view of the property they get before they move in.

Editing and retouching

Once you’ve taken your photos, you should consider editing/retouching your photos slightly to make them clearer and more appealing. Most photo editing apps/software make it easy to make photos brighter and deal with issues like glare. This just makes it easier to see what’s happening in your photos and can help fix any issues you didn’t notice as you were taking your photos. 

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Professional photos can be a good investment, but they aren’t essential to a good property listing. By taking the time to ensure that your photos are taken with these tips in mind, you can easily take your own high-quality photos for your property listing. This can save you money, and gives you good experience in taking your own property photos for future listings.

Featured photo by William Bayreuther on Unsplash