Making Your Home Picture Perfect

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, in real estate, that picture's worth translates to dollars and then, if it's an excellent picture, you can add another zero to that number. That's why helping us get the right photos of your home are critical.

Before having Carrasco Real Estate photograph or, in some cases, videotaped, your home you'll want to make sure that it's in the best possible shape. But what exactly does that mean?

Getting your home ready for a photo shoot is not quite the same as getting it ready to have dinner guests. Yes, there's the same cleaning rituals such as dusting, and picking up items lying around the house. But making a home picture perfect is about creating an atmosphere that's welcoming, interesting, and even beckoning viewers and then allowing us to capture it with our lens.

How is that done? For starters we'll use the right equipment to get the job done. Wide angle lens to make the home look larger and show off adjacent rooms in a single photo are one good method. Early morning and late afternoon photo shoots make use of the best lighting times in the day.

Before the shoot you'll want to add some props and take away the clutter. These should be your top priorities.

Let's start with empty rooms. Showing an empty house isn't ideal for in-person visits or pictures. Why? You can't get a feel for how to use the space and when you see an empty room in a picture and it's hard to grasp its size. The Wall Street Journal suggests bringing in props such as furniture (even just a chair and small table) that will help give the viewer a sense of scale.

If at all possible, rent, borrow some furniture to have at least a few objects in the room. You don't need as many pieces of furniture as you would have if you're living in the home, just some nice tables, lamps, and chairs to create a homey mood.

Kitchen comfort. Here's where you get to have some fun. Think of yourself as a set designer. Your job is to look closely at your kitchen and tuck away all the unnecessary objects. If you leave out an appliance (maybe a good-looking stainless steel one) hide the cord. The appliance isn't there for use–it's just a prop.

Now, add some other props–a basket of colorful fruit in a clear glass bowl (nothing too distracting). A plate of cheese and bread with a wine bottle nearby helps set a scene to make the viewer feel welcome.

When it comes to the exterior of your home, put away those unsightly garbage cans, the seasonal decorations, and those "no soliciting" signs.

Remember, you're making your home not only picture-perfect but model-home perfect too... and that could just be priceless.