Is there really a difference between getting your house ready for pictures and getting it ready for showings?

Yes! Your goal when potential buyers view pictures of your home's listing is to motivate them to come and see the home. You've probably heard the common (and helpful!) advice to de-clutter and de-personalize your home as much as possible. This way a buyer can visualize themselves in the space. De-cluttering and removing personal items like family pictures, awards for your daughter's record-setting pole vault, and your toddler's hand-print Thanksgiving turkey will go a long way towards making your home a blank slate for a buyer.

When it's time for showings to start, your focus is on making your home clean and inviting. You want buyers to notice the natural light that comes through your bay window or your newly refinished hardwood floors, not your dog's nose-smudges on the back door or the line of dust on your ceiling fan blades. Sweeping the unfinished basement room and putting half your wardrobe in storage to make your walk-in closet look bigger are the tasks you work on after photos are taken, unless you're really ahead of the game!

The goal is different when it comes to home photography. A professional photographer is going to have a wide-angle lens that gets a large portion of each room in frame for each photo. When buyers are searching for homes online, their first impression is, of course, the pictures. The result of those photos is that they take in your rooms as a whole, so certain items can draw the eye that wouldn't seem out of place when a buyer is standing in the home.

1. Trash cans

It's expected to have a trash can in a kitchen or bathroom, so during showings or an open house, a trash can isn't an eyesore. In a listing photo, however, it can stand out like a sore thumb. Best to stash it in the garage or under a cabinet right before the photographer arrives.

2. Kitchen towels

You want guests or potential buyers to be able to dry their hands, to be sure. But when a brightly colored hand towel (especially in a neutral kitchen) is draped over the handle of the dishwasher or oven, it is a stand-out object in a photo. You paid good money for those beautiful stainless steel appliances, so don't cover up a selling feature with a dish towel!

3. Colorful throw blankets

Unless you're obscuring a tear in your couch or a worn spot on the ottoman (no judgement! It's all about illusion!) a big swath of fabric over an otherwise neutral couch or chair in a neutral room is the first thing someone will see in a photo. It can add visual clutter that is not nearly as noticeable in person.

4. Electrical cords

When someone is standing in a room, they probably won't notice, or care, about the tangle of cords under your desk or entertainment center. However, a photographer usually doesn't have their tripod at standing-height. To take in more of the room, the camera is typically about 4 feet off the ground—roughly seated height. Cast a discerning eye over your space from a couch or chair, and notice if that bundle of black cords against your white wall is visible. Not something to worry about during showings, but in a photo, you want your rooms to be free of distractions. Let buyers focus on the features and updates.

Making these few small tweaks could be the difference between a good photo and a great photo. The difference between a buyer thinking "That's not the style of towel I would have picked," to "Wow, a double oven? I've always wanted a home where I could host my whole family!"

Bonus tips for photography AND showings:

- Take toothbrushes off bathroom sinks
- Remove sensitive info or paperwork from bulletin boards or offices
- Lock away any weapons and/or prescription medications
- Put away pet bowls and beds

At Nations Network, all of our seller clients receive a complimentary one-hour session with our home staging consultant. She will go room-by-room to give you personalized suggestions to make your home appeal to the maximum number of buyers!