While you may adore those large portraits of each of your kids, it's best not to showcase those when you are staging your home. Buyers might be distracted by all of your family photos and it could make it harder for them to envision themselves living in your home.
Some stagers and real estate professionals may offer up a compromise: Remove some photos, but keep a few up. An entire wall filled with family photos may be a little much and too distracting to buyers, but a frame here and there may actually do more good than harm, if it's done tastefully.
Obviously, you won't physically be present for the showing. Neither should any of your personal items. You want prospective buyers to picture themselves calling this house theirs, so remove all family photos and other items such as children's artwork or report cards.
Photograph the home's best features
Whatever it is, be sure to take plenty of photos of the home's best features. Your Realtor may even want to make one of these photos the first picture that buyers see in the MLS database and other online real estate marketplaces.
Top-notch, compelling photography for your listings matter and help brand you as one of the best: 72.2% of Realtors report that high-quality photography helps them win more listings. 83% of buyers said pictures are very important in helping them choose which homes they will visit.
Homes that have been professionally photographed bring in a 47 percent higher asking price per square foot. 87 percent of buyers rely on photos to make decisions about homes. Professionally photographed homes sell 32 percent faster than their counterparts.
Decluttering a home before a sale is one of the most important steps in the staging process. It will help you showcase the home in its best possible light. Potential buyers can visualize themselves living in the space without a bunch of personal items interfering.
You won't have to take it down, pack it, or patch the wall. Be aware that in some cases, a mount is seen as a fixture that is required to stay when selling a home, so speak with your agent to clarify whether or not you are able to take it with you should that be your choice.
1. Patch holes in walls. Seeing walls with holes—even small holes left by nails—is an immediate turnoff to home buyers, says Sarah Fishburne, director of trend and design at The Home Depot.
Studies show that having your family photographed and having your loving portraits displayed prominently in your home sends the message that your family is important to one another...and that you honor the memories you created together.
Main Rooms
This is perhaps the living room, dining room and game room where you laugh, love and play together. It makes perfect sense to enhance these special places with pictures of the people who make the house a home. Your family pictures should be proudly displayed for your loved ones and guests to enjoy.
It is generally OK for people to take photographs at any public place or any private place that they own or rent. Being present on someone else's private property generally requires the property owner's consent to take photos. You would also need permission to be there in the first place, or you'd be trespassing.
So let us tell you that according to Vastu Shastra, the southwest wall of the house is considered best for placing family photos in the house. Because according to the scriptures, this corner is directly related to family relationships.
In a bedroom, use black and white images of flowers, a nude or sleeping abstract. A seller may even want to use an image of peace and relaxation, like a beach shoreline. Use a map. Maps are an inexpensive way to add color and interest to a wall.
What Is A Final Walk-Through? A final walk-through is an important step in the home buying process. It provides an opportunity for home buyers to inspect the house before the official closing. The final walk-through allows the buyer and their real estate agent to go through the house room by room.
This means window treatments (think: hardware, curtains, shutters and blinds), bathroom mirrors, shelving, door hardware, kitchen hardware and light fixtures. Unless you made an exception for these items in your contract, make sure to leave these home features behind for the new owners.
When struggling to make decluttering decisions, the 20/20 rule says you should consider letting go of an item if: You can replace it for less than $20. And you can replace it in less than 20 minutes.
There's a saying that goes, “If it won't matter in five years, don't spend more than five minutes worrying about it.” If you're someone who gets stuck on what to declutter and what to keep, remind yourself of this rule to keep things in perspective.
Simply by dealing with an item immediately, whether it is your shoes, incoming mail, or your used coffee mug, less clutter will be created. One touch, one movement, equals less effort overall. This rule can also be applied when you are purging, editing, and organizing.
Poses with a straight back tend to show how confident you are. Poses where you lean slightly towards the camera help the photos to appear more approachable. Each pose should communicate success every time.
DON'T post any identifiable information about your home's address or specific location. As you're taking photos to share, be careful to keep house numbers just out of frame.