Photography that sells – part two

by Sam Jones on August 16, 2010

More great examples of how photography can really help – or hinder! – the sale of a property.  A good photographer will highlight the house’s best features, and minimise the not-so-great parts.

Not a great angle for this very pretty bedroom – too much going on!

This is so much better – the main feature window looks fabulous, and the beautiful bedding and furniture now complements, instead of detracting.

A stunning bathroom, but with all that white and cream, it’s difficult to see the main features of the room.

Wow!  Don’t you just want to jump in that bath with a glass of wine and a magazine?  I do!

This lovely home had a special secret – a hideaway bolt-hole of a garden chalet.  But in this photograph, it’s lost amongst the greenery.

This is just what buyers want – an idyllic garden, a beautifully sited garden chalet, and a heavenly private setting.  Perfect.

All ‘after’ photographs courtesy of the lovely John Durrant of www.hello-photo.co.uk

{ 0 comments }

Whichever of the four main property portals your house had been listed on – Rightmove, Primelocation, Propertyfinder or Findaproperty – you need to make sure it is working for you.  Check that it is:

  • Punchy – does it stand out above the other properties?
  • Good front shot – is it stale?  Is it seasonal? Can it be improved?
  • 6-8 photographs – too few is not enough to whet a buyer’s appetite, but too many and they will think they don’t need to view.  Are your internal images good enough?
  • Brochure download – can your brochure be downloaded and printed as a pdf?
  • Floorplan download – check your floorplan loads large enough to read, and print it out to ensure it’s clear enough

Think of your online advert as an extension of your brochure; it needs to really sell your house, and encourage a buyer to book a viewing.  After all, that’s what it’s there to do!

{ 0 comments }

I’m not a House Doctor!

August 12, 2010

When I tell people what I do, they often respond with “oh, a house doctor”.  But I’m not.  A house doctor, or home stager as they are probably more accurately called,  dress a house for sale or for rent.  They give advice on décor, furniture hire and accessories.  I often engage a home stager on the [...]

Read the full article →

The Carlsberg Estate Agent

August 10, 2010

Remember the ad?  “Carlsberg don’t make flatmates, but if they did, they’d probably be the best flatmates in the world”.  Well, do you have a Carlsberg estate agent?  Let’s see what they might look like:

Their offices would be open early, stay open late, and that includes weekends.
They would collect viewers in a limo and chauffeur [...]

Read the full article →

Sales Progression Management – what is it?

August 8, 2010

Did you know that on average, 36% of sales arranged in England and Wales fall through after the offer is accepted?
It’s a scary thought, especially when so often so much is riding on the sale of your house.
Sales progression management is the process of monitoring all those tricky milestones and liasing with all parties to [...]

Read the full article →

What to do when you lose confidence in your agent

August 6, 2010

When you first engage an estate agent, you may find that you get a flurry of viewings, that your agent calls often, you get full feedback of each and every viewings, and your house is profiled in the office window.  You feel that you’ve chosen the right agent, and are busy between viewings patting yourself [...]

Read the full article →

Boost your clicks! Tips to drive buyers to your online property ad.

August 4, 2010

Promoting your house online is much more than letting your agent upload your advert and waiting for the enquiries to pour in.  If you’ve read my post on Your Rightmove Property Performance Report you’ll understand how important ‘click-through’ rates are, and how there is a direct correlation between the number of visitors to your property advert [...]

Read the full article →

Photography that sells – Part One

July 31, 2010

A beautiful house needs even more beautiful photography to show it at its best, and woo a buyer.  The following images illustrate the point perfectly, that the camera can lie – this charming home was much prettier than the original photographer could capture!
Front

Not a bad front shot, but a little too cropped and shadowed to [...]

Read the full article →

The sweet smell of success

July 29, 2010

Freshly brewing coffee? Baking bread?  Do they really work?
In my opinion, these are just a little bit too obvious – and as such, will come across as you trying too hard.  However, it is true that the sense of smell does play a huge part in making a viewer feel they could be at home.  [...]

Read the full article →

What made YOU buy your house?

July 26, 2010

Whilst estate agents may extol the virtues of triple aspect rooms, double garages or south-facing gardens, it’s usually the smallest of detail that makes a house irresistibly a home for us. A lovely client of mine told me this week that during the viewing of her current home,   a whole family of tiny goslings came [...]

Read the full article →
Another flourishing blog…