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Required equipment You dont have to be a professional photographer to take pictures that will show your home to its best advantage. Any good-quality point-and-shoot digital or film camera is capable of doing the job. If you are using a film camera, the film must be processed to CD format in order to upload the photos to your ad (instructions are below). A digital camera is recommended because results are immediate and shooting retakes is easier. The camera should be at least 2 megapixels. A 5 megapixel camera will provide optimum results. The pixel width or resolution of your digital camera should be at least 800 x 600 pixels and less than 1MB in total size. Because our system automatically sizes your picture to fit properly on your ad, higher resolution pictures can be used as long as they don't exceed the 1mb per picture limit. Let's get started When selling a home, curb appeal makes the difference between a prospective buyer stopping for a look, or moving on. Clear the front and back yard of toys, bikes, sports equipment and anything else that could be a distraction. Remove toys and floating chairs from swimming pools. Also be sure that shrubs are trimmed, weeds and past-their-prime annuals are removed, and the lawn mowed. If your car is usually parked in the driveway, park it along the street, away from your home, while photographing. Vehicles parked in the driveway block part of the view and detract from your homes overall visual impact. Indoors, photos of individual rooms should create a spacious, clean impression. Keep toys, kitty condos (and definitely cat litter boxes), pet beds, wastebaskets, etc., out of the picture. Clear table surfaces of small items – you’d be surprised how objects (such as phones) that you would never otherwise notice suddenly become prominent when in a photograph. Remove framed photos, collectibles, and any other items that personalize the room too much – after all, you want prospective buyers to imagine that they could live there. Remove any area rugs, as they make a room look smaller. If you are photographing the kitchen, remove “refrigerator art,” magnets and the dish rack; clear countertops. Taking your exterior pictures You are allowed a maximum of 10 pictures on your ad. To make the most effective impact, determine the number of exterior and interior photographs before shooting. Spend sufficient time and attention when photographing the front exterior of your home, because these are the photos that will create a potential buyer’s all-important first impression of the property. A slightly overcast day provides optimum shooting conditions for exterior photography, as bright sunlight causes high-contrast light and shadowed areas on portions of your home and yard, and creates glare off of windows and metal trim. Should the weather not cooperate, stand within photo-taking distance of your home at different times of day to establish the best light conditions. When photographing the exterior, position yourself to take the shot on a slight angle. You can also get down on one knee to take the picture at a slightly upward angle. Photographing from these positions will make the home appear larger and better show its character than a straight-on photo taken from a standing position, which tends to produce an image that looks “flat” and uninteresting.
We recommend three to four exterior shots: front of the house, backyard, pool and garden (or any other point of interest, such as a patio, spa, etc.). When taking pictures of the pool or garden, make sure you take the picture on an angle and/or while down on one knee, rather than straight-on. Recap of taking exterior pictures
Taking your interior pictures Prospective buyers will expect to see the main rooms of your home: living (or great) room, formal dining room, kitchen and master bedroom/bath. If, after photographing the desired exterior areas and these key rooms you have still not reached your 10-photo maximum, you can photograph secondary rooms, such as a game room, home office (be sure it’s neat and organized) or guest bedroom. Avoid angles that will pick up reflections or glare from mirrors and framed art covered with glass. Do not use a flash in front of one of theses surfaces. Also avoid bright windows and streaming sun, as they can create hot spots (which cause overexposure) or shadowy areas in a room. If this is the case, wait until late afternoon or even twilight to take the photo. If strong sunlight enters through a window, close the window treatments. Turn lamps and/or overhead lighting fixtures on, and photograph with the flash turned off. Compose your photos by making the most interesting area of the room the focus – keep in mind that you want prospective buyers to see its selling points. Be aware of what’s in your viewfinder frame to avoid the visual effect of cutting furniture in half. Photograph from all four corners of the room, or from the entrance way to determine the best angle. Try to show as much of the room as possible, and remember to turn off the flash! Recap of taking interior pictures
Uploading your pictures to your ad You must first be on the Purchase Me From Owner website and have an existing account.
      How to load your pictures from your CD You must first be on the Purchase Me From Owner website and have an existing account.
Let us do it for you Still having trouble? No problem. Send us your pictures and we will put them on your ad for you at no charge. Please send them with your name and Web ID number to: Purchase Me From Owner, Inc. |
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