Technology has made its mark on the real estate industry. Today, virtual 3D tours and video showings are almost as common as in-person open houses. For the best chances of success when selling your house, you have to make a strong impression on online viewers. This starts with your home’s exterior.
Here are seven tips to boost your home’s digital curb appeal:
1. Declutter
Whether they’re looking at listing photos, attending an in-person showing, or viewing a virtual tour, the outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see. Just like you should clean and declutter the interior of your home for your showings, you also need to tidy up your home’s exterior.
Some homeowners maintain a clean and simple yard at all times. Others, especially those with kids, see clutter build up outside. Here are some tasks you can start with to declutter your home’s exterior:
- Remove or repair old furniture
- Get rid of unused pots
- Put children’s toys into storage
- Remove broken lawn ornaments
- Hide trash cans and recycling bins
- Remove vehicles from driveway before taking photos
2. Repaint the Doors
Repainting the entire exterior of your house may not be worth the time and money unless the current paint job is in serious disrepair. However, painting the front door can be a quick and easy way to improve your home’s virtual curb appeal.
If your home’s exterior is a neutral shade, a colorful front door adds warmth and character to your house. Light blue, olive green, and coral are all great options for front doors. A black front door against a white exterior is also very popular.
3. Invest in Professional Landscaping
You may feel that professional landscaping isn’t worth the cost in your day-to-day life, but it offers an excellent return on investment when preparing your home for the real estate market. High-quality landscaping can transform the exterior of your home and create stunning curb appeal, especially in photos and videos.
The following are just a few of the tasks a professional landscaper can offer that will enhance your real estate listing:
- Plant flowers, shrubs, and trees
- Remove trees that block the view of your home
- Trim trees and hedges
- Repair or install a path to the front door
- Pressure wash the driveway
- Install artificial turf
4. Take Test Photos and Videos
It’s always wise to take test photos and videos of your home’s exterior before creating your online listing. While the interior of your house will mostly stay the same, the outside can look very different depending on the time of day, the season, and the weather.
Additionally, what looks good in person may not look so great in photos. Taking test photos can help you determine what work you need to do to help your home shine online.
If your agent will be offering live virtual tours, set up a test tour with a trusted friend or family member. Ask for their honest feedback about the viewing experience. They might notice things about your home’x exterior or about the virtual tour that you never would have considered as the homeowner. Perfecting the virtual tour experience before scheduling showings will ensure that all of your potential buyers see the best aspects of your home.
5. Consider Time of Day When Taking Photos
The time of day at which your photos or videos are taken can have a dramatic impact on the overall appearance of your home. This applies to the interior as well, but the differences are even more shocking with exterior photos and videos.
If you’re hiring a professional photographer, they’ll probably advise you on what time of day is best to take your listing photos. You can also experiment by taking photos and videos throughout the day yourself and seeing what looks good.
Twilight is especially popular for exterior real estate photos because the glow of the sunset creates a feeling of warmth and luxury. Most photographers who take twilight photos also edit and enhance the images to make the colors more vibrant.
If you plan to take photos during the day, the hours of 10am to 2pm are typically best. When the sun is high in the sky, you’ll get more uniform light and less unsightly shadows. East-facing homes usually look best in the morning, and west-facing homes should be shot in the afternoon.
You and your agent can consider the time of day when scheduling showings, too. If possible, your agent should only offer video tours during the most flattering times of day for your house so that potential buyers can see it in all its glory.
6. Take Aerial Photos
Aerial photography is becoming standard for real estate listings. If you want to market your home virtually, aerial photos are absolutely essential. These photos offer a different perspective of your home’s exterior that traditional pictures simply can’t provide.
When buyers visit your home in-person, they can drive around or walk through the neighborhood to see the surroundings. However, if buyers are limited to virtual viewing, aerial photography is one of the only ways they’ll be able to see the area around your property. Aerial photos can also show off your home’s size and layout more effectively than traditional photos.
The FAA has strict regulations on the commercial use of drones, so you’ll need to hire a photographer with a drone license to take aerial pictures of your house. Fortunately, many professional real estate photographers possess this license because drone photos have become so popular in the industry.
7. Put the Best Photos First
When creating your online listing, you and your agent should carefully consider the order of the photos. First impressions matter, so the first photo on your listing should be eye-catching. Buyers also tend to lose interest after a handful of photos, so your first four or five pictures need to convince them to keep looking.
The first picture on your listing should be a beautiful photo of your home’s exterior. The second and third photos could showcase the exterior of your house, too. However, the listing shouldn’t be overloaded with exterior photos, especially at the beginning.
Buyers also want to see your home’s interior, so you should be showing off your kitchen or living room by the third or fourth photo. If there are more features of your home’s exterior you want to show, add those photos at the end of the listing.
When selling a home, boosting the curb appeal has always been a priority. In today’s world of video tours and virtual showings, digital curb appeal is just as important. Fortunately, many of the steps you take to enhance your home’s exterior in-person will also help it shine online. Focus on staging, lighting, and taking high-quality photos and videos to showcase your house to virtual viewers.
