[Ready, Set, Shoot pt. 2]

On my last post we talked about decluttering and depersonalizing. This next part is to really get geared up for your photographer to arrive. So, there are some things you can do to liven up the tone of your home and last minute things you can to do to make to photo shoot go off without a hitch.

• Before booking sit down a make a short list of say five things that you think makes your house stand out. Make sure to pass that along to your photographer. If it's unique to you, chances are it probably is to someone else.

• Before the photographer arrives, most hopefully they provide you a checklist of tasks to do beforehand. You can see on my services webpage. my checklist for clients. But to quickly go over some here I will gloss over shortened version.

Interior

• General house cleaning to include windows and mirrors.

• Open blinds and turn on all the lights to get maximum lighting.

• Make sure entries and halls are clear.

• Try and hide cords or unplug things temporarily.

• Don't be afraid to add small pops of color around the house.

Exterior

• General lawn and yard maintenance.

• Move vehicles and recreational vehicles off premises.

• If twilight images are being taken turn on all exterior lights.

• In general, you want your home to shine in its best light. Put the unnecessary away for the camera.

If you are ready to book now in the San Antonio and surrounding area I would love to be of service.

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[Ready, Set, Shoot] Get ready for your R.E. Photo Shoot with the first steps

Of course, before you put your house on the market there are obligatory things to do. Knowing what and when they should be completed is hard to know given the undetermined amount of time you will remain there. For all those "to do's" you can find a ton of checklist on my Frame to Frame Pinterest page/board "Checklist for Everything" . So let's get to the first steps of getting ready.

Decluttering - Aside from all the checklist one thing you can start on well in advance is the decluttering process. At some point your house will need to be photographed for MLS listing. Take some time to remove unnecessary things that shouldn't be in the photos. Give you home a moment to shine and show its spaciousness. I know when I was a military spouse, and we were due to move I always did a run through of everything in my house. If I haven't used in a year or more buh-bye. Keep in mind on a military pcs move we were only entitled to so many pounds weight to move. Maybe something you can do is challenge yourself to keep it under a certain weight even if you are moving yourself this could provide a guideline for shedding extra pounds. This is a solid starting point for decluttering.

Depersonalize the space - This one is hard, but you have to think beyond it. When you go into a home on the market do really want to see the awkward family photos and the urn of Grandpa Joe on the mantle? Same goes for someone looking at your home. Take time to remove what makes the home personal to you but don't get carried away either. You can leave up art and other décor. Just understand not everyone will have your taste. If you have a very neutral colored environment throw in some small pops of color to an area. Blues, greens, and/or even some red can be beneficial. No, I am not a professional stager but being the photographer this adds to the moment in the photo. It will draw an eye in.

Modern but rustic

These two items alone can get you started in the right direction. If you are in need of more information on what you need to know about moving and real estate check out my other Pinterest board on "Real Estate Need To Know for Homebuyers and Sellers". I have tons of resources that you didn't even know you needed there. But wait there's more! In the next couple blog posts I will expand a little more each time on preparing for your photo shoot. Stay tuned.

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[Photographs: Are they really necessary ?]

Understanding the importance of Real Estate Photography.

Prime reasons that photography is the key component to a home seller are; classified ads are a thing of the past, real estate brochures/print magazines cannot accurately keep up with the hot inventory turn over by the time they print, and quiet frankly everything is has gone digital. Everyone is looking with their eyes these days. There are real estate listings EVERYWHERE online. I am not even going to sit and try to list them all. Let's face it you gotta have pictures. Ask yourself what, and how do YOU search for real estate ? Blindly ? Probably not. There are very few buyers that buy a home sight unseen and if they do they are probably investing to flip anyways.

Zillow facts and figures show the digital medium for marketing sits respectively at the top of the list with computer, mobile, and smartphone resources with print media dropping to the bottom.

Buying Resources Statistics provided by Zillow.com

As you can also see one of the regrets of homebuyers was also wanting to use additional or different online resources.

Home buyers regrets of things they wish they'd done differently

Do you want this for an ad ?

4/2.5/2 home with library/loft, eat in breakfast room, light airy white kitchen, stately foyer, formal and casual living area, split his and hers main suite bathrooms with garden tub.......... or would you prefer to just SEE IT ?

Ask your realtor how they plan to market your home. Are they going to hire a professional photographer ? You'd be shocked at the number of them that do it from their cellphones. And the next statement is "why is that so bad?" Ask yourself that same question again. Would you do it without proper lighting, staging, and editing let someone come in and photograph your home as is. Try it yourself and then ask yourself if you SHOULD try to sell your home like that.

In next weeks blog I will talk in regards to getting your home ready for the photo session. I also have a short video on my services webpage also if you want to check it out as well.

See you next week.