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When you are looking for new tenants, time is short and the need to get the property let can override some of the details. Ultimately – it’s all in the attention to detail – and all of the small things combined will help you find a tenant sooner.
Whilst listing your property as soon as possible is the ideal, it is more important to make sure you ensure that you represent it in the right light, and make sure that potential tenants are drawn to your advert over and above everyone else’s.
Here at Howsy, we have seen all kinds of photos from all sorts of properties, and that combined with our experience in lettings, inspired our team to put together a guide on what works and what doesn’t. (If all else fails we can always take them for you!)
Check out our guide below and please, call us if you have any questions.
Setting the scene
All great property photos are carefully staged and planned. Good photographers prepare a scene before taking a photo because they know these small differences can have a huge effect on the final outcome.
The Camera
Use a Good quality camera. Phone cameras now are very advanced, but if you can get your hands on a good camera, then do 😉
The more pixels a camera has, the larger the photos it can take without becoming pixelated. Larger photos make rooms seem larger, so are worth getting if you can. Do not use a ‘fishbowl’ lens.
To make sure your photos are as large as possible, it’s important the saved file is as large as possible. Set your camera’s file size to as high as possible. If transferring the photos from a device to your computer, make sure you don’t resize the photo when it is sent.
Taking Interior Pictures
The important part of interior photography is being able to capture the whole room in one photo and present it in a realistic and appealing way. Here are a few things you need to do to get the best internal photos of a property:
Align two corners of the room.
Standing in one corner of a room, so you can capture the other three, will enable you to get the widest perspective. If you’re having trouble doing this, try and align the cover of a door or window frame.
Use different heights depending on the room. It is best to choose the height on which to shoot a room based on its contents. Kitchens are best to shoot from chest height due to the number of cupboards and benches. Most photos should be shot at eye level as this is how buyers will walk through the property and the photos will match their sight in real life. Ideally, you want to create an image which shows everything in the room, in the most appealing way.
Show off nice fixtures. If a bathroom or kitchen has great fittings, make sure these are captured in your image.
Open all doors. Always open doors in a home to create a larger feel and display the flow of the property. Opening doors that open onto an outside living area will give the feeling of space. Opening doors creates depth.
Taking Exterior Pictures
Taking exterior photos of a home tends to be a bit more complicated. This is because there are so many different elements to consider. If you plan it right and have an idea of what photos you want, you can easily achieve the shots you need. Here are some factors to consider when taking external photos of a property:
Avoid the middle of the day. This is the time when shadows are the darkest and overhead. With external photos, you want to avoid having too much shadow. ☀️
Get a higher elevation of the front of the home. This creates a better perspective and captures more of the property.
Overcast days are great for external shots. As it reduces the shadow in the image. You can always use post-shoot editing to photoshop in a more appealing sky. Day to dusk editing works best on overcast days for the most realistic results.
General Preparation
Thoroughly Tidy and Clean – It sounds obvious, but all too often landlords don’t bother to properly clean and tidy their property. You’ll have to do this before tenants move in anyway, so you might as well do it early and get great photos!
Remove clutter like paperwork, clothes or any items unnecessary for the photo. Try and make the property look like a display home. Moving furniture around may help to make a room look more spacious.
Try and reduce the number of personal items visible in a photo. Things like family photos, children’s toys, bins and magnets on the fridge.
Make sure your home is well lit, and replace any light bulbs that have gone out. 💡
Open all curtains and blinds. You want as much light in rooms as possible to be able to get the best pictures.
Fresh flowers help to breathe life into a property
Straighten furniture and linen. Creating clean lines can do wonders for a room.
Shift furniture to frame an image better or make it appear larger.
Preparing the Kitchen
Remove everything from the top and doors of the fridge and kitchen units. This includes magnets, business cards, photos, etc.
Clear and wipe off the work surfaces, clean work surfaces look great in photos.
Make sure the work surfaces don’t look cluttered
Hide dish soaps, sponges and paper towels.
Move bins out of sight Set up the kitchen table with nice set of dishes. A bowl of fruit or bouquet of flowers presents nicely in the photos.
Preparing the Bathroom
Close the toilet lid
Hide any toiletries that are in the shower or bath, as well as on the surface.
Clean mirrors and any glass surfaces.
Remove old towels from doors, showers and bathtubs. Hang a new set of towels that coordinate with the paint or tiles.
Depending on the space, a flower or plant can add a nice touch.
Preparing Reception rooms
Remove scruffy throws from sofas
Arrange cushions to look smart and tidy
Set dining room tables
Remove rugs, especially where you have wooden or tiled floors
Any children’s toys or piles of magazines, DVDs etc should be out of sight
Preparing the Bedrooms
Make the bed and use covers that compliment the room 🛏️
Anything stored under the bed should be completely out of sight
All drawers and wardrobe doors should be shut
Preparing Outside
Move any vehicles from the outside of the property
Remove any clutter from outside the property such as bins and hoses
Mow the lawn
Clean the windows
Loading to the Howsy Platform 🏠
It’s really easy to load your pictures onto our platform, 3 simple steps –
Log into your Howsy account and select the property you wish to load photos for.
Under Property details hover over photos which will display the edit icon, click this.
Then simply click the upload box to browse for your photos or drag them into the box.
NB: Whilst you may have taken 2 or 3 shots from the same viewpoint in each room please only load the best one of each viewpoint.
Photography not your thing?
Don’t worry! If you just can’t seem to get that perfect shot, we offer a Professional Marketing Photography package for just £95 inc VAT
Ready to market? Great! Use the Howsy App now to get started or call our team on 0330 123 9999 if you need any more help.
Happy snapping! 📷