Trick or Treat? When Showing a Home
You find a perfect home online and are super excited to click to the next set of pictures.
We see this everyday as we scroll through the endless amount of photos of homes online. We are excited about the home from the pictures and we book a viewing. We drive to the house and right away we are taken aback because the house is different than the photos.
We remember seeing a picture of the yard taken at just the right angle and feeling great about the possibility of finally finding the “right” home. We go inside and the place isn’t at all how the pictures showcased it. We are very disappointed. What a waste of time for everyone. Why would these pictures be taken in a way to misrepresent the property and in turn trick “us” the buyer?
When you are selling your home you want to take the best pictures that showcase your home to gain interest for potential buyers. So you tend to leave out a bedroom where the colours are bright and different. You leave out pictures of an old outdated bathroom in the basement and use a picture of a renovated bathroom upstairs. You take a close up picture of the new stove in the kitchen and leave out the old fridge and dishwasher. Well you get the point. Are these common techniques, of taking pictures of all the good, a smart thing to do?
Some would argue that taking all the best pictures of your home gives a better story to potential buyers. They will view these photos, become excited and will at the very least come and view your home.
This is true, you will get more people through your house. The problem is that the pictures are not telling the whole story. Is that your ultimate goal? To only get buyers “into” your home? What will happen once these buyers come to the house and see all the stuff that was not in the pictures? or better yet, misrepresented?
They will be disappointed. They will automatically have a negative thought process as soon as they see your house or step foot into your home. Even if they like parts of your home, there is some forms of trust broken. They were tricked. Nobody likes their time wasted and being fooled.
What is the solution? The solution is really very simple. Take good pictures that represent your home. If a bathroom is in need of renovations, just take a simple picture. Highlight all the great areas of your home with high quality photos. We don’t recommend highlighting parts of your home that need renovating but these parts should still be included in your pictures. Here is why.
We are all busy people. We don’t want to waste our time viewing homes that aren’t what we are looking for. At the same time, you do not want to show your house to a bunch of people who are not fully interested in your home. Two or three potential buyers who are interested in your home is better than 20 people coming through your home just to take a look.
Showing parts of your home, like an unfinished basement or a bathroom that needs updating, may deter some people from viewing your home. It may also draw people in to see your home who would like to update those spaces themselves in their own style. Either way, at least you are showcasing your home as it actually is, not tricking people into a false belief of something better. Need help with taking proper photos?